College football rankings: Florida Gators soar into AP Top 25, Coaches Poll after Utah upset

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Image Credit: UAA

Coming off one of most notable season-opening wins in program history, the Florida Gators rocketed from the group of unranked teams receiving votes well into both sets of college football rankings after Week 1 of the 2022 season. Suddenly, a Florida team viewed as unlikely to compete in Year 1 under Billy Napier has a high enough ranking to achieve all of its (perhaps-unlikely) goals by season’s end.

Florida on Tuesday entered the AP Top 25 at No. 12, rocketing up a stunning 26 spots after entering the season as the 38th overall team receiving votes. It’s the most significant jump for a previously unranked team in the first regular-season edition of the AP Top 25 since 2016 and the biggest leap for UF in any edition of the rankings since 1966. The Gators also joined the Coaches Poll at No. 19, rising a stunning 18 spots as the 37th overall team receiving votes.

Utah, which Florida beat 29-26 on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was handled differently by voters in both polls. The Utes are one spot behind the Gators at No. 13 in the AP Top 25 but four spots ahead of UF in the Coaches Poll at No. 15.

Kentucky, who Florida will host in The Swamp this Saturday, is the unanimous No. 20 team in the nation, setting up a top-25 showdown in Week 2.

Alabama remains the No. 1 team in the nation coming out of the preseason, garnering 101 of a combined 128 first-place votes across the two polls. Reigning national champion Georgia jumped into the No. 2 spot this week with 23 total first place votes, while Ohio State stepped back one spot to No. 3. Michigan and Clemson round out the top five, in alternating positions, across both sets of rankings.

AP Top 25

1. Alabama (44)
2. Georgia (17)
3. Ohio State (2)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Notre Dame
9. Baylor
10. USC
11. Oklahoma State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Michigan State
15. Miami
16. Arkansas
17. Pittsburgh
18. NC State
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. BYU
22. Ole Miss
23. Wake Forest
24. Tennessee
25. Houston

Coaches Poll

1. Alabama (57)
2. Georgia (6)
3. Ohio State (2)
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Baylor
9. Notre Dame
10. Oklahoma State
11. Michigan State
12. USC
13. NC State
14. Pittsburgh 15. Utah
16. Miami
17. Arkansas
18. Wisconsin
19. Florida
20. Kentucky
21. Wake Forest
22. Texas
23. Ole Miss
24. Oregon
25. BYU