It is always great to hear from my good friend Frank Frangie. He knows this rivalry, he knows the Gators, he knows the SEC, he knows Jacksonville. Frank is the voice of the Jacksonville Jaguars, an esteemed talk show host, and one of the most respected football minds and broadcasters in the business. I’m often asked who I’d love to regularly do a show with, Frank is at the top of the list. We are always grateful to get Frank’s tremendous insights as a longtime contributor to Bulldawg Illustrated.

Year one, what is the relationship with the Gator faithful and Billy Napier?

Gator fans are over the moon for Napier. The main reason is they are convinced he will recruit the way his predecessors did not. Dan Mullen didn’t turn out to be much of a recruiter, same with Jim McElwain. The belief among most now is that you have to build the recruiting mechanism similar to the ones that Nick Saban built at Alabama and that Kirby has going at Georgia. No telling if that will happen, but his background suggests it might. Fans are very excited about that possibility. His approval rating, even in this 4-3 season, is very high.

What is your take on this Florida team?

The Gators are a middle of the pack SEC team. They really struggle on defense — one of the worst Gator defenses in my lifetime — and the offense is hot and cold, usually based on how well Anthony Richardson is playing. They are 4-3, but in fairness, the three teams that have beaten them are Tennessee, Kentucky and surging LSU. But it’s really just an average team.

What does Florida need to do to win?

This one will be tough. During most of the Spurrier years, I really didn’t think there was much chance Georgia could ever win. They all felt like mismatches going in, at least to me. This is the same, just in Georgia’s favor. I can’t imagine, even if everything goes as well as possible for Florida, that the Gators could win. Georgia is so much better. Lots of really good players, really well-coached. They are better than the three teams that beat Florida already. But to your question — the Gators need Richardson to play his best game. They need him to run more than he has, to create havoc outside the pocket. He is an inconsistent passer, but he is an electric athlete. He has to be amazing in this game. They need to convert third downs and stay on the field and keep a really struggling defense off the field. And they probably need to get a few takeaways. I think they have to win the turnover battle by at least three to even have a chance. It’s not likely.

What is your take on Georgia?

I think the Dawgs are terrific. Talented, tough, smart, well-coached. Probably asleep at the wheel a bit against Missouri, but still found a way to win. Georgia might be the best program in America right now — at least on par with Alabama and Ohio State — the only other ones in the conversation. Kirby has really recruited at an elite level and they are coaching that way as well. Stetson Bennett has seen about all there is to see in college football and can win with his arm and his legs. Nobody would be surprised if they repeat.

Make the case for Jacksonville to keep the game.

I can’t imagine that the game would ever leave. I know Kirby believes it is a recruiting disadvantage to lose that recruiting weekend every other year, but now that the home team can host recruits, that should alleviate that. The game is financially beneficial to both schools, more than playing at home would be. In addition, both schools get 40,000 seats every year. And I’d hate to be the one who told those rich Georgia boosters on Sea Island and elsewhere in South Georgia that they are losing their game. Beyond that, one of the things that separates college football from every other sport is its wonderful traditions. Marching bands and cheerleaders and student sections and wonderful neutral site games. Selfishly, I know how critically important it is to our city. I hope like crazy our city has it forever.

College football has undergone enormous change these past couple of years, what would you like to see next?

The 12-team playoff. We’re headed there by 2026 at the latest, but it appears there is real momentum to get it done by 2024. We need more teams in the hunt, more fan bases excited about being in a winner-take-all tournament. I’m very excited about that. The other big talkers are conference expansion and NIL, and I know both topics get major headlines, but I’d be disingenuous if I said I have strong opinions about either. I like players getting theirs, so I’m totally ok with NIL, although I hope we can find some consistency or how it is applied from state to state. As for conference expansion, I’m fine with exactly where it’s headed. The best conferences are going to keep adding the best teams that aren’t already there. Just how it is. Which is fine with me.

What is your score prediction?

Georgia 41, Florida 24. There is a gulf between these two teams right now. I can’t imagine it being much closer than that.