After a chaotic Week 7 in college football, ESPN's latest power rankings have dramatically reshaped the national landscape.
Five of the previous top seven teams were defeated, with upsets creating a significant shift in the pecking order. After previously being unranked, the Gators broke through in the outlet's updated list following their 27-24 road victory over Texas.
Florida landed at No. 21 while Texas dropped from No. 10 to No. 22.
Florida's rise has been fueled by a bounce-back effort from the defense, which ranks No. 110. Brad White's group limited Texas to 272 total yards and recorded five sacks against Arch Manning, while Tramell Jones Jr. delivered a valiant performance in his first career start, throwing for two touchdowns to tight end
Lacota Dippre.
"(Jones) kept finding ways to keep drives alive in the second half as the Gators methodically clawed back to take the lead," wrote college football reporter Dave Wilson.Jon Sumrall's team has now eclipsed its win total from last season and earned their second top-10 win despite suffering back-to-back conference losses going into Week 7.
The Gators will enjoy a week of rest before taking on Georgia in Atlanta on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs sit at No. 4 in ESPN's rankings; Kirby Smart's program held the top spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll before being upset by Auburn.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida returns to ESPN power top 25 rankings after upsetting Texas
