Florida’s place in CBS Sports’ simulated BCS rankings gives the Gators a pretty clear snapshot of where they stand heading into the College Football Playoff committee’s first official ranking release on Nov. 3.
Brad Crawford revisited the old Bowl Championship Series formula and slotted Florida at No. 17 with a score of 0.3154. The Gators are one of eight SEC teams in the simulated top 17, a group that includes Georgia at No. 4 with a 0.8364 score.
Ahead of Florida in the SEC-heavy field are Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee, while Missouri is the lone conference team listed behind the Gators.
“The sheer number of SEC teams in these rankings speaks to the league's latest strength-of-schedule metrics, which suggest the five toughest slates in the sport this season all reside in this conference,” wrote Crawford.
Georgia’s placement comes despite its uncharacteristically poor showing against unranked Auburn, but the Bulldogs remain one of the country’s top national championship contenders. That matchup also gives Florida a real opportunity: beating Kirby Smart’s team would strengthen the Gators’ playoff resume and make a strong statement to the committee.
If Florida can pull that off, the path doesn’t get much easier. The Gators would see Kentucky two weeks later, and the Wildcats are 7-1 with wins over two top-10-ranked opponents.
CBS Sports’ simulated BCS standings place Miami at No. 1 with a score of 0.9837, followed by Ohio State at 0.9576 and Indiana at 0.8408. Georgia sits just behind Indiana, with Notre Dame, UCLA and Utah rounding out the top seven.
Kentucky comes in at No. 8, BYU at No.
9, Alabama at No. 10 and Texas at No. 11.
LSU, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Wake Forest and Tennessee complete the stretch before Florida at No. 17.
Houston, SMU, Arizona, Northwestern, Boise State, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin follow to close out the top 25.
In Other News...
Tim Tebow Calls Out What Had Florida Falling Apart Vs Georgia
Floridas trip to Jacksonville got away from it fast, and by halftime the problems were plain enough for Tim Tebow and Roman Harper to pick apart on the broadcast. The Gators were staring at a 24-0 deficit, and the story of the first half was less about one bad break than a steady unraveling built on turnovers, penalties and Georgia controlling the clock.
Two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Chris Cole left Florida with little margin for error and even less momentum. Tebow and Harper pointed to the need for cleaner execution and suggested the offense might need more quarterback runs to change the rhythm in the second half, a reminder that the Gators were searching for answers as much as points. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Blew Another Georgia Shot Before The Game Even Started
Floridas latest meeting with Georgia brought another round of questions about the quarterback plan, and this time the answer came before the game had really settled in. Jon Sumrall opened with Aaron Philo under center, a choice that carried obvious risk given the concerns around his readiness, and the early offense never found much footing as the Gators struggled to protect the ball and get into any kind of rhythm.
After Philos second interception, Sumrall turned to Tramell Jones in an attempt to steady things, but by then Florida was already digging out of a hole it could not climb out of. The turnovers fed directly into a 31-8 loss, leaving the Gators to sort through not just another defeat to Georgia, but a decision at quarterback that shaped the game long before the final score did. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Georgia Upset Hopes Suddenly Hinge On One Late Question
Florida heads to Atlanta with a familiar kind of pressure hanging over this rivalry game, and the latest wrinkle is the status of wide receiver Vernell Brown III. After being downgraded to questionable on the injury report, Brown has become one of the key variables in a matchup where Florida already needs things to break right on both sides of the ball. The Gators are trying to solve a Georgia defense that can make life difficult for any offense, and Browns availability matters because Florida will need as much reliable production as it can get.
On the other side, Floridas upset path also depends on whether its blitz-heavy approach can bother Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton enough to tilt the game. The Gators have spent plenty of time looking for ways to create disruption, but the margin for error against Georgia is thin, especially if Florida is shorthanded at receiver. With so much of the preview tied to one late injury question and one defensive gamble, the buildup to Atlanta has a very specific kind of tension to it. [Read more 🡒]