Bodog Beat

One of the most heated rivalries in college sports kicks off this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST. (AP Images)

In the SEC conference the season can be decided fairly early. And for that reason the yearly Week 3 matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators has become one of the most heated rivalries.

"I say it's two sledgehammers going against each other because it's two very important teams in the [Eastern] division," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "And it's early in the season. It usually sets a trend or gives one team a little bit of an advantage heading into conference play."

Florida has won the past two meetings, making third-year coach Urban Meyer 2-0 against the Eastern division rivals and 6-0 against the Gators' three biggest rivals – Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State.

This matchup looks to be a high-scoring affair. Both teams use the spread offense, something their defenses have had trouble defending.

"I don't have a crystal ball to know [whether it'll be a high-scoring game]," said Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer. "We've scored some points and they have, too."

No. 22 Tennessee faces No. 5 Florida at 3:30 p.m. EST on CBS. The Gators have opened as -7.5 favorites. Get your NCAA football odds in the Bodog Sportsbook!