Florida fell four spots to No. 28 in the ESPN Football Power Index after a 20-10 loss to the LSU Tigers in Week 3. Despite suffering a pair of ugly defeats in the last two weeks, the Gators remain just outside the top 25.
DJ Lagway’s five interceptions doomed the offense, as did six offensive penalties. One holding call brought back an early 87-yard touchdown from Jadan Baugh. Instead of the momentum shifting fully in favor of Florida with a 10-0 lead, LSU took a 10-3 lead over the next two drives
Despite Lagway’s turnovers piling up, the defense did a nice job forcing LSU to punt seven times and keep the game close. Had the Baugh touchdown gone through, it’s a three-point game. Things won’t get any easier for Florida moving forward. The Gators head to Miami for a battle with the fourth-ranked Hurricanes before a bye, and then it’s No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Texas A&M in back-to-back weeks.
Where Florida football ranks in ESPN’s FPI
Last week’s FPI rankings had the Gators ranked 24th in the nation — down 12 spots from a No. 12 ranking in Week 1. They were ranked 18th to start the season. Florida sits one spot below its rival, Florida State, in the rankings but remains immediately ahead of programs such as No. 29 Washington and No. 30 Clemson.
FPI predicts a 4.2-7.8 regular-season record along with an obvious 0% chance of winning out. It gives Florida a 16.9% chance of reaching the six-win mark — down considerably from 41.9% a week ago — and a 0.1% chance of taking the SEC title.
The chances of making the College Football Playoff dropped 4.7% to 0.6%, and the odds of making the national championship game have dropped to zero.
Football Power Index top 25 rankings after Week 3
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida drops four spots in Week 3 Football Power Index rankings
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
