About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida football sustained its third loss of the 2026 campaign on Saturday when the Georgia Bulldogs earned a definitive 27-8 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As a result of the Week 9 defeat, the Gators lost some ground in ESPN's Football Power Index , but still remain among the top 25 teams in the nation.
The FPI measures team strength and is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance for the rest of the season; it shows how many points above or below average a team is. Each team is assigned a rating that measures its true strength on a net-points scale, as well as its expected point margin against an average opponent on a neutral field.
Projected results are based on 20,000 season simulations using FPI and the schedule. Take a look at how Florida's numbers shake out after Week 8's gridiron action.
Florida fell five spots to No. 22 in ESPN's FPI rankings after the Week 9 loss, and its rating dropped by 0.6 points to 13.9. Sumrall and Co. now sit between No. 21 Iowa (13.9) and No. 23 Texas A&M (13.6) in the standings.
The FPI now projects the Gators to finish this fall's regular-season schedule with a 7.6-4.4 record — a change of 0.1 wins — and a much improved 14.5% chance of winning out. Florida's chances of finishing with six wins remain at a near-certain 98.8%, while the odds of winning the conference fell by 1.7% to 0.8%.
The Gators' chance of making the College Football Playoff declined from 16.6% to 11.0%, along with a 0.4% chance of reaching the national championship game (down 0.5%) and a 0.1% chance of bringing home the title (down 0.2%).
Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall speaks with Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart prior to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier (3) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Florida Gators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) carries the ball as Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) defends during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) defends as Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) carries the ball during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators tight end Lacota Dippre (17) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Justin Williams (83) carries the ball as Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Chris Cole (9), defensive back KJ Bolden (4) and defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (1) makes the tackle during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Bailey Stockton (3) catches a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Bailey Stockton (3) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) breaks up the pass intended for Florida Gators wide receiver Jaden Edgecombe (23) during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall speaks with Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart prior to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall speaks with Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart prior to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 2 / 11 Final score, recap and analysis from Florida's rough loss to Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier (3) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Florida Gators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) carries the ball as Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) defends during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 4 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) defends as Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) carries the ball during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 5 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 6 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators tight end Lacota Dippre (17) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 7 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Justin Williams (83) carries the ball as Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Chris Cole (9), defensive back KJ Bolden (4) and defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (1) makes the tackle during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 8 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 9 / 11 DJ Coleman, Bailey Stockton react to Florida's loss to Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Bailey Stockton (3) catches a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 10 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Bailey Stockton (3) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 11 / 11 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida's 2026 rivalry game vs Georgia Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida Gators safety DJ Coleman (33) breaks up the pass intended for Florida Gators wide receiver Jaden Edgecombe (23) during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images (Dale Zanine, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Football Power Index top 25 rankings after Week 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida falls in Football Power Index after Georgia loss, still in top 25
Source: Sports
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