Game Preview: No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs No. 11 Florida Gators
By Matt Melton
Game Preview: No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs No. 11 Florida Gators
When: Saturday, September 18 at 3:30 pm ET on CBS
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
After both teams began the 2021 campaign with two impressive victories, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators meet for a key Week 3 matchup in the Swamp in a rematch of the thrilling 2020 SEC Championship Game.
Alabama hits the road for their first true road test of the season as they travel to Gainesville, the first time the Crimson Tide and the Gators have played in the Swamp since 2011. The Crimson Tide are coming off a 48-14 victory a week ago at home over Mercer, and bring a 2-0 record and No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll to town.
The defending national champions have not skipped a beat this season as their offense has averaged 46 PPG through the first two contests under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. While the Crimson Tide offense may get most of the shine, and rightfully so, the Alabama defense has looked impressive as well through the seasons first two games.
Florida enters this contest at 2-0 as well sporting a No. 11 ranking in the AP Poll, as well as No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. The Gators have beaten two in-state opponents so far this season in Florida Atlantic, as well as last week with a 42-20 road win at South Florida.
The Gators saw a lot of roster turnover from last seasons SEC East division championship team, in particular on offense including quarterback Kyle Trask, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receiver Kadarius Toney. While Florida lost a lot of talent from last season, they still returned notable players on both offense and defense, as well as getting strong play from new faces so far.