Florida football still outside AP top 25 but poised for improvement
Another week of college football is in the book and the Associated Press have unleashed its latest top 25 poll before the biggest week of the Florida Gators football season.
The Florida Gators were resting during a bye last week, so a ton of movement wasn’t expected for head coach Billy Napier and his young team.
Their upcoming opponent, the Georgia Bulldogs, was also watching from the couch last week since it was their bye as well, but there was still a little bit of a shuffle on this week’s list of top teams in the FBS.
Here’s how the AP voted this week for the Gators and their key future opponents.
Florida Gators (12 votes)
Napier and the Gators were resting during the bye week, but are coming off a much-needed road win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 7.
The momentum is on their side now. Napier and Co. now have 34 votes — ostensibly ranked No. 26 overall in the poll.
Quarterback Graham Mertz and senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall are truly clicking at the halfway mark of the 2023 season, connecting 44 times and racking up 619 yards in top of three touchdowns.
Freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham is also making a name for himself this season with a team-high four touchdowns.
The defense had some extra time during the bye to closely observe Georgia, and give the team a fighting chance on Oct. 28.
Speaking of the Bulldogs…
No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (-)
No surprise here, the Bulldogs have remained perfect for a season and a half now. Just when you think head coach Kirby Smart and his squad are struggling, the Dawgs find a way to adjust and take over a game.
For example, Georgia overcame the Vanderbilt Commodores last week after scoring 27 straight points.
Just like the Gators, UGA took time for some R&R during their bye and to study up on Florida in the film room.
The Bulldogs are this era’s Alabama Crimson Tide, dominating the scoreboard and are on a generational run. Georgia extended its school record and longest active FBS winning streak to 24 consecutive games while tying its school record with 23 consecutive SEC wins.
No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (-)
The Florida State Seminoles continue to prove why they’re worthy of a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
The FSU chants were loud and the tomahawk chops were constant as the Noles obliterated the (former No. 16) Duke Blue Devils in Tallahassee, 41-3. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis is making a claim for Heisman votes and his three touchdowns on Saturday do more than help his case.
The Seminoles will be a tough case to crack when they visit Gainesville on Nov. 25, but the Gators have plenty of time to scout its in-state rival before Black Friday.
No. 15 LSU Tigers (+4)
The LSU Tigers are up three spots after its domination over Army, 62-0.
Tigers QB Jayden Daniels looked in control of his team and scored three touchdowns to put salt in the wounds of Army. LSU head coach Brian Kelly said it’s all based in consistency.
“Offensively this is the seventh-consecutive week we had at least 500 yards of total offense,” Kelly said. “Consistency of performance on that side of the ball and continue to make that improvement necessary to have a team that can compete for an SEC Championship. That was the goal coming into this year.”
LSU will face off against the Gators on Nov. 11 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
No. 16 Missouri Tigers (+4)
Tailgating closely behind LSU is the third-most famous SEC team that uses a Tiger as its mascot.
The Missouri Tigers only have two losses this season and have high hopes of competing in the 2023-24 bowl game. Mizzou took down the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday by a 34-12 score at home.
They’ll host the Florida Gators on Nov. 18, the week after UF challenges the LSU Tigers.
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