College football rankings: Florida Gators jump two spots in AP Top 25, Coaches Poll after LIU win

Football

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Image Credit: Lorenzo Vasquez, UAA

Expectations were raised for Florida Gators football in Year 4 under head coach Billy Napier, especially with sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway in tow. An experienced, talented roster returning numerous key pieces from a hot end to the 2024 campaign was acknowledged all offseason as a team that could surprise in 2025.

The Gators on Tuesday found themselves ranked No. 13 in the Preseason AP Top 25 after opening the season at No. 15, the first time since 2021 that they began a campaign as a ranked team. UF similarly moved up two spots to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll after starting the year at No. 17 in the preseason top 25.

Florida entered 2025 with the nation’s toughest schedule for the second straight year. This as the SEC decided to simply flip the home-away assignments from the 2024 campaign rather than create a fresh conference slate as it initially promised when introducing last season’s slate, which was supposed to serve as a one-year stop gap amid the additions of Oklahoma and Texas to the league.

The Gators were originally set to face seven ranked opponents as part of their 12-game slate, including four top 10 teams. After one week, they are now slated to face eight ranked opponents; however, there are three top five opponents ahead — two consecutively to start Power Four play — and four in the top seven. Five of those games will be played away from home with only the Texas and Tennessee set to visit The Swamp as top 25 teams.

Florida, Week 3 opponent Miami and Week 14 opponent Florida State are all among the top 14 nationally.

AP Top 25 — Sept. 2

1. Ohio State (55)
2. Penn State (7)
3. LSU (3)
4. Georgia
5. Miami (FL)
6. Oregon (1)
7. Texas
8. Clemson
9. Notre Dame
10. South Carolina
11. Illinois
12. Arizona State
13. Florida
14. Florida State
15. Michigan
16. Iowa State
17. SMU
18. Texas A&M
19. Oklahoma
20. Ole Miss
21. Alabama
22. Tennessee
23. Indiana
24. Texas Tech
25. Utah