Florida's 45-17 blowout loss to Missouri shakes up Week 5 college football polls
No. 8 Florida is set to fall in the rankings after a 45-17 loss to No. 25 Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 3, according to www.usatoday.com. The blowout marks the second consecutive week a top-10 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll went down, per the source.
The Gators entered the game riding high after jumping from No. 22 to No. 8 following a 52-28 domination of then-sixth-ranked Ole Miss in Week 4. That momentum vanished in Columbia, where Florida's offense stalled against the Tigers.
Exactly how far Florida will drop remains unconfirmed in the source. The updated polls have been released, but the Gators' precise new position is not confirmed.
RUSHING GAME COLLAPSES
The Gators followed up their 302-yard rushing performance against Ole Miss with only 42 total rushing yards against Missouri, according to www.usatoday.com. That collapse stands as the defining stat of the loss.
The poor showing was highlighted as a key factor in the defeat. Florida's ground game, which had steamrolled the then-sixth-ranked Rebels a week earlier, simply vanished against the Tigers.
No. 25 Missouri pulled off the upset at home. The source describes the game as "a poor showing for the Gators."
Specific reasons for the rushing decline are not in the source. Whether it was Missouri's defensive front, Florida's line play, or something else entirely has not been confirmed.
What is clear is the contrast: 302 yards against Ole Miss, 42 against Missouri. A 260-yard drop that turned a top-10 team into a 28-point loser.
POLLS AFTER WEEK 5
The updated US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 have been released, per the source. Texas sits atop both, holding 45 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll and 61 in the AP.
In the Coaches Poll, Georgia is No. 2 with 20 first-place votes, followed by Notre Dame, Miami, and Indiana. Ohio State checks in at No. 6, with Alabama, BYU, Texas Tech, and LSU rounding out the top 10. Ole Miss, Utah, and Oregon occupy Nos. 11-13.
Florida lands at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll, one spot ahead of Missouri at No. 16. Southern California, Iowa, Houston, and Mississippi State complete the top 20, with SMU, UCLA, Duke, Pittsburgh, and Kentucky closing out the rankings.
The AP Top 25 tells a similar story. Texas is No. 1 with 61 first-place votes, Georgia No. 2 with 6, and Notre Dame No. 3. Miami holds two first-place votes at No. 4, with Ohio State and Alabama following.
In the AP poll, Missouri jumps Florida, sitting at No. 14 while the Gators fall to No. 16. Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Southern California, and Iowa round out the top 20. UCLA, Houston, Boise State, SMU, and Pittsburgh finish the list.
Notably, the two polls disagree on Florida and Missouri's exact placement. The Coaches Poll has the Gators ahead of the Tigers; the AP has it reversed.
Others receiving votes in the Coaches Poll include Oklahoma State with 187, Boise State with 161, and Nebraska with 117. Wake Forest, Northwestern, and Wisconsin also drew support. In the AP poll, Kentucky led the also-rans with 160 votes, followed by Wake Forest and Wisconsin.
These are the current poll standings. Final rankings after the loss have not been confirmed.
OTHER TOP-10 ACTION
No. 6 Ohio State handled its business against No. 13 Iowa, winning 31-14 on the road with ESPN's "College GameDay" in town, according to www.usatoday.com.
Jeremiah Smith powered the Buckeyes with 11 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns.
The top two contenders for the Big 12 championship also survived. No. 9 BYU and No. 10 Texas Tech held on for wins against TCU and Colorado, respectively, per the source, despite early scares against unranked opponents.
Details of those games — scores, margins, or how the scares unfolded — are not in the source.
All three teams emerged from Week 5 undefeated in the standings, keeping themselves positioned near the top of both polls behind Texas and Georgia.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Florida is set to fall in the rankings after its loss to Missouri, according to www.usatoday.com — and the updated polls confirm the drop. The Gators landed at No. 15 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP Top 25 after the 45-17 blowout.
The slide was driven by a rushing attack that vanished. Florida followed up its 302-yard performance against Ole Miss with only 42 total rushing yards against Missouri, per the source. That collapse turned a top-10 team into a middle-of-the-pack contender in one week.
The Gators will need to find answers on the ground before they can climb back toward the top of either poll. What those answers look like — and when they get tested again — remains unclear.
Florida's next game, opponent, and date are not in the source. The only certainty is the rankings: No. 15 in the Coaches Poll, No. 16 in the AP, and a long way from where they sat a week ago.
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