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Gators Benefit from Bye in AP Poll Ahead of Georgia Matchup

The Florida Gators benefitted from a chaotic Week Eight of the 2026 college football season.
Cam Parker|
The Florida Gators benefitted from a chaotic Week Eight of the 2026 college football season.
The Florida Gators benefitted from a chaotic Week Eight of the 2026 college football season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Despite not having to play due to the bye week, the Florida Gators continue to rise in the AP Poll. Ranked No. 20 after an upset win at Texas on Oct. 17, the Gators have risen three spots to No. 17 in the updated poll, which was released on Sunday.

Florida benefited from general chaos across Week Eight of the 2026 college football season. In particular, No. 14 Houston's loss to No. 10 Utah, No. 15 Iowa's loss to unranked Minnesota and No. 16 USC's loss to unranked Wisconsin allowed the Gators to move up, with the Cougars now ranked No. 18 behind Florida and the Trojans and the Hawkeyes now both unranked.

Florida's resume also continues to look strong. No. 19 Texas upset No. 7 Ole Miss, with the Gators holding wins over both programs. The Longhorns are now ranked No. 11 in the poll, and the Rebels are ranked No. 12.

The Gators, still on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff, have two tremendous opportunities coming up to improve its standing. Florida plays No. 3 Georgia on Saturday and will travel to No. 9 Kentucky on Nov. 14. Florida currently has two top-10 wins with its victories over Ole Miss and Texas, while its losses to No. 23 Missouri and unranked South Carolina, which just upset Tennessee, remain dark spots.

Florida's matchup against Georgia also will be its last before the first CFP Poll of the season is released on Nov. 12. The Gators, also on the outside looking in for an SEC championship, which would clinch a first-round bye, are still alive for a top-12 seed but cannot afford any slip-ups.

Also on the schedule are unranked matchups against Oklahoma (Nov. 7), Vanderbilt (Nov. 21) and Florida State (Nov. 27), giving the Gators three strong chances to accomplish its first eight-win regular season since 2020, while an upset over either the Bulldogs or the Wildcats would give the Gators its first nine-win season since 2019 if they handle business against its unranked opponents.

Kickoff on Saturday between Florida and Georgia, the first ranked matchup between the two teams since 2020, is at 3:30 p.m. with television coverage on ABC.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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