A brutal SEC slate featuring Ole Miss, Texas, and Georgia will soon prove if these Florida Gators are legitimate.
Absolutely no one expected the Florida Gators to be ranked No. 21 after the first three games of the year.
This team had easy non-conference games lined up against Florida Atlantic and Campbell, but then things picked up in a big way against Auburn.
Suddenly, a 44-39 win over the Tigers has given Jon Sumrall his first AP Top 25 ranking with the Gators.
It's been quite the ride he's had with Florida, but here in 2026, everything has come together.
That said, it's still a bit too soon to go all-in on this team. Sure, the Gators have the second most points scored in the SEC, but their schedule has been a cakewalk to this point when looking at what's to come.
The Auburn win was a big statement, no doubt, but things are going to get extremely interesting on Saturday, Sept. 26, when No. 4 Ole Miss comes to town.
From there, they're expected to face three more ranked teams this season, and that includes a brutal two-game stretch from Oct. 17-31 when they head to No. 1 Texas and then face No. 2 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
This Florida team is still relatively unproven
Coming off a 4-8 season, it was incredible to see Florida go to Jordan-Hare Stadium and take down the Tigers. It could've been their season-defining win, but only time will tell as they have plenty of other chances to make a statement this season.
Making a bowl game would be a huge improvement for the Gators this season, but now, their sights are set much higher. A win against Ole Miss would do wonders for the direction of this program, especially knowing they head straight into another projected ranked matchup on Oct. 3 at No. 19 Missouri.
AP voters are going to quickly be able to tell how legit this Florida team truly is. Heading into the Ole Miss game with the No. 21 attached to their name is a confidence booster, but Sumrall and Co. can't let this get to their head.
Quarterback Aaron Philo wasn't perfect against Auburn, far from it, but Jadan Baugh proved why he's one of the best running backs in the entire country.
Ole Miss is no stranger to getting into a shootout this year. They did it in Week 1 against No. 24 Louisville (41-38), and they just allowed 24 points against No. 7 LSU. Whether or not Florida can score that much against the Rebels remains to be seen, but a loss almost certainly pushes them out of the Top 25 altogether.
