The biggest game of the week involves the SEC showdown between #6 Florida and #5 Tennessee. Urban Meyer has Gator fans giddy again, while Tennesse opened with a not-so-impressive win over UAB. I’ve compiled some perspectives on the game from “experts” around the web.

John Harris of CollegeFootballNews.com sees Florida winning a close one. Money quotes:

“Typically, Florida comes into this game with a powerful offense and a ho-hum defense. Even though they’ve tangled with Wyoming and La. Tech, you can see that this might be the most talented unit since the 1998 bunch that featured Jevon Kearse and Fred Weary. LB Brandon Siler is a beast inside and he’ll have it out for Gerald Riggs all game long. The Tennessee secondary, on the other hand, got sliced by Leak last year and the revamped unit got shredded in the second half against UAB. The implication is that Gator WR Chad Jackson has to be licking his chops. Although UT has left Gainesville the last two times with a W, the Gators should end that short streak on Saturday. Florida – 29 vs. Tennessee – 27”

Yet Harris sees Casey Clausen as an asset for the Vols:

“Since Clausen became the starter late in the 2004 season, he’s been tremendous, even when he’s come into the game in a relief role as he did against UAB. The one trait that Clausen seems to have over Erik Ainge and even over his older brother is the ability to see the whole field and find the mismatch, if one exists. He uses the whole field and will find any of his versatile wide receivers anywhere on the field. The senior doesn’t seem to get rattled and he seems to have the respect of the entire offense. Now, he’s going to see a much more athletic and better defense than Ainge saw last year in Knoxville, and he’ll have his hands full with that bunch. But, Clausen has a guy named Riggs that can help take some of the focus off of the nifty lefty, so keep an eye on how much play action the Vols use and how successful he is in finding the open man in the intermediate to deep areas of the field.”

The Palm Beach Post questions whether Chris Leak can get it done for the Gators:

“Quarterback Chris Leak might never fit Urban Meyer’s offense as well as Alex Smith did at Utah last season. Leak is off to a so-so start, despite a school-record 17 straight completions, which featured four shovel passes and two screens, in the opener against Wyoming. On Saturday, he floated several throws into coverage that a team better than Louisiana Tech might have intercepted. Leak’s longest run was 5 yards, and he’s averaging less than half a yard on 17 carries. He should improve, but must do so against Tennessee, Alabama and LSU.”

The Gators are favored by 6.5 points. That seems high to me. The game is just too close call.