While the excitement surrounding the World's Largest Outdoor, eh, Party isn't as fervent as it once was -- or should be -- Saturday's annual meeting between SEC rivals Florida and Georgia is very much a big deal.
It's huge for both schools, and both fan bases. For Georgia, it's about continuing to move forward toward an SEC East title and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff.
For Florida, it really is about the direction of the program and the man leading the Gators in yet another season of discontent.
That man is coach Will Muschamp, and it's no secret that his job is most definitely on the line as his 3-3 Gators get ready for that short trek over to Jacksonville to meet the 11th-ranked Bulldogs in a game that truly will bring Florida's embattled coach full circle.
It only makes since that after the Gators dropped three of their last four games and 10 of their last 13 that Muschamp's fate would rest on the Georgia game. The man who grew up in Gainesville but played college ball at Georgia after being blown off by Steve Spurrier during a high school visit has to beat his alma mater -- a team that is surging at the moment.
The football gods can be so cruel.
Hanging over Muschamp's head as well is the fact he never has won this game. He went 0-4 as a player and is 0-3 as Florida's coach. An eighth loss could signal the end of Muschamp's career as Florida's coach.
"Certainly the Gator Club meeting in Jacksonville will be easier next fall or next spring," Muschamp said of the importance of winning Saturday's game. "But again, it’s a critical game. It’s an East rival. It’s an SEC rival. It’s a rival of the University of Florida. And it’s very important to our university.”
Muschamp enters the game with a 25-19 record at Florida, but he's just 7-11 since the start of the 2013 season and in danger of missing out on the postseason for the second year in a row. The Gators are 2-8 in their last 10 SEC games and are coming off an embarrassingly ugly 42-13 loss (on Homecoming in Gainesville, no less) to a Missouri team that totaled just 119 yards of offense. There were chants of "Fire Muschamp!" and boos directed at Muschamp and battered quarterback Jeff Driskel that filled the Swamp, as a despondent Jeremy Foley looked on at the destruction of a one-time SEC masterpiece. Now, Florida's athletic director is left with a decision on his hands as he preps for his trip to Jacksonville.
What's really happening behind the scenes is unknown, unless you're a message board "insider," but you have to think Foley has a plan in place in case things continue to go sour.
But maybe this is a chance for some sort of redemption for Muschamp. Mathematically, the Gators aren't out of the East race. Of course, with three conference losses, Florida needs a lot of help, but winning out -- starting Saturday -- could keep the faint dream of Atlanta alive. Is it a pipe dream? Most likely, but it isn't impossible, and Muschamp has absolutely nothing to lose by throwing the kitchen sink, fridge, freezer, oven and microwave at the Dawgs.
He already has decided to start true freshman Treon Harris in place of the struggling Driskel. He' ha had two weeks to let offensive coordinator Kurt Roper come up with a simple yet capable plan for the frosh in order to create a winning spark. The offense has been on a continuous downward spiral during Muschamp's tenure, and Harris might have to trigger some sort of late-season revival to give this team a chance in November.
One win won't save Muschamp, but it will help. It has been a tough tenure for Muschamp, and Saturday could stand as his final stand or a chance at a new beginning.
But can Muschamp finally conquer his past?