Florida football’s season-opening shutout didn’t cause a big shake-up in the national conversation, but it did confirm that the Gators are on steady ground.
In The Athletic’s updated SEC vibes rankings, Seth Emerson kept Florida locked in at No. 9, the same spot the Orange and Blue held going into Week 1.
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That might sound like faint praise after a 55-0 win (UF’s highest points total under Billy Napier), but it reflects the reality of Florida’s early-season situation. The Gators did what they were supposed to do against Long Island, but their real test comes over the next few weeks.
USF, LSU, Miami and Texas are all looming, and the results of those matchups will determine whether the vibes around Napier’s program rise or fall.
With a brutal stretch of games on deck, Florida will have a chance to climb higher in the rankings—or risk slipping if the pressure proves too much.
Emerson made it clear that September will be the defining month for the Gators. Here is everything he wrote about the Orange and Blue.
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What The Athletic said about Florida football
“The Gators did what they needed, but also watched their next two opponents — South Florida and LSU — get big wins. After the trip to Baton Rouge comes games at Miami, vs. Texas, at Texas A&M … Billy Napier would be justified in asking his bosses for a pre-emptive vote of confidence now.”
The Athletic’s top five SEC vibes rankings
At the top of the rankings, the LSU Tigers surged to No. 1 after beating Clemson, South Carolina climbed to No. 2 and Tennessee rounded out the top three following a dominant win over Syracuse. Auburn came in at No. 4 while the Vanderbilt Commodores were slotted at No. 5.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: The Athletic’s SEC vibes rankings: Florida football’s spot in Week 2
