No. 3 Georgia and No. 17 Florida meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and for the first time the rivalry moves to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium while Jacksonville's stadium is renovated. Georgia is 6-1 and 4-1 in the SEC, a game behind conference leader Kentucky in the loss column. Florida is 5-2 and 3-2 in league play, part of a four-team logjam with Ole Miss, LSU and Tennessee, so a win would pull the Gators level with Georgia at 4-2. It is the first time both teams have been ranked for this game since 2020, which is also the last year Florida won the series, according to the Palm Beach Post. Both teams are coming off an open date.
Each side arrives from a very different last result. Georgia, which won 20-17 at Alabama earlier in October, was ranked No. 1 when Auburn's Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired for a 27-24 upset in Athens on Oct. 17, the Associated Press reported. Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice and lost a late fumble; he was checked for a shoulder stinger and cleared on the sideline, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Florida rallied from 17-3 down to win 27-24 at Texas the same day, and its two SEC losses came against South Carolina and Missouri, while it owns head-to-head wins over Ole Miss and Texas.
The biggest news of the week is at quarterback for Florida. Aaron Philo, who hurt his shoulder against South Carolina on Oct. 10 and missed the Texas game, is set to start, the Athens Banner-Herald reported, citing a source, with ESPN and the AP reporting the same. Philo was listed as probable on the SEC availability report. Tramell Jones Jr. made his first career start in Austin and threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Philo and Stockton both set records as Georgia high school quarterbacks, Sports Illustrated noted. The matchup also puts first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall, 48-14 as a head coach, across from Kirby Smart, who is 123-22 at Georgia and has won the last five meetings, including a 24-20 Georgia win in Jacksonville on Nov. 1, 2025.
On Polymarket on Saturday afternoon, traders priced Florida's chance of winning at 19.5%, with Georgia at 80.5%. That makes the Bulldogs clear favorites in the market, but the price is a measure of trader expectations rather than a result, and Georgia's loss to Auburn as the top-ranked team showed how quickly a late kick can overturn one.
Final availability reports are due 90 minutes before kickoff. The result will be the last major data point for both teams before the College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings of the 2026 season on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
