Billy Napier and Co. scored a big confidence-building win against the McNeese State Cowboys in Florida football’s 2023 season home-opener in the Swamp on Saturday.
However, the victory is not expected to move the needle much for the Gators given that their sacrificial lamb came from the Football Championship Subdivision. The visitors came into the game far from heralded on their own tier and were predictably manhandled, but the Orange and Blue still showed some room for improvement.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini released his college football re-rankings after Week 2 of action on Monday, with Florida remaining a No. 54 out of a total of 133 schools following the win. The Gators had been ranked No. 40 before the start of the season but took a tumble after the loss on the road to the Utah Utes.
Vannini’s rankings feature just one SEC team in the top 10 — the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, who are seeking a three-peat national championship. The Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 11), Tennessee Volunteers (No. 12), Ole Miss Rebels (No. 17) and LSU Tigers (No. 19) round out the conference representatives in the top 25.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 26), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 32), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 35), South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 37), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 38), Auburn Tigers (No. 40) and Missouri Tigers (No. 53) are Florida’s SEC foes who also rank ahead of it.
Only the Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 84) rank lower.
Next up for Florida are the Volunteers who come to Gainesville on Saturday, Sept. 16, for the SEC schedule opener between two historic rivals. The opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on ESPN.
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