As the Florida Gators stride into Auburn Arena on Saturday night (8 p.m., ESPN2 or streaming), they do so as a team that could really use the big win over the Tigers that is theoretically on offer.
And they also do so as significant underdogs for good reason.
Auburn is likely the best team that Florida will have seen so far this season, ranked in the top 10 overall in KenPom’s efficiency-based metrics and No. 22 in offensive and No. 7 in defensive efficiency. And Bruce Pearl’s Tigers haven’t gotten their 13-1 record cheaply: Their non-conference schedule featured games against Loyola Chicago, Saint Louis, and UConn, and their only loss came to the Huskies in a double-overtime score-a-thon in the Battle 4 Atlantis that saw five separate players score 20 or more points.