OTHER PICKS
Texas A&M 55, Nevada 26Missouri 42, UConn 11Miss. St. 41, Northwestern State 10Arkansas 35, Texas Tech 28Florida State 24, Boston College 19Wake Forest 17, Army 14North Carolina 28, Illinois 13Duke 23, Northwestern 22Virginia 49, William & Mary 14Virginia Tech 30, Purdue 27Miami 31, Nebraska 24N.C. State 42, Ole Dominion 21MTSU 45, Charlotte 18Ohio State 49, No. Illinois 6Southern Cal 34, Stanford 23TCU 52, SMU 17
Florida is among the biggest pressure-cooker jobs in college football.
Steve Spurrier guided the Gators to six Southeastern Conference championships and one national title to set a high bar throughout the 1990s, and then Urban Meyer came along a few years later and won national titles in 2006 and '08. The three-year stint of Ron Zook and the four-year stint of Will Muschamp were not-so-successful regimes that ended with interim coaches for bowl games.
First-year Florida coach Jim McElwain has an offensive background like Spurrier and Meyer, so he's got that going for him, but his first pressure-cooker contest takes place Saturday night at Kentucky. The Gators have defeated the Wildcats 28 consecutive times, which includes seven combined victories from Zook and Muschamp.
"It's pretty amazing," McElwain said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference, "but I do know that each year is a different team and a different set of players out there. I was on the bad end of one of those streaks back at Montana State to where the rival had us about 15 years in a row, and there was always a big deal about that.
"Each year and each game is an individual event, and each play is an individual event. What we try to break down with our guys is to just win the next play."
McElwain said overconfidence is no problem whatsoever this week following last Saturday night's 31-24 escape of East Carolina. While the Gators were surviving, Kentucky was pulling off a 26-22 upset at South Carolina.
The Wildcats had not won an SEC road game since 2009 before prevailing at Williams-Brice Stadium, but Kentucky coach Mark Stoops could celebrate the end of a much longer streak. Kentucky has set a league record for futility against another foe, with its 28 consecutive setbacks against the Gators topping the 26 straight the Wildcats lost to Tennessee before a 10-7 topping of the Vols in 2011.
"We're not going to hide from these things," Stoops said. "These kids know. There is a lot of information out there with social media, and they listen to you guys and see what you write. I said last week that I was tired of going on the road and not being able to win, but the only way you can do that is by preparation.
"You cannot talk yourself into these victories."
Florida extended the streak to 28 last September with a 36-30 triple-overtime win.
Pasquali's Pix:
Clemson at Louisville: Cardinals fans are tiring of Todd Grantham's defense? Boy, that seems familiar. Tigers 35, Cardinals 31.
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame: The Irish have lost their starting quarterback, tailback and tight end during the first two weeks of the season. Yellow Jackets 31, Irish 24.
Auburn at LSU: No telling where this one will go, given the two talented rosters and two apprehensive quarterbacks. Auburn 27, LSU 24.
UTC at Samford: Improve the defense and avoid the uprights, and all should go well for Russ Huesman's bunch. Mocs 20, Bulldogs 17.
Austin Peay at Vanderbilt: The winner claims a spot in the Volunteer State top five. Commodores 29, Governors 12.
South Carolina at Georgia: So when did Aaron Murray vs. Connor Shaw become Greyson Lambert vs. Perry Orth? Bulldogs 27, Gamecocks 16.
Western Carolina at Tennessee: Sources in Knoxville claim the Volunteers are optimistic this week of surpassing 8 fourth-quarter yards. Vols 38, Catamounts 13.
Florida at Kentucky: This series was a tossup - Florida led it 20-17 entering 1987 - before the Gators reeled off 28 straight. Gators 24, Wildcats 17.
Ole Miss at Alabama: Hide the women and children for this battle royale. Oh, wait, there won't be any women and children up nearing 1 a.m. Crimson Tide 26, Rebels 23.
Last week:
Winners .21
Bielemas 5
Pasquali is now 43-7 overall (86.0 percent) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.