Here’s where ESPN’s Week 0 FPI update has Florida
The Florida Gators find themselves outside the top 25 in ESPN’s Football Power Index rankings, coming in at No. 28 overall and as the No. 11 team in the SEC.
ESPN’s FPI rankings were developed in 2013 as a way to measure the overall strength of each team and to predict results as the season goes on. As the season goes on, the data used to determine a team’s FPI will come from the games played. At the beginning of the season, the previous season’s data is used to determine the rankings.
The Gators’ ranking outside the top 25 (and more surprisingly, outside the top 10 of the SEC) makes sense when you account for last season’s results. The 2022 season was a train wreck once the calendar turned to October. The Gators’ defense allowed over 30 points in four out of their last eight regular-season games, including allowing 52 points to FCS team Samford.
The Gators of last year don’t deserve to be in the conversation with teams in the top 25 of the FPI rankings like Georgia, Texas A&M, and Utah, all schools Florida has on its schedule in 2022.
If the Gators want to improve their FPI ranking, they’ll have to be more productive statistically in their games this season. They have a great chance to start the season off strong at home this Saturday against the Utah Utes. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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