Florida dropped 12 spots in CBS Sports' college football power rankings this week, as the Gators fell from No. 7 to No.19 in reaction to Saturday's blowout loss to Missouri. As for the Tigers, they jumped 13 spots to No. 11.
College football writer Brian Marcello framed Florida's position by noting that excitement around the program lasted just a week after routing Ole Miss at home, calling the loss an "old-fashioned butt-whopping." He highlighted two major failures for Jon Sumrall's team against Missouri: the Gators' inability to handle the Tigers' defensive front and their secondary giving up several explosive plays.
Among the many concerns for Florida, Jadan Baugh's performance takes center stage. The junior entered Saturday's game averaging
150 rushing yards per game and managed to collect just 13 in Memorial Stadium. Overall, the Gators were outgained 220-42 on the ground.
After lighting up the scoreboard for four consecutive weeks, Buster Faulkner and the Florida offense were held to less than 40 points for the first time this season. They came into the contest averaging 45-plus in each of their first four outings, but were only able to put up 17 last weekend — with seven of them coming in garbage time.
While the loss was an ugly one, Florida remains in a favorable position if it can regain the form that propelled them to a 4-1 record. South Carolina comes to Gainesville this weekend before the Gators take a trip to Austin to face top-ranked Texas.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida plummets in CBS Sports' power rankings after blowout loss
