College football rankings: Florida Gators enter AP Top 25 for first time this season after win at Auburn

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Image Credit: UAA

It was hardly a surprise when the Florida Gators were left off preseason college football rankings lists. Coming off a 4-8 season with sub- .500 campaigns in four of the prior years, Florida did not deserve any benefit of the doubt.

However, three games into the tenure of new head coach Jon Sumrall, who has the Gators off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019, it’s clear Florida and its high-powered offense are impressing voters — especially after a 44-39 win at Auburn that was nowhere near as close as the score suggests.

The question now is whether Florida will be able to hold or improve its position, considering one of its toughest games of the season ahead as No. 4 Ole Miss visits Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

UF debuted at No. 21 in the AP Top 25 after entering the season 27th overall (second in the “others receiving votes” category. Though Florida did pop into the Coaches Poll in Week 2, when it tied Virginia at No. 25, it is now firmly No. 22 in those rankings.

The Gators were originally set to face five AP Top 25 opponents — four from the top 10 — two fewer than they had on their slate to open the 2025 season. After Week 3, the Gators are one of 10 SEC teams in the rankings, four of which are ahead on the schedule, including three of the top four teams this week.

AP Top 25, Sept. 20

1. Texas (58)
2. Georgia (3)
3. Notre Dame
4. Ole Miss (3)
5. Indiana (4)
6. Miami (FL) (1)
7. Ohio State
8. Alabama
9. BYU
10. LSU
11. Texas Tech
12. USC
13. Penn State
14. Tennessee
15. Utah
16. Louisville
17. Iowa
18. Michigan
19. Missouri
20. Oregon
21. Florida
22. SMU
23. Texas A&M
24. Mississippi State
25. Houston