Tennessee football vs. Florida Gators rivalry: Last chance to reignite

Steve Spurrier couldn’t have identified it on the time, however when the previous Florida soccer coach supplied an concept for Josh Heupel’s rebuild at Tennessee, his phrases would apply to Billy Napier’s Gators a number of months later.

I requested Spurrier final fall how Heupel may speed up the Vols’ rebuild.

Look to the portal, the Head Ball Coach stated.

“The switch portal provides colleges the prospect to possibly catch up,” Spurrier informed me.

In a twist, Florida is now doggedly pursuing transfers below Napier, after the Gators unraveled at warp velocity below Dan Mullen, fired in November.

Mullen had not recruited to Florida’s normal. Mix that with the roster turnover that accompanies any teaching change, and the Gators’ depth and expertise just isn’t the place it must be. Napier is aware of it.

“The College of Florida, you possibly can anticipate us being very aggressive within the portal this spring,” Napier informed reporters in late March. “We want gamers.”

If the Vols are ever going to regain an higher hand on the Gators, now could be the time.

The Florida-Tennessee rivalry as soon as boiled, however it stopped simmering years in the past, partly as a result of the Gators have dominated the sequence for practically twenty years, and partly as a result of there isn’t a protracted historical past or geographical battle strains to fall again on.

[ OPINION:Too bad Will Anderson, Bryce Young couldn’t be like Barry Sanders in NFL Draft | Toppmeyer ]

This sequence grew to become a rivalry as a result of Florida and UT had been the very best groups going within the SEC East through the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. The rivalry’s prominence throughout that period was aided by Georgia being down. Three is a crowd within the SEC East. Within the first 10 years of the SEC Championship, Florida claimed the East’s bid seven occasions, whereas the Vols represented the division the opposite three years. 

Tennessee’s downturn coexisted with Georgia’s ascent. Within the 14 seasons since UT’s final division crown, Georgia has received the East six occasions, and Florida received it 5 occasions.

Spurrier’s infinite jabs at Phillip Fulmer and the 2 coaches’ contrasting personalities added spice to this rivalry throughout its heyday.

With out Spurrier, with out Fulmer, and with out the Vols being related for 15 years, the sport grew to become a obligatory matchup masquerading as a rivalry.

Now, although, Tennessee is gaining floor below Heupel. Florida now not can financial institution on dunces main the Vols.

Florida doesn’t boast its sometimes sturdy roster, and people tender spots crack the door open for Tennessee to flip the sequence script. However this window of alternative could also be fleeting. Napier reveals indicators of constructing a sturdy basis, and if the best way he elevated Louisiana’s expertise in 4 seasons teaching the Ragin’ Cajuns is any indication, he’ll be a boon for the Gators’ recruiting.

Regardless of ending 6-7 total final season, the Gators defeated Tennessee in September, their sixteenth win within the sequence’ previous 17 matchups. 

Tennessee’s rivalry with Alabama has skilled the same imbalance, with the Crimson Tide having received 15 straight. Not less than the Third Saturday in October has the good thing about custom. These groups first met on Thanksgiving 1901, when a mob of offended Alabama followers stormed the sphere to protest the officiating, inflicting the sport to be halted prematurely and declared a tie. Alabama and Tennessee have met 104 occasions, and followers of an older technology, particularly, embrace that rivalry, no matter sequence tendencies.

In distinction to these border state rivals, the Tennessee and Florida campuses are separated by 540 miles, and the groups didn’t start taking part in yearly till the Nineteen Nineties.

Because the Vols pale from the highlight, so did the rivalry, and that de-escalation may develop into everlasting except Tennessee rebalances the scales quickly – particularly when you think about these groups may not play yearly sooner or later.

The SEC’s schedule is headed for a change after Oklahoma and Texas start competing within the league in 2025. It’s no assure the Vols and Gators will meet every season following the growth.

With out annual matchups, this sequence may stop to be a rivalry altogether – except it turns into aggressive once more.

Shedding Spurrier’s fixed ribbing of the Vols – who may overlook his zinger that you could’t spell “Citrus” with out the U and the T – harm this rivalry, and the lack of aggressive stability piled on.

Spurrier is not returning to the Florida sideline, however with the Gators weak and the Vols solidifying, the rivalry may discover the competitiveness that had been lacking.

This is likely to be the final, greatest alternative to reinvigorate what was one among school soccer’s greatest rivalries of the ‘Nineteen Nineties.

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Community. Electronic mail him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and observe him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. Should you take pleasure in Blake’s protection, take into account a digital subscription that may enable you entry to all of it.