And now, ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to fumble!
Four quarters for the undisputed SEC East Championship of the world!
Introducing first, fighting on the away sideline, wearing the garnet-and-black trunks, with a record of 6-3 and two knockouts, we have the challenger — the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Fighting on the home sideline, wearing the orange-and-blue trunks, also with a record of 6-3 and four knockouts, we have the two-time defending SEC East Champion of the wooooooorld — the Florida Gators.
A heavyweight fight, this is not.
The Gators used to be one of the biggest and baddest national championship contenders around, but recent struggles have forced UF to drop some pounds and fight as a lightweight.
First Alabama knocked out Florida in the first round, delivering some devastating blows that the Gators may not have recovered from until recently.
After losing to Alabama, UF dropped two more bouts in a row at home to LSU and Mississippi State, which ended any hopes of a heavyweight championship — the BCS national title.
Florida’s No. 1 contender status for the SEC East was temporarily in limbo, but a win against Georgia snapped the streak and once again pushed UF to the top in the race to Atlanta.
The Gators pummeled the Commodores in a tune-up fight and now stand ready to face the Gamecocks with a revamped offensive attack.
South Carolina comes into the contest after taking a knockout last week against Arkansas.
A split-decision against underdog Kentucky and a technical knockout against No. 1 heavyweight contender Auburn account for South Carolina’s other two losses, which helped set up this middling SEC East title fight.
The Gamecocks are trained by the Gators’ former fighter and trainer, Steve Spurrier, who will try to guide South Carolina to an SEC title fight for the first time in the program’s history.
The Gators are trained by Urban Meyer, who has won three SEC East Championship belts in his five years as head coach of Florida.
Meyer also played the role of hype man for this not-so-heavily anticipated pugilistic showdown, ordering a “blue out” and saying he hopes The Swamp is “out of control” when the first bell rings Saturday.
Neither of these fighters are particularly skilled or powerful, but by winning this bout, they will prove that resiliency and heart can go a long way in the ring.
The Gamecocks and the Gators aren’t the traditional heavyweight powers the SEC East is used to producing over the last decade, but one of them will leave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the belt.
Let’s get ready to fumble!
