Florida football continued its meteoric rise from obscurity under Jon Sumrall in Week 4 with a massive 52-28 win over Ole Miss inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. The Gators tied the program record for most points scored against an AP Poll top-five team, while notching their first win against a top-five opponent since 2020, snapping a 12-game losing streak.
Sumrall and Co.'s success so far has Florida climbing the standings, including ESPN's latest college football power rankings, in which it moved up to No. 7 this week — an improvement of eight spots from the previous update. The Gators are now nestled between No. 6 Indiana and No. 8 Alabama.
"Lane Kiffin might have been Florida's first choice to replace Billy Napier following the 2025
season, but former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall sure looks like the right pick after four games. The Gators blasted Ole Miss 52-28 in the Swamp on Saturday, piling up 498 yards of offense, including 302 rushing," writer Mark Schlabach begins.
"Tailback Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards with three touchdowns, and he already has tallied 11 scores this season. Duke Clark ran for 126 yards and a TD," he continues.
"The Gators put up 40 points or more in each of their first four games for the first time since 2001, when Steve Spurrier's high-flying offense was still rolling. The Gators have work to do on defense, as they gave up 67 points in their first two SEC games, against Auburn and Ole Miss. But there's plenty of reason to be excited after September."
Florida's next test comes against Missouri inside Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
SEC schools in ESPN's power rankings after Week 4
The SEC had a pair of schools drop out and now has eight teams in ESPN's power rankings, headlined by top-ranked Texas, followed by Georgia (No. 2), Florida (No. 7), Alabama (No. 8), Ole Miss (No. 9), LSU (No. 11), Mississippi State (No. 13) and Tennessee (No. 17). Texas A&M and Missouri were the two schools that dropped out of the top 25.
ESPN's college football power rankings after Week 4
- Texas Longhorns
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Miami Hurricanes
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Florida Gators
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ole Miss Rebels
- BYU Cougars
- LSU Tigers
- Utah Utes
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Oregon Ducks
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Tennessee Volunteers
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Boise State Broncos
- Duke Blue Devils
- Houston Cougars
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- SMU Mustangs
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida moves into top 10 of ESPN's college football power rankings
