Florida finishes regular season unranked in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Florida’s regular season-ending loss to Florida State didn’t do the Gators any favors in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, and UF finished the regular season without any support from the voters.
A 6-6 finish warrants such a response from the coaches that vote in the poll, but it’s hard not to wonder what Florida could have done if a few games had gone the other way. Four of UF’s six losses came against teams currently ranked in the top 15: No. 1 Georgia by 22, No. 8 Tennessee by five, No. 13 LSU by 10 and No. 14 Florida State by seven. The loss to Kentucky has aged poorly and falling to Vanderbilt was the kiss of death for the program, but Florida had plenty of quality losses this season.
Then there are the quality wins to consider. Florida’s season-opening win against Utah remains the team’s best victory of the season. The Utes have had a firm grasp on a ranked spot since then and currently sit at No. 12 on the Coaches Poll as they prepare to face USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Beating South Carolina also ended up being a good win for Florida. The Gamecocks took down Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks and are ranked No. 20 to end the regular season.
Had Florida figured things out against Kentucky and gotten the job done against Vanderbilt, the team could be looking at a top-20 ranking. Instead, they’ll play in a minor bowl game that the fan base won’t be too excited for (see 2021 Gasparilla Bowl).
It’s an unfortunate end to what was really a season of growth for this Florida team under Billy Napier. There’s plenty to look forward to in year two of the Napier era, but right now it’s understandable for Gator Nation to be frustrated.
Here’s a look at the poll in its entirety.
Georgia Bulldogs
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 1
Michigan Wolverines
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 3
TCU Horned Frogs
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 4
USC Trojans
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 5
Ohio State Buckeyes
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Last Week: No. 2
Alabama Crimson Tide
Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 7
Penn State Nittany Lions
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 10
Tennessee Volunteers
George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 11
Washington Huskies
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 12
Kansas State Wildcats
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 13
Clemson Tigers
Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 8
Utah Utes
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 14
LSU Tigers
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 6
Florida State Seminoles
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 16
Oregon Ducks
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 9
Oregon State Beavers
© Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 22
UCLA Bruins
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 18
Tulane Green Wave
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last Week: No. 20
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 15
South Carolina Gamecocks
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: NR
Texas Longhorns
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 24
North Carolina Tar Heels
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 17
UCF Knights
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: NR
UTSA Roadrunners
John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: No. 25
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: NR
Schools Dropped Out
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
No. 19 Mississippi; No. 21 Cincinnati; No. 23 Coastal Carolina.
Others Receiving Votes
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi 83; Troy 58; NC State 58; Cincinnati 49; Boise State 37; Purdue 36; Pittsburgh 36; Coastal Carolina 26; Air Force 19; South Alabama 15; Illinois 10; Minnesota 7; Duke 7; Iowa 6; James Madison 2; Fresno State 2; Wake Forest 1.
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