For the first time in nearly a month, the Florida Gators moved up the USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank, which attempts to sort all 136 FBS teams each week.
The kicker is that the Orange and Blue took a step forward to No. 64 without even taking the field. The offense can’t disappoint any decision makers if they aren’t on the field, and Florida’s defense has built a solid reputation despite the 1-3 start to the year.
Not every team improves its standing while on bye. Take the Texas Longhorns as an example. Florida’s upcoming opponent has played much better than the Gators, but the Longhorns are still down two spots to No. 17 this week. The obvious reason for this is that it’s easier to lose a high standing while not proving yourself, and Florida isn’t exactly boasting about a top-65 ranking.
A Gators win would send some shockwaves through this (and every other) ranking system in college football, but Florida is a major underdog. Gator Nation should enjoy the upward momentum this week, even if it’s small. It could be a while before the Gators do any more climbing.
SEC teams in USA TODAY Sports re-ranking
The Georgia Bulldogs fell from grace this week with a loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The result is a five-spot dip for UGA, now ranked No. 6, and a 13-spot leap for ‘Bama, which now sits at No. 13 overall. The other major upset was Ole Miss beating the LSU Tigers. The Rebels are now the top-ranked team in the conference at No. 4, followed by the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies and No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners.
The LSU Tigers dropped eight spots to No. 16, behind the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers and No. 15 Missouri Tigers. respectively. Texas and Vanderbilt are close behind at Nos. 17 and 18, respectively, giving the SEC 10 of the top 18 teams.
There’s a considerable disparity between the top and bottom of the league just five weeks in. South Carolina represents the best of the worst at No. 34, while No. 47 Mississippi State and No. 48 Auburn are just inside the top 50.
There are two SEC teams ranked below Florida this week: No. 67 Kentucky and No. 79 Arkansas.
2025 Florida Gators USA TODAY Sports 136 team re-rank so far
Florida started the year just inside the top 25, nearly 10 spots below its preseason ranking in either major poll.
A 55-0 win over Long Island University in Week 1 didn’t sway the USA TODAY Sports re-rankers. The Gators climbed just one spot to No. 24 with a prove-it game against South Florida ahead. When USF upset Florida in Week 2, USA TODAY Sports dropped the Orange and Blue 16 places to No. 40.
Following a second consecutive loss, this time to LSU, Florida dropped to No. 49 overall. After loss No. 3 to Miami, the Gators fell 16 spots to No. 65.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football Week 5 rerank USA TODAY Sports
