Florida’s first real test of the Jon Sumrall era arrives this weekend, and the Gators’ new head coach is making the message plain before No. 21 Florida meets No. 4 Ole Miss.
There’s no shortage of weight on this one. Sumrall is in his first season running the program and has Florida off to a 3-0 start, but the trip into ranked-opponent territory changes the conversation fast.
The Gators have opened with a pair of lopsided wins, then survived a road battle at Auburn, and now they get Ole Miss at home with both teams carrying unbeaten records into Sept. 26.
Before the matchup, Sumrall leaned into a leadership standard he says he repeats constantly to his team.
“I say this to our team almost daily. Good teams can be coach led. Great teams have to be player led,” Sumrall said, per SEC Network, ahead of the contest.
That’s the kind of line that fits where Florida is trying to go. Sumrall took over with the goal of pushing the Gators back into serious postseason contention and into the College Football Playoffs, and he already has a track record that supports the belief. He guided Tulane to a CFP berth in 2025, and Florida hired him hoping that same rise can continue in Gainesville.
The results so far have been sharp. Florida opened with a 66-21 win over Florida Atlantic, followed that with a 52-3 rout of Campbell, then held off Auburn 44-39 on the road. Ole Miss has also been rolling, starting with a 41-38 win over Louisville, then a 41-9 win over Charlotte, and most recently a 32-24 victory over LSU.
Now the Rebels come in on a high, and Florida gets them in a home setting for a game that will tell a lot more about the Gators than the first three weeks did. Kickoff is set for Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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Nick Saban Just Raised The Stakes For Florida Against Ole Miss QB
Nick Sabans latest TV turn landed right in the middle of Ole Miss momentum swing, and it came with a fresh dose of respect for Trinidad Chambliss. After Chambliss helped the Rebels beat LSU, the former Alabama coach praised him on The Pat McAfee Show and called him a top playmaker, a notable endorsement from someone who has spent years sizing up quarterbacks in the SEC.
Saban also made it clear he had learned his lesson after backing LSU before that matchup, saying he regretted picking against Chambliss and would not do it again. With Ole Miss headed toward Florida, the comment only adds a little more intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of attention, because now the Rebels quarterback arrives with a high-profile seal of approval and a fresh target on his back. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Turned College GameDay Into A Lane Kiffin Message
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The timing only added to the edge, with both SEC programs staring at demanding weeks ahead. LSU has Texas A&M coming up, while Tennessee now has to turn around and host Texas, keeping the focus on the field even as Kiffin once again became part of the conversation around the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas SEC Title Position Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Week 4 is starting to reshape the SEC race, and the picture is suddenly a lot less settled than it looked a week ago. ESPN Analytics now has Texas and Georgia as the conferences leading contenders, with Texas at 33 percent and Georgia at 32 percent, but Alabama and Ole Miss are still very much in the mix as the league heads into another round of telling matchups.
For Ole Miss, the spotlight only gets brighter with a trip to Florida on deck, one of several games that could begin to separate the true contenders from the rest of the pack. Texas at Tennessee is another measuring-stick game on the slate, and with Alabama also facing a significant test ahead, the path to Atlanta already feels crowded and fragile in a way that should keep the SEC race interesting for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]