#5 Florida @ Ole Miss

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#5 Florida: Wins by 15+ Points

Any Other Result

Current odds:

Florida Gators: (-560)

Ole Miss Rebels: (+422)

• The line for this game is Florida by 13.5 points.

• The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t change the fact that No. 5 Florida looks ready to challenge for a berth in the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss, meanwhile, remains a mystery under first-year coach Lane Kiffin. The teams are set to open their seasons against each other on Saturday in an SEC matchup in Oxford, Miss.

• Florida’s quest to at least end Georgia’s three-year reign as SEC East champion is fueled by quarterback Kyle Trask, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior who was selected last week as preseason first-team all-conference by the league coaches. Trask stepped in early last season for Feleipe Franks and completed 66.9 percent of his 354 passes for 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His passing efficiency rating of 156.1 was the best at Florida since Tim Tebow led the nation in 2009 at 164.2.

• Kiffin is returning to the SEC after serving as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009 and as an Alabama assistant, including offensive coordinator, from 2014-16. He was 27-13 as the head coach at Florida Atlantic in the past three seasons, including a pair of 11-3 campaigns. Kiffin might have the element of surprise in the opener, schematically, as he takes over for Matt Luke (15-21 in three seasons) and juggles two quarterbacks. Matt Corral started four games last season and is the superior passer, while speedy freshman John Rhys Plumlee started eight games, gaining favor in then-coordinator Rich Rodriguez’s zone-read attack and rushing for 1,023 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ole Miss is expected to be more pass-heavy under Kiffin — the Rebels ran the ball 63 percent of the time last season.

• Sophomore running back Jerrion Ealy (722 yards, 6.9 per carry) is another threat and is a dangerous kick returner.

• Ole Miss quarterbacks will be facing a fast Florida defense that allowed only 15.5 points per game last season. Marco Wilson and Kaiir Elam are top-notch cornerbacks.

• Trask’s top target is potential All-American tight end Kyle Pitts (54 catches, 649 yards, five TDs last season). Florida’s biggest question on offense is the line. Projected starting center Ethan White is out because of a knee injury.

• Attendance at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be capped at 25 percent, about 16,000, due to COVID-19 protocols to begin the 2020 season.