.png)
||
After their 38-6 win over South Carolina, the Florida Gators sit at No. 28 in ESPN’s latest SP+ rankings, per Bill Connelly. They came in at No. 37 last week.
Connelly developed the SP+ ranking system in 2008 and, in his own words, is “a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” and “intended to be predictive and forward-facing.”
The offensive metric is much kinder to the Orange and Blue than the defensive metric. Offensively, the Gators are the 21st-best team in SP+, with a rating of 37.8. Defensively, Florida is the 69th-best team in SP+, with a rating of 27.7. Not so nice.
The stark difference in the rating properly explains the Orange and Blue’s season thus far. Offensively, the Gators are one of the best rushing teams in the nation. Their three-headed monster of Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Anthony Richardson rushes behind a talented offensive line led by O'Cyrus Torrence, a potential first-round draft pick in next year’s draft.
While Florida’s defensive ranking isn’t the best, it has seen drastic improvements since the start of the season. It seems the electric 3rd quarter against Georgia woke up Patrick Toney’s side of the ball. They have not allowed a defensive score in six straight quarters, and their pass rush has significantly improved since the dismissal of Brenton Cox Jr. from the team after the Georgia game.
Of the Gators’ two remaining opponents, only Florida State (No. 19) is ranked higher in SP+. Vanderbilt comes in at No. 88.
Before the Florida State game, the Gators have to get past Vanderbilt in their final SEC game of the year. That game will be played Saturday in Nashville, with kickoff scheduled for noon EST and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!
||--------------------------------
By: Sergio De La Espriella
Title: Florida leap in ESPN's latest SP+ rankings after Week 11
Sourced From: gatorswire.usatoday.com/2022/11/17/florida-football-rankings-espn-sp-plus-week-11/
Published Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:52:10 +0000
