Florida entered this week on a three-game winning streak, but by the midpoint, its season looked to be in critical condition. The Gators took a bad loss on the road against Ole Miss in a make-up game and they couldn’t hold on to a lead in what would have been a season-defining win in Knoxville against Tennessee on Wednesday.
With UF trailing by 16 points in the first half against Oklahoma State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, it seemed like this team’s NCAA Tournament hopes were history. An impressive comeback effort kept the hope alive, as Florida beat the Cowboys to get to 13-8 on the season.
Still, the Gators are in a precarious spot. They’re the First Team Out, per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, and they have a long way to go just to shore up their postseason resume, let alone get back into the USA TODAY Sports Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll’s top 25. Once again, UF received no votes in Week 12.
The rest of the SEC fared better this week, though only four conference teams remain in the rankings. Auburn, who is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 but sat at No. 2 in the coaches poll last week, is now tied for Gonzaga for the top spot after a 20-1 start to the season. Kentucky, meanwhile, is up to No. 7 after an impressive 18-point win on the road against then-No. 5 Kansas.
The Volunteers held firm at No. 20 despite a shaky week, needing a comeback to win at home against Florida and losing on the road against Texas by one point on Saturday despite a valiant fight at the end. LSU is just hanging on at No. 25 after a loss to TCU.
Alabama remains on the outs even after an upset of previously No. 4 Baylor, but the Crimson Tide are the top vote-getters outside the top 25 with 39. Arkansas is also receiving votes, though it got just three.
Here’s a look at the full Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Gonzaga | 17-2 | 784 (16) | – |
| 1 | Auburn | 20-1 | 784 (16) | +1 |
| 3 | Purdue | 18-3 | 691 | +3 |
| 4 | UCLA | 16-2 | 647 | +4 |
| 5 | Arizona | 17-2 | 618 | -2 |
| 6 | Duke | 17-3 | 604 | +1 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 17-4 | 595 | +6 |
| 8 | Baylor | 18-3 | 584 | -4 |
| 9 | Houston | 18-2 | 567 | – |
| 10 | Kansas | 17-3 | 511 | -5 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 17-3 | 478 | – |
| 12 | Villanova | 16-5 | 461 | – |
| 13 | Michigan St | 16-4 | 405 | -3 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 16-5 | 386 | – |
| 15 | Providence | 18-2 | 384 | +2 |
| 16 | Ohio State | 13-5 | 296 | – |
| 17 | Connecticut | 15-4 | 260 | +2 |
| 18 | Illinois | 15-5 | 256 | +3 |
| 19 | USC | 18-3 | 199 | -4 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 14-6 | 147 | – |
| 21 | Texas | 16-5 | 134 | +4 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 16-5 | 129 | +2 |
| 23 | Xavier | 15-5 | 1113 | – |
| 24 | Marquette | 15-7 | 80 | +3 |
| 25 | LSU | 16-5 | 78 | -7 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 22 Colorado St.
Others Receiving Votes
Alabama 39; Boise St. 27; Saint Mary’s 22; Colorado St. 22; Miami-Florida 19; Indiana 16; Texas Christian 10; Murray St. 9; Wake Forest 8; Davidson 8; Iowa 7; Florida State 7; Seton Hall 5; Notre Dame 3; Arkansas 3; Wyoming 1; Toledo 1; Oregon 1; Oklahoma 1.
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