The 2020 Cotton Bowl is set for December 30th at AT&T Stadium between two powerhouse schools out of the SEC and Big 12 conferences. This year, we will see the Florida Gators take on the Oklahoma Sooners. The last time these two storied teams met each other was eleven years ago at the 2009 BCS Championship game when we saw Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford go head to head for the national title.
Oklahoma is coming off seven straight wins in the regular season and a win against Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners have two running back in Rhamondre Stevenson and T.J. Pledger that have over 450 rushing yards each. If these two talented backs can get going early, it should open things up for the Sooners wideouts. There are two wide receivers in Marvin Mims and Theo Wease that have over 450 receiving yards on 36 receptions. It’s clear to see that this Oklahoma offense has the weapons at their disposal to come out on top. Freshman Quarterback Spencer Rattler has had a great season working with his offense. Rattler is ranked 9th in yardage with 2,784 yards and is tied for 8th in touchdowns at 25. Whether Rattler can connect and get his offense moving against the Florida defense is another question we will have to wait and see.
The Gators offense took a bit of a hit when Kyle Pitts declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Leaving Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes to pick up the slack that Pitts has left behind. When it comes to big plays Toney and Grimes should be able to handle the workload. With Pitts’ departure, this also means that Jacob Copeland, Malik Davis, and Justin Shorter will have to step into bigger roles. Although losing Pitts to the NFL doesn’t look great for the Gators, it’s not the first time they have had to play tough games without him.
I think the Florida offense will be able to make do with the weapons they have on offense. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask ended the 2020 season with 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns, putting him at the top spot in both of those metrics. With Trask at the helm, the Gators look primed for a strong offensive showing.
Both defenses have been solid in moments throughout the regular season. The Sooner defense has been able to hold the last five opponents to 21 points or fewer. Defensive linemen like Isaiah Thomas and a linebacker like Nik Bonitto will put an immense amount of pressure on Trask. Both of these Oklahoma defensive players have seven or more sacks for more than 40 yards. The Sooner defense will be a mountain to climb for the Gators.
Before the losses to LSU and Alabama, the Gators were able to keep four of their opponents under the 20 point mark. The Florida defense doesn’t have a clear standout on the roster apart from first-team All-SEC defensive back Kaiir Elam, but the defense as a whole can be a problem for Rattler if his offensive line falters or misses key blocks. The defense at both of these schools is top-notch but it does seem that the Oklahoma defense has been more consistent throughout the regular season and that could be what gives the Sooners the upper hand.
