Nine months ago, Jon Sumrall was a pretty unknown quantity, a former Kentucky linebacker who managed to turn Troy and Tulane into winners. Flash forward to Saturday, and his Florida Gators absolutely torched the Ole Miss Rebels, vaulting themselves to a shocking No. 3 spot in the Top 10. And what does Coach Sumrall say after a dominant 24-point win over a top-five team? Straight up to reporters: “We have not arrived.” Seriously? You just dismantled a legit squad, coach, but if you say you haven’t arrived, that’s a seriously scary thought for the rest of the league.
Florida’s ability to straight-up control the line of scrimmage and run the ball down opponents’ throats is going to be a nightmare for anyone else in their path. Athletic director Scott Stricklin went with Sumrall after Lane Kiffin bounced to Baton Rouge, and it’s looking like an absolute genius move. Quarterback Aaron Philo had every reason to celebrate after that blowout win, and it makes you wonder what kind of monster Sumrall is building down there.
Around the College Football Universe, Chaos Reigns
Saturday was pure pandemonium across college football, and not just in Gainesville. The Big Ten gave us some wild finishes, with Iowa pulling off a comeback win on the road against Michigan, and Wisconsin doing the same to Penn State. Talk about some clutch performances, right? Out West, Oregon showed they’re legit, gashing USC’s defense even without their starting quarterback Dante Moore.
The SEC, though, is still proving why it’s the top dog. The Texas Longhorns remain our top-ranked squad after beating Tennessee, and their quarterback Arch Manning got a win in a special place, wearing No. 16 just like his legendary uncle Peyton. Even though Arch was sacked six times and had five incompletions, he delivered an 18-yard, third-down strike to Ryan Wingo that set up a crucial 10-point lead. Alabama’s QB Keelon Russell looks like the real deal, and OU’s Brent Venables probably deserves that contract extension after what he’s building. It makes total sense that more than half of our Top 10 is from the SEC, considering they were the only power conference with a winning record, 10-2, against other power conferences over the first three weeks. Over in the Big 12, Utah just cracked our Top 10. Are they the best of the Big 12? They’ve definitely played the toughest schedule among the conference challengers. And in the ACC, Wake Forest beating Louisville just made it tougher to figure out who in the heck is going to challenge Miami. Side note: Indiana still isn’t ranked, despite wins over North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, and Northwestern. Those wins apparently aren’t enough to impress.
The Elite Two: Texas and Ohio State
Texas holds onto that coveted No. 1 spot after a 20-17 win over Tennessee. Nobody else in the country has two wins like Texas does, beating Ohio State and taking down Tennessee on the road. They almost fumbled it late in Neyland Stadium, but they hung tough for Manning’s big win. Meanwhile, the Ohio State Buckeyes, sitting at No. 2, delivered a solid 42-19 victory over Illinois. Last week, everyone thought the Heisman Trophy was heading to Oxford for QB Trinidad Chambliss, but after this weekend, it feels like that hardware is right back where it started, firmly in Columbus.
Texas is on an off-week, giving them time to soak in that top spot. But Ohio State travels to Iowa next week, and you know the Hawkeyes will be fired up after their comeback win over Michigan. This early season is already delivering incredible drama, and it feels like Florida, Texas, and Ohio State are just getting started. It’s going to be wild!
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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