Florida took care of business this week, beating both Mississippi State and Georgia, but the USA TODAY Coaches Poll voters didn’t show the Gators any love in the latest update.
Perhaps blowing a 20-point lead with 10 minutes left at home soured the voters, but the truth is that the Orange and Blue have found it hard to garner any support for most of the year. Florida has come short in all six of its Quadrant 1 games this year. Voters need to see a signature win to warrant a spot in the top 25 and plenty of other teams in the country.
Still, it seems odd that Florida winds up with no votes most weeks. The Gators are 14-0 against Q2, Q3 and Q4 opponents, meaning they are undoubtedly on the bubble of the country’s top 30 or so teams.
With only 12 games left in the regular season, Florida is running out of opportunities to prove itself to the voters. Wednesday’s matchup against Kentucky is another Q1 battle, but the Gators have struggled on the road under Todd Golden.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports: