Florida’s loss at Missouri did more than end its unbeaten start. It also sent the Gators tumbling down The Athletic’s SEC vibes rankings.
The Gators fell from No. 1 to No. 7 in Seth Emerson’s Week 5 rankings after a 45-17 loss at Missouri, their first defeat under Jon Sumrall. Florida had climbed from No. 7 in Week 1 to No. 10 in Week 2, No. 2 in Week 3 and finally No. 1 after a 52-28 win over Ole Miss.
Missouri made the opposite move after handing Florida its first loss, jumping five spots from No. 7 to No. 2. Kentucky took over the top spot after a 35-34 road win over South Carolina, rising all the way from No. 9.
Emerson did not spend much time dissecting Florida’s tumble.
"Well, things happen," he wrote, adding a social media post of Missouri
fans doing the Chomp with the score already out of hand.
That was his entire Florida entry after the Gators surrendered 560 yards and lost by 28 points in Columbia. Florida is now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play with South Carolina coming to Gainesville next.
Florida’s six-spot drop was the largest fall of any team in the rankings, while Kentucky’s eight-position rise was the biggest jump. Mississippi State also fell six spots after a 56-23 loss to Alabama.
The rankings aren't meant to measure which SEC team is best. Emerson describes them as a subjective look at momentum, expectations and the overall feeling surrounding each program.
For Florida, those vibes changed quickly. The Gators went from the conference’s hottest team after beating Ole Miss to trying to prove the Missouri loss was an aberration rather than the beginning of a slide.
The Athletic’s SEC vibes rankings after Week 5
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida plummets in SEC vibes rankings after Missouri loss
