Florida’s slide after Week 9 showed up in The Athletic’s latest re-rank, but the Gators still held on inside the top 25.
Following a 27-8 loss to Georgia last Saturday, Florida dropped five spots to No. 23 in Chris Vannini’s 138-team re-ranking. The Gators now sit just behind No.
22 South Carolina and ahead of No. 24 Arizona.
That ranking stands in contrast to the other major polls. The US LBM Coaches Poll pushed Florida out of the top 25 entirely, leaving the Gators at the de facto No. 27 spot.
The AP Top 25 still has Florida hanging on at No. 25.
Florida’s latest setback came in a game that never tilted its way. The Gators fell to their third loss of the 2026 season, and Georgia rolled to a sixth straight win in the cross-border series.
The schedule doesn’t ease up for long. Florida returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov.
- The Sooners are No. 38 in The Athletic’s re-rank, and the game is set for 7:45 p.m.
ET on the SEC Network.
The SEC remains well represented in The Athletic’s top 25, with 10 teams in the mix. Georgia leads the conference at No. 2, while Texas checks in at No. 8 and Tennessee at No.
- Alabama is No.
11, Kentucky No. 12, Ole Miss No.
13, Missouri No. 16, LSU No.
19, South Carolina No. 22 and Florida No. 23.
At the top of the re-rank, Miami holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Georgia, Utah, BYU and Notre Dame. Ohio State sits at No. 9, while Oregon rounds out the top 25 at No. 25.
In Other News...
Florida Faces A Tricky Oklahoma QB Situation After Major Shakeup
Oklahomas offense is heading into the Florida game with a fresh wrinkle after the Sooners moved on from offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle following a disappointing Week 9 showing. Brent Venables has turned the playcalling over to Jason Witten on an interim basis, but at least for now, the quarterback picture remains steady, with senior John Mateer still slated to start against the Gators.
For Florida, that makes the scouting report a little more complicated than a simple coaching change might suggest. Mateer has been uneven this season, but he was solid in the most recent game against South Carolina, and Venables is sticking with him as Oklahoma tries to settle an offense that just underwent a major shakeup. The Gators will have to prepare for a Sooners attack that could look different in structure, even if the name under center does not change. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Backed Up Its No 1 Hype Against Miami
No. 1 Florida opened the season by backing up the preseason buzz with a 77-67 win over No. 14 Miami at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, and it looked every bit like a team built to justify the ranking. The Gators leaned on a steady defensive effort that held Miami to 35% shooting, while Thomas Haugh set the tone on the interior and gave Florida the kind of early production that travels well in big games.
Todd Golden also picked up a milestone victory in the process, reaching 104 wins and moving into a tie for a notable spot in program history. For a team that entered the night with expectations as high as any in the country, the opener offered more than a clean result. It showed Florida can win with defense, composure and enough balance to make its top billing feel real. [Read more 🡒]
Thomas Haugh Just Gave Florida Fans A Reason To Dream
Thomas Haugh gave Florida something to feel good about in its matchup with Miami, turning in a standout performance that fit neatly into what the Gators want to build around this season. In a sport where early November often feels like a long audition, those kinds of outings matter because they hint at how a roster can come together once the games start to count for real.
Florida has been looking for signs that its frontcourt can set the tone, and Haughs night offered one of the clearest ones so far. Malik Reneau had a tough time against that interior group, which only adds to the sense that the Gators may already have a matchup edge worth watching as the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]