Florida looked like a potential top-25 team when it beat Tennessee earlier in the year, but a rough game against Kentucky quieted down any such talk.
A pair of wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt has Florida sitting at a 5-2 record following the Week 8 bye, though, and Athlon Sports thinks the Gators have performed well enough to earn the No. 27 spot in the most recent update to the site’s college football rankings.
The Gators have a chance to break into the top 25 this week with a strong showing against No. 1 Georgia, but a lopsided loss could do just as much harm.
Behind the Bulldogs in the top 5 are Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State and Washington. Florida hosts FSU to end the season, but the Seminoles aren’t the only ranked opponents left on the schedule. LSU and Missouri occupy the Nos. 15 and 16 spots, respectively. Florida plays both teams back-to-back after a meeting with No. 66 Arkansas.
Checking in on the rest of the SEC, Alabama is in the top 10 at No. 9 and Ole Miss is just outside at No. 11. Tennessee is in danger of slipping outside of the 25 with another big loss at No. 21, and Kentucky is one spot ahead of Florida at No. 27. Texas A&M is No. 40, Mississippi State is No. 50, Auburn comes in at No. 55 and South Carolina is at No. 61.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.