Florida has Jalen Tabor. FSU has Derwin James.
So let the arguing begin.
FSU has Josh Sweat. Florida has Caleb Brantley.
And furthermore, oh yeah?
Florida has Jarrad Davis. FSU has DeMarcus Walker.
And so it goes. For every Seminole, there is a Gator. For every Gator, there is a Nole. You can argue about new quarterbacks and talented running backs and explosive receivers. But for these two, measuring against each other already, there is defense.
Both FSU and Florida are expected to have top 10 defenses this year. SportsonEarth.com ranks Florida fourth and FSU fifth. Athlon has FSU fourth and Florida 12th. And so it goes.
Florida has C.C. Jefferson. FSU has Marcus White.
Last year, both defenses were pretty good, too. Flordia finished ninth in total defense; FSU was 19th.
This year, the defenses may have to carry the load, too. FSU is breaking in a new quarterback. So is Florida. It will take some time for the offenses to find their rhythm.
Florida State plays Ole Miss’ high-powered offense, featuring Chad Kelly, right off the bat. Florida will play high-powered Tennessee, featuring Joshua Dobbs, in the third week.
So while a lot of interest will be drawn to the offenses, it may be the defenses of the two schools that determine their fate.
