The Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers both have rich histories of late that include a number of appearances in the BCS National Championship Game. The Bayou Bengals might be contenders again this year, but we just don’t see the Gators being able to play that same role in spite of the fact that they are on the verge of being in the Top 10 in the nation. However, for LSU to be BCS bound once again, it is likely going to have to go into the Swamp and avoid the upset against a UF team that will be playing in one of its biggest games of the entire season. Our LSU vs. Florida picks are second to none here at Bankroll Sports, and we have our first look at this college football matchup in our Top 25 games of the 2012 season.

LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators Date: Saturday, October 6th
LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators Spread: LSU Tigers -2.5

Losing DB Tyrann Mathieu really is hurting the LSU defense, which really still is one of the best in the nation this year. The unit is still great, knowing that DE Sam Montgomery is an All-American, and he is joined by a heck of a lot of returning defensive linemen. This unit has absolutely crippled the Florida offense in recent years, especially last season when the unit just had zip going without QB John Brantley in the fold. The offense is going to be up in the air for sure with a true freshman in QB Zach Mettenberger under center, but the offensive line should be strong once again, and the backfield is just loaded. Expect to see a lot out of RB Spencer Ware, especially in this one, knowing that Head Coach Les Miles is going to want to take good care of the football against a normally very opportunistic defense.

LSU Tigers vs. Florida Gators Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: LSU 41 – Florida 11
2010: LSU 33 – Florida 29
2009: Florida 13 – LSU 3
2008: Florida 51 – LSU 21
2007: LSU 28 – Florida 24
2006: Florida 23 – LSU 10
2005: LSU 21 – Florida 17
2004: LSU 24 – Florida 21
2003: Florida 19 – LSU 7
2002: LSU 36 – Florida 7
2001: Florida 44 – LSU 5
2000: Florida 41 – LSU 9
1999: Florida 31 – LSU 10
1998: Florida 22 – LSU 10
1997: LSU 28 – Florida 21
1996: Florida 56 – LSU 13
1995: Florida 28 – LSU 10

The bottom line for Florida in this game is that QB Jeff Driskel (and maybe QB Jacoby Brissett) just has to do better than it did last year in this game. Missing RBs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey won’t hurt all that much in relation to last year as the LSU defense was just too quick for them to use their speed to get to the outside. The question is going to be where that offense is coming from though, with so many pieces to the puzzle already gone from a unit that has been suspect at best since QB Tim Tebow graduated. RB Mike Gillislee has had a great start to the season, but he has never faced a defense that has this much talent. Defensively, there is definitely a lot here to work with for Head Coach Will Muschamp. He is a defensive specialist for sure, and with 10 returning starters and a lot of depth working its way into the regular rotation, there is no reason to believe that LSU will be able to put anywhere near the 41 points on the board that it did a campaign ago in the Bayou.

LSU @ Florida Free Picks^^: This could be a massive statement of a game for the Gators. This is a perfectly placed game, right in the middle of the season as it normally is. UF should be riding high with confidence at this point, and we think that it will be a lot closer to a pick ’em by the time this game kicks off. As it is, the college football point spread has dropped from 4.5 to 2.5. Florida is good enough to pull off the upset in what could be the signature win of Coach Muschamp’s career to date. Even if the Gators don’t get the job done, 4.5 points at the open might ultimately be the difference between a cover and a failure. This is one of the toughest calls for the entire college football season.

^^Note: This is a college football prediction that is made as of August 2012, and it does not reflect the opinions that our expert NCAA Football handicappers will have on this game. This article by our very talented sports blog staff is for entertainment and informational purposes only. If you would like to purchase our premium college football picks for the year, please Click Here

Our NCAA football expert handicappers will have their LSU @ Florida picks on Saturday, 10/6/2012.