Tim Tebow lone Florida pick as ESPN panels favor Georgia

Georgia has the overwhelming support of ESPN’s pregame analysts ahead of Saturday’s rivalry showdown with Florida, but one former Gators quarterback isn’t following the crowd.Seven of the eight analysts who made predictions across College GameDay and SEC Nation picked the No. 3 Bulldogs to defeat No. 20 Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Tim Tebow was the lone dissenting voice, backing his alma mater despite acknowledging several advantages for Georgia.The predictions come as both programs return from their bye weeks. Florida (5-2, 3-2 SEC) looks to build on its 27-24 upset victory over Texas, while Georgia (6-1, 4-1) tries to recover from a 27-24 loss to Auburn.College GameDay picks Georgia unanimouslyESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from Bloomington, Indiana, ahead of the Hoosiers’ matchup with Minnesota. The panel unanimously selected Georgia to beat Florida, with Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and celebrity guest picker Isiah Thomas all siding with the Bulldogs.Kirk Herbstreit did not make a prediction because he is calling the game for ABC alongside Chris Fowler.The show’s fan poll also heavily favored Georgia, with 76% of respondents picking the Bulldogs.Here’s how the College GameDay panel voted:Desmond Howard: GeorgiaNick Saban: GeorgiaPat McAfee: GeorgiaIsiah Thomas: GeorgiaKirk Herbstreit: No pickTim Tebow stands alone on SEC NationThe SEC Nation crew broadcast from Atlanta, where Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper and Chase Daniel all picked Georgia. Tebow was the only panelist to give Florida the nod.Finebaum expressed little uncertainty about the matchup.“Georgia is really good. Florida is a mystery,” Finebaum said. “This is not a difficult pick at all. The Dogs are going to win it.”Harper acknowledged that Florida has a path to victory, particularly if the Gators utilize both Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. at quarterback, but ultimately sided with Georgia because of his confidence in Kirby Smart.Tebow appeared to reach the same conclusion. He praised Smart as the nation’s best coach, described Georgia as the country’s most complete team and highlighted quarterback Gunner Stockton as a major advantage for the Bulldogs.However, the former Florida quarterback shifted his focus to the emotion surrounding the rivalry and the people who make college football meaningful. After reflecting on a feature about Jadan Baugh and personal connections to the game, Tebow emphatically picked Florida to pull off the upset.Here’s how the SEC Nation panel voted:Paul Finebaum: GeorgiaRoman Harper: GeorgiaChase Daniel: GeorgiaTim Tebow: FloridaFlorida and Georgia kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC.Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Tim Tebow lone Florida pick as ESPN panels favor Georgia