A 2-2 start to the season has Florida down to No. 44 in ESPN’s SP+ rankings, according to the latest update from Bill Connelly.
The Gators have been on a downward trend recently, falling from No. 31 after a Week 2 loss to Kentucky to its current position. Connelly says that “SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” rather than a resume ranking that rewards teams for upset wins or fluke losses. In his words, “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.”
The problem is that Florida’s numbers haven’t really followed that pattern. The Gators were both lucky and unimpressive in the win over USF, but they only fell two spots following that loss. Florida’s offense was the strongest it’s been in weeks against Tennessee, but the Gators still fell eight spots after taking the loss.
However, No. 44 feels very appropriate for this Gators team right now, and the defensive unit’s struggles seem to outweigh the gains made on offense. At least, that’s what SP+ is saying. After an ugly performance on Saturday, the Gators’ defensive rankings fell 3.1 points and from No. 53 in the country to No. 76. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]’s 515 total yards only bumped the offensive ranking up 0.2 points, but that’s good enough for 22nd-best in the NCAA.
If Florida’s going to improve in these rankings before year’s end, some serious and tangible improvement on defense is needed.
Three of Florida’s future opponents are ranked higher than it. Georgia is No. 3 on the list, LSU is No. 11 and Texas A&M is No. 22. That may seem like three guaranteed losses to many, but Florida has already beaten Utah, which sits at No. 9 currently.
Things don’t look great for the Orange and Blue right now, but these growing pains are expected after a coaching change.
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