Florida’s No. 21 spot in the AP Top 25 comes with a pretty clear asterisk: the real test is still coming.
Through three games, the Gators have done enough to earn some national attention, and the 44-39 win over Auburn gave Jon Sumrall his first AP Top 25 ranking with Florida. But that early buzz has been built on a soft start that included Florida Atlantic and Campbell before the Tigers showed up and turned things up a notch.
That’s why the next stretch matters so much. On Saturday, Sept.
26, No. 4 Ole Miss comes to town, and that opener begins a run that should tell everyone exactly what this Florida team is.
After that, the Gators are expected to face three more ranked opponents, including a brutal two-game stretch from Oct. 17-31 when they go to No. 1 Texas and then meet No.
2 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
For a team coming off a 4-8 season, even the Auburn win was a major step forward. It showed Florida can go on the road and beat a good SEC opponent, and it hinted that this group has a much higher ceiling than last year’s version. A bowl game would already count as a huge jump, but the Gators are clearly aiming beyond that now.
Still, the résumé isn’t finished. Florida is second in the SEC in points scored, but the schedule has not yet asked the kind of questions that Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas, and Georgia will.
A win over the Rebels would mean a lot, especially with No. 19 Missouri waiting on Oct. 3 right after that.
That’s the kind of run AP voters will use to separate the real thing from the early-season noise. The No. 21 ranking is a nice boost, but Jon Sumrall and Co. can’t afford to treat it like anything more than a starting point.
Aaron Philo wasn’t perfect against Auburn, far from it, but Jadan Baugh gave Florida a true difference-maker on the ground and showed why he’s considered one of the best running backs in the country.
Ole Miss has already proven it can get dragged into high-scoring games. The Rebels opened with a 41-38 win over No.
24 Louisville and just gave up 24 points against No. 7 LSU.
Whether Florida can keep pace with that kind of offense is the next big question. If it can’t, a loss likely sends the Gators tumbling out of the Top 25 altogether.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Faces A Huge Florida Question With Kewan Lacy Uncertain
Ole Miss left Week 3 with some relief after Kewan Lacys shoulder injury came back as not expected to be long term, but the Rebels still have a decision to navigate as they turn toward Florida. The running back was scheduled for a week of monitoring after his MRI, which keeps his status in flux heading into a matchup that could ask plenty of the Ole Miss ground game.
Floridas defense will be watching the same updates closely, because Lacys availability could shape how Ole Miss attacks the Gators. If he cannot go, JT Lindsey is the name most likely to pick up the carries, leaving one of the Rebels more important backfield questions hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Has One Costly Problem To Fix Before Ole Miss
Florida is trying to keep its foot on the gas after a win over Auburn, but the bigger test is already waiting with No. 4 Ole Miss coming to town. Jon Sumrall made it clear this week that the job now is less about celebrating the last result and more about cleaning up the details that can get exposed against a top opponent, especially after the staff went back and reviewed the mistakes from the previous game.
Discipline has become the obvious pressure point for the Gators, with Sumrall stressing the need to cut down on penalties and play with more urgency. He also singled out Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as a real challenge, which only raises the margin for error in a matchup where Florida will need sharp execution from the start and attention to every small thing. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Could Get A Needed Boost Against Ole Miss This Week
Floridas offense may be one key piece closer to full strength this week, with wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. still listed as a game-time decision for the Ole Miss matchup. Singleton has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but head coach Jon Sumrall said he took part in warmups and has been trending in the right direction as the week unfolds.
The Gators will keep watching his status through the availability reports leading up to kickoff, and his condition will ultimately determine whether he can return to the lineup. Even while sidelined, Singleton has drawn notice for the energy and spirit he has brought around the team, which only adds to the sense that Florida could use his presence in a crucial spot. [Read more 🡒]