When the SEC preseason poll came out, the Gators were slotted in at No. 9 for the 2026 season. Combined with starting off the year unranked in both the AP poll and the Coaches poll, voters don’t have a high ceiling for Florida in 2026.
But when we dive into Florida’s actual schedule and cross-reference it with what the rest of the SEC has, there is a pathway for Florida to improve on its 9th-place prediction within the SEC.
Florida should finish top half of the SEC in 2026
We have covered Florida’s schedule at length, and there are tiers to it. There are the “big four” they have to play (Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma), where most would consider Florida an underdog. In contrast, the Gators should be considered favorites against their other five opponents (Auburn, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt).
Simply being a favorite or an underdog doesn’t guarantee victory or defeat. Still, there is a feeling that Florida’s roster should be better than the “other five,” on par with Oklahoma and Ole Miss, and only clearly worse than Texas and Georgia…