An early slip during the 2025 schedule may have doomed the Florida football program this fall, but there are still 10 games left on the regular season’s slate.
Nonetheless, an 18-16 loss to the USF Bulls inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during Week 2 certainly stuck a dagger in the hearts of Billy Napier and his crew. Already facing the toughest slate of games among FBS schools, the Gators enter the gauntlet next weekend when they travel to Baton Rouge to face the third-ranked LSU Tigers.
Subpar play from quarterback DJ Lagway, along with poor playcalling from the sidelines and discipline issues once again rearing their ugly head, all contributed to Florida’s failure against USF. For the Gator Nation, things are looking pretty grim just one week into September.
There is, however, one silver lining entering Week 3 — the Orange and Blue remain among the top 25 teams in ESPN’s Football Power Index rankings.
Where Florida football ranks in ESPN’s FPI
Last week’s FPI rankings had the Gators ranked 12th in the nation – up one spot from their previous ranking after Week 1 and a six-spot improvement over their preseason position. Following Week 2’s loss, Napier and Co. fell 12 spots to No. 24 overall, nestled between the No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 25 Illinois Illini.
FPI predicts a 5.2-6.8 regular-season record along with an obvious 0% chance of winning out. It gives Florida a 41.9% chance of reaching the six-win mark and a microscopic 0.6% chance of taking the SEC title.
The chances of making the College Football Playoff fell precipitously to 4.7%, with just a 0.3% chance of making the national championship game and a 0.1% chance of winning the big trophy.
Football Power Index top 25 rankings after Week 2
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida barely holds on in Football Power Index rankings after Week 2 loss to USF
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
