After dropping its second consecutive game to an SEC opponent, Florida was among the biggest losers in CBS Sports' updated FBS rankings.
The Gators dropped 20 spots to No. 34 after losing to South Carolina in Gainesville. The 19-point loss on homecoming was a jarring reality check for Jon Sumrall's program at the midpoint of the season.
Florida rose to No. 8 by beating then-No. 4 Ole Miss but has faltered since, failing to score 20-plus points during the losing streak, averaging over 50 in their first four. Not only did CBS Sports have Florida falling hard, but the outlet also predicts a downward trajectory for the Gators, pinning it among college football's biggest downward movers.
"Every season brings a couple of teams that explode onto the scene
in September and see their star burn out nearly just as fast. Unfortunately, it seems like Florida might be that team this year. After back-to-back wins against Auburn and Ole Miss had the Gators soaring into the top 10, we now see them fall outside the top 30 following back-to-back losses," college football writer Chip Patterson wrote.
Georgia remains a fixture at the top of the table, while Miami rose one spot to No. 2 and Notre Dame jumped two places at No. 3. One-loss Ohio State grabbed the No. 4 spot and Indiana rounds out the top five.
Up next for Florida is No. 8 Texas in Austin. The Longhorns will be highly motivated to upend UF after slipping seven spots following its loss to Oklahoma this past Saturday.
Despite already matching last season's win total, the two-week collapse puts Sumrall under a microscope. The run game has fallen off a cliff in the last two outings with the Gators amassing just 162 yards in two games after putting up 300-plus against Ole Miss.
The key to Florida's return to relevance is to find success on the ground and get star running back Jadan Baugh going again.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida plummets in CBS Sports' college football re-rank after Week 6
