I’m not worried about Florida in its matchup against South Carolina this weekend. Not even a little bit.

Now, of course, the Gators have things to be concerned about, as they should going into any SEC conference matchup. Dylan Stewart returns for the Gamecocks after serving a one-game suspension, and I fully expect an inspired performance from him. You can also throw in the context that the betting line opened with Florida as a 13.5-point favorite and has already dropped to 11.5. That kind of movement tells you plenty of people are giving South Carolina a real shot.

But even with that in mind, I still believe Florida wins this game without breaking a sweat.

Jon Sumrall is built for the week after a loss

Here’s why I believe that. It starts with head coach Jon Sumrall. I have a real confidence that as we get further along into his Florida tenure, Sumrall is going to be one of those coaches who adapts and delivers some of his most inspired performances following a loss. He has always shown the mental makeup of a coach who is going to turn over every stone possible to get Florida back into championship contention.

And you may say, Tegan, you were the guy who was really high on Florida beating Missouri. Fair. I was, and I was wrong.

But I’m even more confident that this team can rebound from a loss like that. The Gators are back at home, which matters more than people want to admit after a tough weekend. Florida is also more than likely getting some of its injured pieces back onto the field. Add that together, and this sets up as the exact kind of bounce-back spot where I want to back a coach like Sumrall.

South Carolina’s defense is capable of being manipulated

The bigger reason I feel good about this pick is the matchup itself. Florida’s rushing attack forces a defense to stay disciplined on every snap, and that works really well against this South Carolina defense. Yes, the Gamecocks have some playmakers. Yes, they have some pieces you can buy into. But as a collective unit, this defense can be manipulated time and time again.

Go back and look at the Alabama game. Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide offense consistently manipulated the eyes of South Carolina’s linebackers and secondary. I really believe Florida can do the same thing with all the eye candy it has in the backfield. Every misdirection look and every motion is going to test whether those second-level defenders can trust what they see.

And frankly, I think Jadan Baugh is going to have one of the best games of his entire season this weekend. If he gets going early, that offensive production is going to be really difficult for South Carolina to match.

LaNorris Sellers can’t go pace for pace

Credit to LaNorris Sellers, because he is a very good talent at quarterback for the Gamecocks. Nobody is questioning what he can do with the ball in his hands. But at this point in the season, he has not shown me that the South Carolina offense around him is consistent enough to hang with this Florida offense.

I do think this game could turn into a shootout. If it does, though, I don’t trust the Gamecocks to go pace for pace with the Gators for all four quarters. Sellers can make the highlight play. Making it every single drive is a different ask entirely.

So here’s where I land. The line can keep moving, Stewart can come back fired up, and South Carolina can make this uncomfortable for a quarter or two. Give me Florida to win comfortably at home and leave the Missouri loss behind it. I’m stamping that.