The college football schedule for Week 3 was derided as weak by much of the sports media, but for the Florida Gators, it was a huge weekend both on and off the field.
Most importantly, Billy Napier and Co. upset the Tennessee Volunteers — who entered the game ranked No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the AP Poll — inside the Swamp in a statement for the struggling program. The Orange and Blue’s efforts were also witnessed by a flurry of prep prospects who were on hand for the SEC East rivalry, with one casting their verbal commitment following the win.
Following the triumph to open the conference schedule, the US LBM Coaches Poll gave the Gators 41 votes, which is not enough to crack the top 25 but significantly better than the zero votes received in the last two polls. That puts Florida at No. 29 overall.
Fellow Southeastern Conference members comprised five of the top 25 teams in this week’s poll, with the Georgia Bulldogs remaining at No. 1 while the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 12), LSU Tigers (No. 13), Ole Miss Rebels (No. 16) and Tennessee (No. 20) trail behind.
Next up for Napier and the Gators are the Charlotte 49ers who come to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
The entire US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 3 is listed below.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 3-0 | 1598 (62) | – |
| 2 | Michigan | 3-0 | 1514 (1) | – |
| 3 | Florida State | 3-0 | 1396 | – |
| 4 | Ohio State | 3-0 | 1394 (1) | – |
| 5 | Southern California | 3-0 | 1325 | – |
| 6 | Texas | 3-0 | 1312 | – |
| 7 | Penn State | 3-0 | 1224 | – |
| 8 | Washington | 3-0 | 1164 | – |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 4-0 | 1044 | +2 |
| 10 | Utah | 3-0 | 967 | +2 |
| 11 | Oregon | 3-0 | 946 | +2 |
| 12 | Alabama | 2-1 | 886 | -2 |
| 13 | Louisiana State | 2-1 | 808 | +1 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3-0 | 683 | +2 |
| 15 | Oregon State | 3-0 | 660 | +2 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 3-0 | 602 | +3 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 3-0 | 592 | +1 |
| 18 | Duke | 3-0 | 469 | +2 |
| 19 | Colorado | 3-0 | 435 | +2 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 2-1 | 362 | -11 |
| 21 | Miami | 3-0 | 298 | +2 |
| 22 | Iowa | 3-0 | 206 | +2 |
| 23 | Clemson | 2-1 | 193 | -1 |
| 24 | Washington State | 3-0 | 160 | +2 |
| 25 | UCLA | 3-0 | 156 | – |
Schools dropped out:
No. 15 Kansas State.
Others receiving votes:
Kansas State 114; Missouri 44; Fresno State 43; Florida 41; Kentucky 28; Texas Christian 26; Maryland 19; Kansas 17; Auburn 16; Texas A&M 11; Syracuse 10; Air Force 9; Tulane 7; Central Florida 5; Wyoming 3; Ohio 3; James Madison 3; Wake Forest 2; Louisville 2; Memphis 1; Brigham Young 1; Arkansas 1.
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