Florida’s surge into the AP Top 25 arrived fast, and it came with some style.
After being left out of preseason rankings entirely, the Gators cracked the AP poll at No. 21 following their 44-39 win at Auburn, a result that looked tight on the scoreboard but not nearly as dramatic in the way Florida controlled it. Three games into Jon Sumrall’s first season, Florida is 3-0 for the first time since 2019, and the voters have clearly taken notice of an offense that has started to look dangerous.
The climb wasn’t limited to the AP poll, either. Florida also moved to No. 22 in the Coaches Poll after briefly appearing there in Week 2 at No. 25, when it tied Virginia.
That early-season momentum has changed the tone around a team that entered the year with little reason to be given the benefit of the doubt. Florida was coming off a 4-8 season and had finished below .500 in four of the previous years, which made its preseason absence from the rankings unsurprising. But three wins in three tries has flipped the conversation quickly.
The challenge now is obvious. No.
4 Ole Miss comes to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday afternoon, giving Florida one of the toughest games on its schedule right away. The Gators were originally slated to face five AP Top 25 teams, including four in the top 10, before the season began.
After Week 3, they’re one of 10 SEC teams in the rankings, with four of those ranked opponents still ahead on the schedule, including three of the top four teams in this week’s poll.
AP Top 25, Sept. 20
- Texas (58)
- Georgia (3)
- Notre Dame
- Ole Miss (3)
- Indiana (4)
- Miami (FL) (1)
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- BYU
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- USC
- Penn State
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Louisville
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Oregon
- Florida
- SMU
- Texas A&M
- Mississippi State
- Houston
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Added More Heat To Floridas Auburn Debate
After Floridas win over Auburn, Jon Sumrall found himself answering questions that reached well beyond the scoreboard. The Florida head coach was asked about the rumors that he had interviewed for Auburns head coaching job in November, and he flatly denied it, pushing back on the idea that there was ever a real meeting of the minds between him and his former SEC foe.
Sumralls blunt response only added another layer to the discussion around Auburns opening, especially with the programs reported insistence on keeping defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin in place. From Floridas side, it was another reminder that coaching searches can get tangled fast, and even a postgame answer can reopen old speculation that the Gators would rather leave in the past. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Found The Formula That Could Change This Season
Florida walked out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 44-39 win over Auburn and a reminder that this season may already be taking on a different feel. The Gators are 3-0 for the first time since 2019, and they finally snapped their SEC road drought with a performance that leaned on timely offense and a defense that kept hunting all afternoon.
Jadan Baugh powered the day with 162 yards and three touchdowns, including a 53-yard burst on fourth-and-one that turned into one of the games defining plays. Floridas defense added seven sacks, and when a team can run the ball, finish drives and pressure the quarterback like that, it starts to look less like a hot start and more like a template worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces A Doubt Gators Fans Wont Want To Hear
Florida heads into Week 3 with plenty of intrigue, but The Athletics Manny Navarro is betting the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium ends badly for the Gators. Navarro picked Auburn to edge Florida 28-27, pointing to a matchup that could hinge on whether Jadan Baugh can crack a run defense that has been stout so far this season. For Florida, that means the ground game may have to do real work if the Gators want to keep the pressure off their offense and avoid playing from behind.
The quarterback side of the matchup also looms large, with Aaron Philo and Auburns Byrum Brown factoring into a game Navarro expects to stay tight into the final moments. His prediction has Brown guiding a late go-ahead drive, which is exactly the kind of ending Florida fans would rather not imagine before kickoff. For a team trying to build momentum early in the season, the margin for error in this one looks razor thin. [Read more 🡒]