Tim Tebow explains what makes Florida-Georgia rivalry unique

Florida and Georgia will clash in Jacksonville on Saturday for one of the biggest annual rivalry matchups in college football. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party certainly lives up to the pomp and circumstance on a yearly basis, regardless of how either team’s season in going.

Perhaps, that’s what makes it different from other rivalry games. Tim Tebow, a Florida legend who grew up a diehard Gators fan, revealed his perspective on the bitter rivalry matchup — but prefaced by stating his bias.

He said himself that if he was cut open, he’d bleed orange and blue. It goes without saying that this matchup means something to him.

“This rivalry is special because it is unique. It’s different. It is separate from everything else,” Tebow said on SportsCenter ahead of SEC Nation. “When you show up to this game, there’s a million people that are tailgating. When you go to it, it is split 50-50, red and black and orange and blue.

“Let me just tell you this, yes, some people would compare it to the Red River rivalry, but everyone agrees that it’s called the Red River Rivalry. People don’t even agree on the Florida-Georgia, Georgia-Florida. They argue even about the name.”

Tebow’s argument is aided by the fact that this game has its own Hall of Fame. In fact, four new inductees were immortalized in the Hall on Oct. 31. This included Brandon James (class of 2009) and Todd Johnson (2002) for Florida and Sony Michel (2017) and Freddie Gilbert (1983) for the Bulldogs.

“It doesn’t matter what you do the rest of your career. It doesn’t matter what you do the rest of the season. If you play good in this game, you could be in the Florida-Georgia or the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame,” Tebow said.

Georgia leads the all-time series 56-44-2, with the Bulldogs winning each of the last four matchups. Tebow himself had a 3-1 record against Georgia, losing in 2007 but was a part of the winning side during 2006, 2008 and 2009.

This year’s storyline features a fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs looking to remain firmly in the College Football Playoff race on one side. On the other, a Florida team looking to improve its record to .500 just two weeks after firing former head coach Billy Napier.

Kickoff between the Gators and Bulldogs is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC will carry the national broadcast.