Gators leap in ESPN’s SP+ rankings top 25 after beating UCF

Florida football is now a top-25 team in the eyes of ESPN’s SP+ rankings.

Florida football prevailed over the UCF Knights Saturday night in the Swamp, 24-13, to move over the .500 mark for the first time this fall. It also gave the Gator Nation a glimpse of how well this team can play when hitting on all cylinders.

While it was an important win for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. — especially since it relieved a modicum of pressure from the head coach’s hot seat — the grueling schedule ahead still does not bode well for the third-year skipper who clings to his job by the skin of his teeth.

Nonetheless, the Orange and Blue saw some improvements in the various ratings and rankings updates from around the nation, including ESPN’s SP+ rankings put together by Bill Connelly.

Florida football’s SP+ ranking, rating

Last week, the Gators were ranked 30th out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools, with an overall rating of 11.3. After the Week 6 victory, Florida is now ranked No. 23 with a 14.2 overall rating.

The special teams unit, which spent a few weeks as the top-rated corps in the country, moved back up to No. 5 from No. 8 last week with a 0.4 rating.

On offense, the team moved up from No. 12 with a 37.5 rating to No. 10 with a 38.0 rating while the defense took a big jump from No. 68 to No. 49 with a 24.2 rating, which was oddly 2.2 points lower than last week’s figure.

SP+ Top 10 Teams

The Texas Longhorns assumed the top spot in this week’s SP+ rankings, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels rounding out the top five.

The remainder of the top 10 is occupied by the Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon Ducks, Tennessee Volunteers, Miami Hurricanes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, respectively.

About SP+ predictions

“SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to ESPN. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.

“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”

Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Knoxville next week to resume Southeastern Conference play against Tennessee. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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How wild Week 6 of SEC upsets changed AP Poll rankings

A whole lotta shaking going on in the national polls after a wild weekend of SEC football.

The SEC saw three of its Week 5 top-10 college football programs face upsets on Saturday, with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers and Missouri Tigers all getting beat away from their home stadiums.

The culmination of losses sent a major ripple throughout the national rankings, particularly in the AP Poll Top 25 following Week 6’s action, where previously top-ranked Alabama fell to No. 7 while the Vols slipped to No. 8 and Mizzou tumbled all the way to No. 21.

The Texas Longhorns assumed the top spot in the poll, moving up one slot to match its position in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The rest of the SEC schools in the top 25 include the Georgia Bulldogs, who remained unmoved at No. 5, followed by the Ole Miss Rebels (No. 9), LSU Tigers (No. 13), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 15) and Oklahoma Sooners (No. 18).

The Vanderbilt Commodores, who defeated ‘Bama in Nashville, earned 26 votes and a de facto No. 30 ranking, followed by the Arkansas Razorbacks (17) — who beat the Vols — and the Kentucky Wildcats (1), who beat Ole Miss two weeks ago.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 6

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Texas 5-0 1516 (52) +1
2 Ohio State 5-0 1473 (9) +1
3 Oregon 5-0 1348 +3
4 Penn State 5-0 1305 +3
5 Georgia 4-1 1299
6 Miami (FL) 6-0 1187 +2
7 Alabama 4-1 1182 -6
8 Tennessee 4-1 1001 -4
9 Ole Miss 5-1 978 +3
10 Clemson 4-1 861 +5
11 Iowa State 5-0 853 +5
12 Notre Dame 4-1 853 +3
13 LSU 4-1 827
14 BYU 5-0 753 +3
15 TAMU 5-1 702 +10
16 Utah 4-1 473 +2
17 Boise State 4-1 463 +4
18 Kansas State 4-1 459 +2
19 Indiana 6-0 459 +5
20 Oklahoma 4-1 459 +1
21 Missouri 4-1 352 -12
22 Pitt 5-0 196
23 Illinois 4-1 182 +1
24 Michigan 4-2 170 -14
25 SMU 5-1 165

Others receiving votes:

Southern Cal 98, Nebraska 51, Navy 43, Army 33, Vanderbilt 26, Arkansas 17, Washington St. 8, Iowa 8, Texas Tech 7, Syracuse 6, Washington 4, Louisville 4, Colorado 3, Kentucky 1.

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US LBM Coaches Poll shaken up by SEC upsets in Week 6

The Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri losses really mixed things up in the US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 6.

The US LBM Coaches Poll had a major shake-up during college football’s Week 6 action, with a trio of top-10 teams getting upset on the road in Southeastern Conference play.

The previously second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide was tripped up by the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night, resulting in a five-spot fall to seventh. The Tennessee Volunteers — ranked fourth coming into the weekend — fell five spots to No. 9 after the Arkansas Razorbacks snuck past them.

The Missouri Tigers were ranked ninth but tumbled out of the top 10 to No. 18 after the Texas A&M Aggies routed them at Kyle Field. TAMU was rewarded for their win with a boost in the rankings from No. 21 to No. 14.

Despite the other SEC drama, the Texas Longhorns kept its first-place position in the Coaches Poll while the Georgia Bulldogs moved up a spot to No. 4 to give the conference two teams in the top five.

The remaining member schools included in this week’s poll are the Ole Miss Rebels (No. 8), LSU Tigers (No. 10) and Oklahoma Sooners (No. 16), all of whom sit among the top 25. The Kentucky Wildcats (12), Vanderbilt (4) and Arkansas (3) all received votes.

Week 6 US LBM Coaches Poll

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Texas Longhorns 5-0 1,364 (44)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 5-0 1,330 (11)
3 Oregon Ducks 5-0 1,215
4 Georgia Bulldogs 4-1 1,174
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 5-0 1,163
6 Miami Hurricanes 6-0 1,085
7 Alabama Crimson Tide 4-1 1,035
8 Ole Miss Rebels 5-1 935
9 Tennessee Volunteers 4-1 856
10 LSU Tigers 4-1 839
11 Clemson Tigers 4-1 818
12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-1 807
13 Iowa State Cyclones 5-0 695
14 Texas A&M Aggies 5-1 564
15 BYU Cougars 5-0 549
16 Oklahoma Sooners 4-1 541
17 Utah Utes 4-1 479
18 Missouri Tigers 4-1 473
19 Kansas State Wildcats 4-1 360
20 Indiana Hoosiers 6-0 358
21 Michigan Wolverines 4-2 224
22 Boise State Broncos 4-1 213
23 Illinois Fighting Illini 4-1 179
24 Pittsburgh Panthers 5-0 170
25 SMU Mustangs 5-1 123

Schools Dropped Out

No. 15 USC; No. 22 Louisville; No. 23 UNLV;

Others Receiving Votes

USC 102; Nebraska 68; Army West Point 36; Navy 26; Colorado 16; Kentucky 12; Arizona 12; UNLV 11; Texas Tech 8; Virginia 7; Washington 5; Liberty 5; Vanderbilt 4; Rutgers 3; Arkansas 3; Tulane 2; Louisville 2; Iowa 2; Syracuse 1; Arizona State 1;

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Former NFL offensive lineman praises the work of Vikings OL group

The entire world could learn from the bond that offensive linemen have with their groups and with other linemen around the league.

The entire world could learn from offensive linemen’s bond with their groups and other linemen around the league. They are constantly looking to help each other improve and make each person’s career last forever within the NFL.

Because of that, they continue to hype up other offensive lineman groups even after they exit the league.

A.Q. Shipley, a 12-year NFL veteran, has made his offensive linemen rankings a constant on The Pat McAfee Show. On Wednesday, he ranked the current offensive line groups, and the former NFL lineman gave the Vikings a glowing one.

“The Minnesota Vikings offensive line has been doing an unbelievable job. . . They’ve been blocking the (blank) out of people.”

He ranked them fourth overall in the NFL, and for good reason. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill have done a great job of sealing the edges for Sam Darnold. Blake Brandel has been playing out of his mind this year, Ed Ingram has been consistent, and Garrett Bradbury has held up well despite being banged up.

The group as a whole is a major reason this team is undefeated at 4-0 heading into Week 5. Not to mention, they have kept Sam Darnold upright, and it has allowed him to play at an MVP-like level.

Where Ben Johnson ranks among NFL play callers

Where does Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson ranks among NFL play callers?

Four weeks into the season is a good time to start ranking performances across the NFL. There’s enough of a sample size and track record built up in the first four weeks to have a pretty good idea of what’s happening and what can continue to happen over the rest of the season.

One such NFL ranking stacks up the offensive play callers across the league after Week 4. Economist and NFL analyst Steven Patton compiled this ranking, and it evaluates the performance of the offensive personnel and market efficiency while factoring in team talent constraints.

In that context, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson stacks up pretty well. Johnson comes in fifth overall, a ranking that is likely bolstered by the 42-point outburst in the Week 4 win over what had theretofore been an excellent Seahawks defense.

 

Klint Kubiak of the Saints sits at the top, followed closely by Kliff Kingsbury of the Commanders. At the bottom, Mike McDaniel of the disappointing Dolphins brings up the rear.

SEC Composite Power Rankings following Week 5 of college football

Overall, the SEC has nine teams that average a ranking of 25th or better in the composite and 12 in the top 50.

The Southeastern Conference has once again proven to be a formidable force on the college football gridiron, with a few schools battling it out for the top spot in the country. Each week brings yet another exciting slate as it just means more down south.

The two member schools near or at the top of most rankings following Week 5’s action are the Alabama Crimson Tide — who knocked off the highly-ranked Georgia Bulldogs last weekend — and one of the league’s newcomers, the Texas Longhorns. Both are neck-and-neck in the major polls and other rankings while a few peers lurk not too far behind.

Overall, the SEC has nine teams that average a ranking of 25th or better in the composite and 12 in the top 50. Unfortunately, the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Vanderbilt Commodores and Mississippi State Bulldogs, respectively, were ranked lower.

Below is a look at the debut edition of Gators Wire’s composite ranking for all 16 SEC teams following Week 5. Along with each team’s position, the average ranking is also given.

SEC Week 5 Full Composite Rankings

Rank School Avg
1 Alabama 1.6
2 Texas 1.9
3 Tennessee 4.3
4 Georgia 4.9
5 Missouri 9.9
6 Ole Miss 11.6
7 LSU 14.4
8 Oklahoma 18.7
9 Texas A&M 24.8
10 Kentucky 34.1
11 South Carolina 34.6
12 Arkansas 45.2
13 Auburn 54.4
14 Florida 57.6
15 Vanderbilt 68.4
16 Mississippi State 89.2

About the composite rankings

The data for the SEC composite power rankings is derived from both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, as well as ESPN’s FPI and SP+ rankings, the USA Today Sports re-rank, The Athletic re-rank and the CBS Sports re-rank. For the two major polls, a de facto ranking is assigned if only votes are received; the absence of ranking or votes results in null data, which does not affect the overall outcome.

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Where Florida stands in 247Sports’ SEC Power Poll after Week 5

No changes for the Orange and Blue in this week’s SEC Power Poll rankings.

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators got a bye in college football’s Week 5 but their Southeastern Conference peers saw plenty of action last weekend. The results from the gridiron shook things up a bit in the updated polls and rankings after the dust finally settled.

The biggest game was the Alabama Crimson Tide‘s home win over the Georgia Bulldogs in exciting fashion, which dethroned the ‘Dawgs from the top of many standings. The other was the Kentucky Wildcats‘ upset of the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, which put a damper on Lane Kiffin’s College Football Playoff aspirations.

It should come as no surprise that the Orange and Blue were unmoved in this week’s SEC Power Poll by 247Sports, in which Florida remains at No. 15 with just the Mississippi State Bulldogs — who it beat in Week 4 — ranked worse.

Take a look at the full results for Week 5 below.

Full SEC Power Poll results

1. Alabama (11): +4

2. Texas (5): -1

3. Tennessee: —

4. Georgia: -2

5. Missouri: +1

6. LSU: +2

7. Ole Miss: -2

8. Oklahoma: —

9. Texas A&M: —

10. Kentucky: +2

11. South Carolina: -1

12. Arkansas: -1

13. Vanderbilt: —

14. Auburn: —

15. Florida: —

16. Mississippi State: —

Up next for the Gators

Florida hosts the UCF Knights on Saturday, Oct. 5 for a Week 6 tangle between two Sunshine State rivals, with kickoff slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Florida volleyball drops in AVCA/TARAFLEX rankings after Week 5

The Gators remain in the AVCA/TARAFLEX top-20 after splitting their matches last week.

Florida volleyball slipped three spots in the latest AVCA/TARAFLEX rankings after splitting a pair of matches in Week 5 of fall competition, dropping from No. 15 to No. 18.

The Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners in five sets (25-21,19-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-13) on the road Thursday to tally their 34th-consecutive Southeastern Conference opener win. However, on Sunday the Orange and Blue was defeated by the 12th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats inside the O’Connell Center (19-25, 20-25, 25-20, 28-30) to even the week’s tally.

Of their remaining 15 regular-season matches, Florida will face four opponents who are either ranked or receiving votes in the current poll, including a home matchup against seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns this Sunday.

That match is set to start at 1 p.m. in Gainesville and will be broadcast on ESPN.

AVCA/TARAFLEX Division I WVB Poll

Rank School (1st Place Votes) Points Previous
Rank
Previous
Rank
1 Pittsburgh [61] 1,525 12-0 1
2 Nebraska 1,458 12-1 2
3 Penn State 1,382 12-1 4
4 Louisville 1,347 10-2 5
5 Stanford 1,262 9-2 3
6 Creighton 1,217 11-2 6
7 Texas 1,130 7-3 8
8 Kansas 1,061 11-1 9
9 Wisconsin 1,012 7-4 7
10 Purdue 982 10-3 10
11 Oregon 946 10-1 11
12 Minnesota 773 8-4 16
13 Kentucky 711 7-6 12
14 Baylor 602 10-3 19
15 Arizona State 557 12-2 14
16 Florida State 530 10-2 18
17 SMU 523 10-3 23
18 Florida 516 10-3 15
19 Georgia Tech 486 8-3 13
20 BYU 441 9-3 17
21 USC 340 9-3 20
22 TCU 262 9-3 22
23 Dayton 199 12-1 24
24 Auburn 175 12-1 NR
25 Washington 154 12-0 NR

Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Tennessee 98; Miami (FL) 39; Arkansas 33; Marquette 29; Utah 20; UCLA 2

Dropped Out: Tennessee 20, Miami (FL) 25

* 5 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 11 combined points

UF 2024 Week-By-Week Rankings

Week AVCA Ranking
Aug. 19 No. 11
Sept. 2 No. 10
Sept. 9 No. 13
Sept. 16 No. 16
Sept. 23 No. 15
Sept. 30 No. 18

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Where Florida’s opponents finished in Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll

Florida’s schedule is riddled with AP Top 25 opponents. Here’s where things stand following the release of the Week 5 poll.

The Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll is out and the SEC remains king despite a few shakeups.

Alabama is now at the top of the poll, followed by Texas, Ohio State, Tennesse and Georgia to round out the top five. Florida won’t face the Buckeyes or Crimson Tide this season, but the other three teams mentioned are on the schedule for the Orange and Blue.

In total, Florida faces six teams ranked inside the top 25 this week, including the game already played against No. 8 Miami.

Here’s a breakdown of Florida’s opponents and where they rank this week:

Week 1: No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (L, 41-17)

Week 2: FCS Samford Bulldogs (W, 45-7)

Week 3: Texas A&M Aggies (L, 33-20) — ranked No. 24 last week

Week 4: Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 45-28)

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: UCF Knights

Week 7: No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers 

Week 8: Kentucky Wildcats — earned six points in Week 5 poll

Week 9: BYE

Week 10: No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs

Week 11: No. 2 Texas Longhorns

Week 12: No. 13 LSU Tigers

Week 13: No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels

Week 14: Florida State Seminoles

AP Top 25 Poll — Week 5

Here is the complete AP Top 25 following Week 5 of the college football season

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Alabama 4-0 1,549 (40) +3
2 Texas 5-0 1,525 (19) -1
3 Ohio State 4-0 1,445 (4)
4 Tennessee 4-0 1,356 +1
5 Georgia 3-1 1,329 -3
6 Oregon 4-0 1,216 +2
7 Penn State 4-0 1,208 +2
8 Miami (FL) 5-0 1,170 -1
9 Missouri 4-0 1,085 +2
10 Michigan 4-1 913 +2
11 USC 3-1 854 +2
12 Ole Miss 4-1 799 -6
13 LSU 4-1 757 +1
14 Notre Dame 4-1 748 +2
15 Clemson 3-1 694 +2
16 Iowa State 4-0 656 +2
17 BYU 4-0 549 +5
18 Utah 4-1 467 -8
19 Oklahoma 4-1 428 +2
20 Kansas State 4-1 398 +3
21 Boise State 3-1 253 +4
22 Louisville 3-1 223 -7
23 Indiana 5-0 172
24 Illinois 4-1 169 -5
25 UNLV 4-0 122

Others Receiving Votes

Arizona 106, Pittsburgh 42, Nebraska 30, Boston College 18, Iowa 17, James Madison 13, Oklahoma St. 8, South Carolina 8, Rutgers 7, Kentucky 6, Navy 6, SMU 4, Army 2, Colorado 1.

Up next for the Gators

The UCF Knights will come to Gainesville in Week 6 for a 2021 Gasparilla Bowl rematch. The Gators are looking for revenge after falling to the Knights, 29-17, under interim head coach Greg Knox.

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Where SEC teams rank on Week 5 US LBM Coaches Poll

Alabama took down former US LBM Coaches Poll No. 1 Georgia this weekend, leading to a top-10 shakeup. Nine SEC teams are ranked after Week 5.

There’s a new No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after a wild Week 5 across the college football world.

The Georgia Bulldogs slipped to No. 5 following a loss to the now No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, but it’s the Texas Longhorns that move into the No. 1 spot with a 5-0 record.

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) still boasts nine ranked teams, including four of the top five programs in the country. In addition to the three teams mentioned above, the Tennessee Volunteers are now ranked No. 4 following a two-spot jump.

Missouri is also a top-10 program at No. 9, but Ole Miss fell to No. 11 after a loss to unranked Kentucky. LSU continues its march up the rankings with a 4-1 record. The Tigers are now ranked No. 12 in the country after being ranked as low as No. 19.

No. 17 Oklahoma and No. 21 Texas A&M are the final two SEC programs ranked in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kentucky earned 17 points and South Carolina earned one point in this week’s voting.

Week 5 US LBM Coaches Poll

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Texas Longhorns 5-0 1,339 (29)
2 Alabama Crimson Tide 4-0 1,330 (19)
3 Ohio State Buckeyes 4-0 1,281 (7)
4 Tennessee Vols 4-0 1,163
5 Georgia Bulldogs 3-1 1,153
6 Oregon Ducks 4-0 1,090
7 Penn State Nittany Lions 4-0 1,062
8 Miami Hurricanes 5-0 981
9 Missouri Tigers 4-0 948
10 Michigan Wolverines 4-1 792
11 Ole Miss Rebels 4-1 743
12 LSU Tigers 4-1 725
13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-1 702
14 Clemson Tigers 3-1 671
15 USC Trojans 3-1 660
16 Iowa State Cyclones 4-0 500
17 Oklahoma Sooners 4-1 470
18 Utah Utes 4-1 408
19 BYU Cougars 5-0 375
20 Kansas State Wildcats 4-1 242
21 Texas A&M Aggies 4-1 198
22 Louisville Cardinals 3-1 197
23 UNLV Rebels 4-0 180
24 Indiana Hoosiers 5-0 143
25 Illinois Fighting Illini 4-1 122

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