Two of the biggest college football programs in the Sunshine State square off this Saturday as No. 19 Miami take on Florida.
The 2023 season saw Miami go 7-6 and lose their first bowl game under head coach Mario Cristobal. But some savvy offseason additions and a favorable schedule that allows them to avoid two of the three preseason ranked ACC teams has a lot of people believing that the Hurricanes are in for a big year.
As for the Gators, 2024 is pretty much a do-or-die year for head coach Billy Napier. He’s 11-14 in two years and has a five-game stretch in November coming up that might be among the toughest in the entire sport.
Ahead of the game, Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt gave his thoughts on the game. On the latest episode of the Joel Klatt Show, the college football analyst said he found the game fascinating as it’s basically a game between two unknown quantities with a sense of urgency.
Klatt believes that Miami is primed for a big year while Florida is a hard team to grade right now.
As for the prediction, Klatt believes that the Hurricanes will beat the Gators by two touchdowns.
“My pick? 28-14 – Miami wins and they’re on their way to a big season,” Klatt said.
Like many of the Week 1 college football games, this one will give us a strong indication if there’s reason for optimism in either one of these programs.
Related: The Spun’s Most Annoying People In Football Media: Elite Eight