Florida Head Coach Will Muschamp can’t be thrilled with the way things are going with his offense and quarterback situation or the way the defense gave up 181 rushing yards to Trent Richardson.

But the Alabama game is behind the Gators and they have a new opponent to worry about.

Led by the nation’s best defense, the top-ranked Tigers look to frustrate the 17th-ranked Gators, who are expected to start freshman Jeff Driskel at quarterback for the injured senior John Brantley on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

LSU is 5-0 and is on top of the poll for a second straight week after easily beating Kentucky 35-7 last Saturday. Incumbent QB Jordan Jefferson made his season debut after being suspended for the first four games following an arrest on a felony battery charge in connection with an Aug. 19 bar fight.

A grand jury reduced the charge to a misdemeanor last Wednesday, leading Miles to reinstate Jefferson as a backup to Jarrett Lee.

Jefferson scored on his first play back, diving over the goal line on an early fourth-and-goal to put the Tigers up 7-0.

Miles has yet to give Jefferson his starting job back but envisions his return adding a new wrinkle to the offense. He passed for 1,411 yards with seven touchdowns while running for 450 and seven scores last season.

“We will use Jefferson in a variety of ways,” Miles said. “At different times in the season, we will need every skill and every collective attribute of our team.

“We are excited about this season right now.”

The Gators who are 4-1, are likely not quite as optimistic after the way things played out last weekend.

Brantley injured his right leg on a sack late in the first half of last Saturday’s 38-10 loss to then-No. 3 Alabama, Florida’s worst home defeat since falling 36-7 to LSU in 2002. He was helped to the locker room and did not return, and Muschamp said Monday the injury won’t require surgery but will keep the senior sidelined at least a week.

Brantley, who has thrown for 942 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, had started 18 consecutive games. His injury opens the door for Driskel, but the highly touted freshman looked shaky last week.

Driskel completed 2 of 6 passes for 14 yards, fumbled a snap and was sacked twice as the Gators gained just two first downs with him under center.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in him,” running back Chris Rainey said. “He’ll be ready to go, ready to take that challenge.”

It would certainly help Driskel if the running game can get on track, but that could be difficult.

The Gators entered last week’s game leading the SEC in rushing at 259.0 yards per game but finished with 15. The Crimson Tide lead the FBS in rush defense with an average of 39.6 yards allowed, and LSU is almost just as stingy, ranking third at 60.4.

“Again, we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Muschamp, who served as LSU’s defensive coordinator from 2002-04. “You got to get that taste out of your mouth. There’s no better opportunity than going to Baton Rouge and playing LSU.”

The Tigers have won 13 straight home games since losing 13-3 to Florida in 2009. The Gators were the top-ranked team at the time while LSU was No. 4.

This is the fifth time in six meetings one of the teams is ranked in the top 5, with No. 12 LSU defeating No. 14 Florida 33-29 last October being the lone exception.

Like the Gators, the Tigers also rely heavily on the ground game that could see a boost if Jefferson is inserted to run the option. LSU is averaging 172.6 yards a game and is second in the SEC with 14 rushing touchdowns.

LSU’s top tailbacks, Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, had subpar performances last week, but Miles was encouraged with what he saw from his backups.

Sophomore Alfred Blue had a career-best 72 yards on 16 attempts, while freshman Terrence Magee accounted for 38 yards on 12 rushes. Ware, who has a team-best 323 rushing yards, had four carries for five yards before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.

Miles is hopeful that Ware will be healthy enough to return to the running back rotation.

“We’ll have the opportunity to run the ball again with a number of guys,” Miles said.

LSU’s depth at running back could pose problems for Florida, which allowed Alabama to rush for 226 yards - the same number it allowed in its first four games combined.

This will be the toughest road test the Gators will face all year. Question is; can they answer the bell?

This Saturday, the Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide will continue their rivalry when the Gators host Alabama at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

Last year, Alabama hosted Florida in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and defeated Florida to a crushing score of 31-6. This year, the tables have turned in this rivalry and the game will be played in Gainesville. As many SEC opponents know, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is one of the most difficult venues to play in for any team. This Saturday, it will be one of the few challenges No. 3 Alabama must overcome to defeat one of the SEC's surprise teams.

It isn't too often the words "Florida Gators" and "surprise teams" are placed in the same sentence. However, with last year's disappointing record of 8-5, quarterback problems, turnover issues and an identity crisis on offense, the Florida Gators have struggled to make strides toward relevance. This year, the Gators have been pleasant to watch.

John Brantley seems to be more comfortable as the starting quarterback and has completed 64 percent of his passes, while throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions. Florida is also ranked 10th in the nation in rushing offense, rushing for more than 250 yards per game. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have spearheaded the Gator offense with a combined 731 rushing yards, 284 receiving yards and eight touchdowns total.

Gone is the Gator offense of last year, which utilized the spread option under former coach Urban Meyer. The new pro-style offense implemented by Will Muschamp and Charlie Weis has been more effective this year, and the Gators have scored on 16 straight red-zone trips. What is even more impressive is the fact UF has scored in 15 of 16 quarters this season.

As of Week 5, Florida boasts the 15th-ranked offense in the NCAA at 40.25 points per game. They are also doing much better on the other side of the ball as well, boasting the 20th-ranked pass defense in the NCAA at 175.25 passing yards per game. Perhaps the best stat for the Florida Gator defense is the fact their defense is allowing fewer than nine points per game.

However, Florida will face their toughest challenge this season when they face the Crimson Tide, who are ranked second in overall defense. As of Week 5, Alabama is only allowing a total of 184 yards per game.

On the other side of the ball is AJ McCarron, who has been more than suitable in the Crimson Tide's "game manager position" with a 66 percent completion percentage, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Alabama also hosts the two-pronged rushing attack of Trent Richardson and Eddy Lacey, who have run over opposing defenses for a total of 806 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.

Needless to say, this should be the Gators biggest test yet. This is becoming a heated rivalry, with both of these teams ranked in the Top 15 and two schools who essentially mirror each other in skill set and statistics. This game also has SEC Title implications and very possibly National Championship implications.

If you're in Gainesville for the game, you will certainly see a bunch of crimson shirts and feaux "Bear" Bryant hats, as Alabama fans are known for traveling to the ends of the earth for their school.

Will Alabama "Roll" out of The Swamp, victory in hand? Or will they just become "Gator Bait" to a Florida team hungry for revenge and on the brink of greatness?

It's been six years since the Georgia Bulldogs have played in a SEC title game and it's been over two years since the Bulldogs have won 10 or more games in a season.

And if the Bulldogs win the SEC Championship, they could have a inside track on the national title.

It would be great for UGA fans to see the Bulldogs have a big year because it would be the dream season they have waited years for.

But what other scenarios would make this a dream season? What are some things that have to happen that would make the 2011 season a major success?

Well, you can count out Caleb King and Washaun Ealey to help the Dawgs. King was ruled academically ineligible for the season and Ealey transferred from UGA back in May.

In 2010, King rushed for 430 yards and Ealey rushed for 811 yards while the two combined for 13 touchdowns; 11 for Ealey and two for King. That means Georgia must find a way to replace 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns from a true freshman, In Isiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas who rushed for 272 yards in 2010.

Fair or not, all the attention for Georgia comes down to Isiah Crowell who was expected to compete for the starting job even with King and Ealey in the backfield. Now, Crowell has all the pressure in the world and will be expected by Georgia fans to come in and do what South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore did last year. Regardless of the hype, it is unfair to think that Crowell can replicate what Lattimore did in his true freshman year where he was third in the SEC in rushing with 1,197 and 17 touchdowns.

Also, the Georgia running game was to be a strength due to the loss of All-American wide receiver A.J. Green, so there will be more added pressure on quarterback Aaron Murray. Georgia must establish a running game of some sort just so that they do not become one-dimensional. Even without King and Ealey, Georgia will be tough to beat this season.

Grade: A-

I've got some exciting news for you all today.  As the site continues to grow and expand heading into football season I know you've all got a hunger for more content, and we've got some for you.

We're adding two new writers to the staff here at inallkindsofweather.com that I'm very excited to have aboard.

The first of these is Joe Vizzi.  It's a name that most of you don't know yet, but you will.  I've talked to him a few times personally and read quite a bit of his stuff, and he's a die hard Gator who really knows his stuff.  He recently graduated from UF and can't stay away from the Gators.  You guys are going to like him.

The second new addition isn't so much a "new" addition, as I'm sure you all already know him.  He is none other than our very own "thebone".  Half of his comments were practically articles in themselves anyway, so this is the next logical step.

Lately I've been doing some work to Iakow behind the scenes, while Neil has held down the fort on the article front.  I've got some great new features/upgrades to the site in the coming months that I've been working on, as my goal is to get all of that squared away before football season so the four of us can focus on writing and being a part of the community.

So join me in welcoming our two new writers and keep your eyes peeled for some cool site upgrades in the coming months!