The Gator Nation got a treat last Saturday in Florida football's 2026 season opener against the FAU Owls, as the Jon Sumrall era opened with an offensive explosion resulting in a 66-21 victory at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
While the authoritative win came against an overmatched opponent, the Gators still saw improvement in many of the various college football rankings, including the US LMB Coaches Poll, which promoted Sumrall and Co. into the top 25 at No. 25, tied with the Virginia Cavaliers.
Among the other members of the media who boosted the Orange and Blue after the blowout win was CBS Sports writer Chip Patterson, who elevated Florida two spots in his latest re-rank to No. 20. That puts the Gators between the No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes and No. 21
Washington Huskies.
Other publications that became more bullish on the Gators this week include USA TODAY Sports' re-rank, which moved them up five spots to No. 31 in its tally, and The Athletic's re-rank, which bumped them up a spot to No. 30. Notable improvement was also seen in CBS Sports' power rankings, which now have Florida at No. 23 after being left off the preseason list, and ESPN's power rankings, which moved UF into its top 25 at No. 24.
The AP Top 25 saw some improvement in Florida's vote tally, increasing its ballot presence from 51 to 83 votes, but the Gators still remain the de facto No. 27 team in the sport's most widely accepted rankings.
CBS Sports re-rank top 25 after Week 1
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida moves up in CBS Sports' college football re-rank after Week 1
