How Florida Can Rise Back Up AP Poll After Loss to Missouri

Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators had a shocking loss to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, which dropped them in the AP Poll.

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Florida moved up to No. 8 in the country after beating the Ole Miss Rebels, but they dropped to No. 16 after losing to Missouri. While the Tigers are a solid team, the Gators fell so far because they lost in a 45-17 blowout.

Florida has a talented roster and has proven they can be a contender, but they will need to be consistent for the remainder of the season to make it to the College Football Playoff.

Despite dropping down in the AP Poll, the Gators have a prime opportunity to rise back up the rankings in the coming weeks. Florida will face off against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns on October 17th and the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs on October 31st, giving them a chance to earn signature wins.

If the Gators can win the rest of their games and win one or both of their matchups against the top two teams in the country, they could climb up the AP Poll rankings and give Florida a strong case for making it to the College Football Playoff.

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The Gators are led by Baugh, who is among the Heisman favorites, as he rushed for 613 yards and 11 touchdowns on 95 carries. He is one of the best running backs in college football and will need a bounce-back performance after just 13 yards on 12 carries.

Duke Clark has also been a solid running back for Florida as a change of pace for Baugh. He has contributed 260 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.

Transfer quarterback Aaron Philo has also had a solid year, completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions while rushing for 72 yards and three touchdowns.

Philo has benefited from playing off Baugh and the run game, but will need to improve in must-pass situations. In the loss to the Tigers, Philo and the passing attack needed to do more.

Florida entered the season unranked, but Sumrall has shown that they can be a contender. Sumrall was a successful head coach in his last two stops, going 23-4 at Troy and 20-8 at Tulane, including a College Football Playoff appearance.

In his first season with the Gators, he brought in a ton of talent via the transfer portal, helping them get off to a 4-1 start.

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