[JRL]

Teams traditionally fare well after open dates

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/24/07
Athens — Turns out some of the most important dates on a college football schedule are the ones with the words "open" or "bye."
Don't think so? Just ask Georgia and Florida, which renew their 103-year-old rivalry on Saturday in Jacksonville.

The Gators have been idle the week before playing Georgia 13 of the last 14 years. The Bulldogs have had none. The Gators are 12-2 in that span, with one of the losses coming in the only season (2004) they weren't off the previous week.
It works both ways. When Florida was getting its behind kicked by Georgia for so many years, the Gators played Auburn the week before almost every year all the back to the 1950s.

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