As the head coach at Georgia from 1996-2000 I studied both the Tennessee and Florida programs extensively. During that time each of those teams won the national championship and another school we recruited against, Florida State, won one national title and played for another during that time. The level of college football success in the region is very high.

	Ron Zook has a good staff at Florida, but it has little big-game experience.

Since the Southeastern Conference went to a two-division format in 1992, either the Gators or Volunteers have won the SEC East every year. Philip Fulmer is 55-5 at home in Neyland Stadium during his career but three of those losses have come against the Gators. The big difference this year, though, is that the Ol' Ballcoach, Steve Spurrier, has departed Florida for greener (and I mean much greener) pastures. I like new Gators coach Ron Zook and his assistants, but Fulmer and his staff have been together in big games before. They know how to make adjustments quickly and are used to each other in crunch time.

Too much has been made of the what Florida can't do. The Gators have good players and most teams would have lost big against Miami. Zook has got to defend his program to everyone: fans, alumni, press and even the players.

This game will be decided by big plays, turnovers and mistakes. Crowd noise will bother the Gators and too many early penalties could be costly. It will be won or lost on the line of scrimmage on both sides. All the other positions are fairly equal, but the Vols have the advantage up front.

My last two breakdowns this season, Alabama-Oklahoma and Marshall-Virginia Tech, came pretty close to what we saw in the actual games, so here's what I think might take place Saturday in Knoxville.

Florida offense vs. Tennessee defense
Rex Grossman is a great quarterback but he needs protection from the Gators' young offensive line, the least effective O-line Florida has had in years. He was pummeled in the UT game last year and against Miami this year. Look for tight ends Ben Troupe and Aaron Walker to be used at the same time to help protect Grossman and balance out the Tennessee defense.

Great receiver Taylor Jacobs will need some help from the other Gators' wideouts, guys like Carlos Perez and Kelvin Kight. Look for the Vols to double Jacobs -- they can't press all day without some help -- and Tennessee will show more nickel and dime looks with five and six defensive backs.

Running back Earnest Graham needs some holes against the Vols. He can break tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield, but he has to stay healthy because there is no one behind him to pick up the slack. Florida will try to counter the Tennessee running game by going with less no-huddle offense to slow the game down when the Gators have the ball. Grossman could have a big game, but he might not get enough snaps.

Tennessee doesn't have as many stars as last year on defense, but they play together well as a team. The Vols lost two key players in linebacker Kevin Burnett and defensive end Constantin Ritzmann for the season. This defense hasn't been challenged like the Gator offense will challenge it. Two easy games against Wyoming and Middle Tennessee have helped the stats but this unit is not awesome like in the past.

Tennessee offense vs. Florida defense
The offensive line is the bread-and-butter of Fulmer's offense. They open holes for the great one-two punch of Jabari Davis and Cedric Houston, who provide great depth for UT at running back. Tight end Jason Witten is a great player and was a forgotten part of the program until last year. There will likely be a heavy emphasis on getting the ball to him off play-action fakes to the running backs. We could also see those backs tossing the ball themselves on a halfback pass near the goal line.

	Casey Clausen led the Vols to 13 fourth-quarter points and a win at the Swamp last year.

Casey Clausen is developing into one of the best quarterbacks around and is 1-0 as a starter against Florida, but Kelley Washington needs to have a big game and might be a little rusty after a long layoff. Florida has good cornerbacks but they likely won't be able to handle Washington with press coverage.

The Florida defense is fast and flies to the ball, but is not very strong at the point of attack. Florida hasn't stopped the run effectively and the Volunteers have run the ball down their throats with Travis Henry and Travis Stephens the last two years. Ian Scott is a great inside presence on defense and UT will double him at every opportunity. Free safety Todd Johnson is the quarterback of the defense and makes plays everywhere.

If the Florida defense can't slow the rushing attack down after down it won't get the ball much and it will be "Later, Gators." The Gators will play some type of bear defense, or eight-man front, to load up against the run.

Special teams
Florida has a poor kicking game that cost it against Miami -- a botched punt and a punting average below 40 yards -- and it will likely cost them here. Field position could become a nightmare for Florida, and I look for them to attempt some type of fake kick.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has strong special teams that would make General Neyland proud. Punter Dustin Colquitt and placekicker Alex Walls are two of the best in the country and you will never see the Vols fake a punt.

Epilogue
Another thing to keep in mind is that Georgia has beaten the Vols two years in a row and the neither Florida nor Tennessee can afford an early conference loss because both face the Bulldogs down the road in SEC East play.

The Volunteers have a new role in this series as the favorite, and the question is whether they can they handle a Gators team that will have a sense of urgency and a win-at-all-costs attitude.

ESPN.com college football analyst Jim Donnan will be taking part in chats and making observations on Saturdays as part of College GameDay Online.