The Florida Gators welcome the Ole Miss Rebels to Gainesville on Saturday afternoon, and while Florida head coach Jon Sumrall is confident in his team’s ability to upset the No. 4 team in the nation, that doesn’t mean he has to agree with what Vegas is saying ahead of the monster SEC match up.
During his Monday press conference, Sumrall reflected on the Gators’ 44-39 win on the road at Auburn before turning the page to what will be his first primetime match up while manning the sideline in The Swamp with the Rebels in town.
When a reporter indicated that Florida was favored in the game as of Monday afternoon, he looked to his right before delivering a funny, yet also authentic reaction.
“Who has us favored against these guys?” Sumrall asked the room.
When the reporter indicated that it was Vegas that had the Gators favored, Sumrall joked that “there are a lot of good drugs out there.”
Florida is 3-0 on the season and will welcome Ole Miss to town having just jumped into the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 21, but it is quite clear that the sportsbooks see Saturday’s contest as a major letdown spot for a Rebels team removed from taking down LSU at home in one of the most emotional games you’ll ever see.
If you believe in trap games, this is as trappy as they come.
It’s not an easy task for a team to come off such an emotional high like Ole Miss experienced against LSU, immediately put it in the rear-view, and turn the focus to what will be a mighty stiff test against a Florida team looking to enter the contender conversation playing on its own turf.
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One could argue that Ole Miss owns the strongest resume in all of college football thus far, with a win over Louisville in a neutral-site game to begin the season and then an eight-point victory over Lane Kiffin and the Tigers. The Rebels are also led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who could be the clubhouse leader for the Heisman Trophy, and who has his offense clicking at a dangerous level.
Speaking of the Heisman, Florida running back Jadan Baugh may be a main character in that conversation sooner rather than later.
Florida’s offense has been elite through three games this season as well, scoring 66 points against FAU, 52 points against Campbell, and then hanging 44 points on Auburn on the road against what many believe is a well-above-average Tigers defense.
One thing is for sure, and that is Sumrall or the players inside his locker won’t be buying into the idea that Ole Miss is going to enter The Swamp feeling like an underdog after the performance the Rebels put together against LSU in Week 3.
