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.