Florida football got absolutely flattened, dropping out of the US LBM college football coaches poll after a brutal 38-19 loss to South Carolina on October 10. This isn’t just a tough loss; it’s a full-on slide for the Gators.
The Gators’ Steep Fall From No. 8
Remember when Florida was flying high? They were ranked No. 8 earlier this season after crushing Ole Miss and finishing September 4-0. Seriously, it felt like they were on a roll. But man, things can turn fast in college ball. The Gators, now sitting at a middling 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, have dropped back-to-back games, first to Missouri and then that gut-punch against South Carolina. The average margin of defeat in those two games? A painful 23.5 points. Ouch. They were No. 15 just last week before that South Carolina game, so this fall out of the rankings is a steep one.
Coach Sumrall Admits They’ve Been “Exposed”
Even coach Jon Sumrall isn’t sugarcoating it. He straight up said, “We clearly haven’t arrived the last two weeks because we’ve been exposed in a pretty substantial way.” He’s not wrong. The conference will humble you, and it’s doing exactly that to Florida. Sumrall hit it perfectly, pointing out that sometimes “when you’re winning, it masks maybe the things that are not going right or that you’re not doing well.” That feels like a massive understatement right now. The Gators are now only getting 32 votes in the poll, sitting just behind James Madison, who surprisingly has 33 votes under former Florida coach Billy Napier.
Florida’s got to regroup, and fast. Their next challenge is a road game against No. 6 Texas on October 17. Kickoff is at noon on ABC. Texas just took an upset loss themselves, falling 27-24 to rival Oklahoma. Their starting quarterback, Arch Manning, even threw a pair of crucial interceptions in that one. So, both teams are looking to bounce back. For Florida, it’s a chance to show if they can hang with the big dogs, or if this slide is just the beginning.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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