standard_democrat
A week after climbing to its highest ranking in four years, Florida faces a potential tumble in the Associated Press Top 25 when the new poll is unveiled Sunday. The No. 8 Gators were dismantled 45-17 at No. 25 Missouri on a Saturday when most ranked teams handled their business with little drama.
Florida had surged from No. 21 to No. 8 after a 4-0 start that included a 52-28 thumping of a Mississippi team then ranked in the top five. But the Gators unraveled in Columbia, as Missouri's defense limited star running back Jadan Baugh to a mere 13 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile, quarterback Austin Simmons orchestrated an offense that amassed 560 yards, positioning the Tigers for a significant leap in the rankings.
No. 8 Alabama delivered a 56-23 road beatdown of No. 16 Mississippi State, yet with all seven teams ahead of the Crimson Tide winning, advancement seems improbable.
No. 1 Texas was idle, while No. 2 Georgia and the rest of the top five emerged victorious. However, a few winning teams could slide if voters were unimpressed by their performances.
No. 3 Notre Dame won 37-26 at North Carolina but led only 21-20 shortly after halftime. No. 10 BYU lost star running back LJ Martin to injury in the first half, managed just 216 total yards, and didn't secure a 17-10 road win over TCU until late. No. 12 Texas Tech held a slim 12-7 lead over Colorado entering the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 29-7 road victory. No. 21 SMU defeated Boston College 25-16 at home but rushed for only 58 yards against the nation's 115th-ranked run defense and benefited from a dropped pass that led to a turnover on downs inside the SMU 10 early in the fourth quarter.
Key Analysis
Teams that could enter the Top 25 conversation include Pittsburgh, now 5-0 after a 35-33 win over Virginia Tech; Wisconsin, 4-1 following a 31-3 victory over Michigan State; Wake Forest, 4-1 after a 57-3 rout of Stanford; and Duke, which is 4-0 and was idle Saturday.
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Originally reported by standard_democrat.