When Missouri chased Florida off its own field last October, who would have guessed that this could be one of the most pivotal games for the SEC East a year later?

While there is still plenty of football to be played, the Gators and Tigers appear to be alongside Georgia as the three favorites to represent the division in Atlanta at the end of the season.

At the moment, Florida holds a slight advantage with a 5-0 record, which includes three SEC wins. Both Missouri and Georgia have lost conference games in the early going.

While we wait for Saturday, let’s take a look at what each team will bring to the field on its coaching staffs this season, and just what their line of thinking might be for this game:

HEAD COACHES

Jim McElwain, Florida: The SEC’s only new head coach in 2015 has lit a fire under a Florida program that turned into a sleeping giant under the direction of Will Muschamp. His confident demeanor and productive offensive schemes to go along with a strong defense that Muschamp left behind has awoken a Gators fan base that was in need of something to be excited about.

Gary Pinkel, Missouri: He may not be the most exciting coach to talk about, but his track record at Missouri is plenty to get excited about. The Tigers are back-to-back SEC East champions under his direction, and though they never seem to make the most noise or draw the most headlines, his team gets the job done. Pinkel has done well against Florida in recent seasons, and will need to channel some of good fortune in what amounts to “need to have” game for a third consecutive trip to Atlanta in December.

OFFENSE STAFFS

Florida coordinator: Doug Nussmeier (QB)
His staff: Tim Skipper (RB), Mike Summers (OL), Kerry Dixon II (WR), Greg Nord (TE/ST)

When Florida has the ball: This is Will Grier’s team now, and we can expect that the Gators offensive staff is going to do everything it can to put the freshman quarterback in a position to make high-percentage decisions that let his natural ability do the talking. Kelvin Taylor has given a workman-like effort at RB for the Gators, and they should continue to rely on him Saturday.

Missouri coordinator: Josh Henson (TE)
His staff: Andy Hill (QB), A.J. Ricker (OL), Pat Washington (WR), Brian Jones (RB)

When Missouri has the ball: Pinkel has expressed an interest in making sure he puts his true freshman QB Drew Lock into a position where he’s not afraid to make plays. To me, that means a pretty conservative game plan that limits his opportunities to get flustered and make a potentially game-altering mistake.

DEFENSE STAFFS

Florida co-coordinators: Geoff Collins, Randy Shannon (LB)
Their staff: Kirk Callahan (DB), Chris Rumph (DL)

When Missouri has the ball: The Gators will look to put a heaping helping of pressure on true freshman QB Drew Lock. Florida possesses one of the best defensive fronts in all of football, and they’ll look to utilize it by pressuring him into mistakes.

Missouri coordinator: Barry Odom (LB)
His staff: Cornell Ford (CB), Ryan Walters (S), Craig Kuligowski (DL)

When Florida has the ball: I don’t expect Missouri to change much of its game plan on defense. The Tigers have the top defense in the league in both points allowed and yardage allowed, and they’re anchored by the league’s best linebacking duo in Kentrell Brothers and Michael Scherer. Will Grier has thrown for more than 250 yards in each of Florida’s last two wins, so the game plan might include pressuring them back into relying on Kelvin Taylor and the ground game.