In a week without a top-25 matchup, the Tennessee vs. Florida football game will be one of the most highly anticipated in Week 3 of college football action. Both teams are coming off of performances in which they dismantled small school non-major teams. Now, both teams will be facing their toughest challenge yet in the 2023 season. This article will tell you everything that you need to know before kick-off.

When and where is the game?

The Tennessee Volunteers will be playing their third game on the road in the early parts of the 2023 season. The team has yet to play at home and will now be traveling to “The Swamp” to take on the Gators. Florida has one of the best home-field advantages in the nation.

How to watch Tennessee vs. Florida?

ESPN will have broadcasting rights to the highly anticipated game. The game can also be streamed on services including FuboTV and Sling TV.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16 | Time: 7 p.m. ET

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida

TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)

Odds: Tennessee -6.5 | O/U 58.5

Storylines

Tennessee is the 11th-ranked team in the nation. So far, they have won easily against Virginia and Austin Peay. They weirdly played better against the power five schools, but they still dominated both of their opponents, only allowing 13 points in each matchup.

The Volunteers have been effective on both sides of the ball thus far, but they have especially thrived with the ground game on offense. Their 515 rushing yards rank fourth in the nation. Tennessee has a three-headed monster of running backs. Jabari Small leads the team in carries. He has 162 rushing yards on the season. Jaylen Wright has a team-high 233 yards. The running back has been incredibly efficient, rushing for 9.3 yards per attempt. Dylan Sampson has been the goal-line threat. He has made well on limited opportunities, punching the ball into the end zone on three of his 16 rushing attempts. Sampson also has a receiving touchdown. All four of his touchdowns came against Virginia.

While the Volunteers running game has been exceptional, it is their passing potential that gets people excited. Quarterback Joe Milton is a Heisman candidate. Milton is known for having one of the strongest arms in college football, but he has also got it done on the ground. In addition to his four passing touchdowns, he has run it in for a score an additional three times.

While Tennessee has dominated offensively, Florida has one of the best defenses in the nation. The Gators are third in the nation defensively because they are only allowing 191 yards per game. Florida is only allowing 115.5 passing yards per game. Even with such a harassing defense, the team has yet to force a turnover this season, something they will likely need to do to come away victorious on Saturday.

While the Florida defense has outplayed their offense, there are still a number of good football players capable of big days on that side of the ball. Florida is quarterbacked by Graham Mertz. The Wisconsin transfer has 526 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Ricky Pearsall has been their best pass catcher. He has 215 yards and a touchdown.

Tennessee and Florida are founding SEC schools and long-time rivals. That rivalry has grown over the last 30 years because the two programs have faced each other more frequently. They have also been two of the most successful programs in college football during that time. Florida leads the series 31-21, but Tennessee won last year's matchup. The elite offense against elite defense clash is sure to give us a classic, but who do you think will win?