Florida headed back down SEC vibe rankings after loss to Kentucky

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Florida's embarrassing loss to Kentucky in Week 11 erased whatever goodwill came after firing head coach Billy Napier, but the Gators aren't quite at the bottom of this week's SEC vibe rankings from The Athletic.

Seth Emerson, who puts together the list weekly, argues that the program is still better than it was with Napier, even if the score was laughable on Saturday.

"Bleh. Just … bleh," Emerson wrote. "The excitement of coaching search possibilities still has the Gators’ program vibes in a better spot than a few weeks ago. But what happens on the field still matters a little, and that might have been the ugliest Gator result in years, which is saying something. Bleh."

The only other game in the Napier era that compares is the bowl loss to Oregon State in 2022, when Florida fans cheered a 30-3 loss because it meant that the streak of consecutive games with a score didn't come to an end. The only other game in the Napier era in which the Gators scored single digits came earlier this year in a 26-7 loss to Miami.

The hope that the next coach will right the ship is enough to keep Florida out of the cellar, but things still feel pretty grim in Gainesville. To become bowl eligible, the Gators must win out. With Ole Miss and Tennessee up next on the schedule, the odds of moving back up this list are slim.

The Athletic's Week 11 SEC vibes rankings

RankingTeamRecordWeek 3 ResultChange
1Texas A&M Aggies9-0 (6-0)38-17 W at Missouri
2Vanderbilt Commodores8-2 (4-2)45-38 W (OT) vs. Auburn+4
3Georgia Bulldogs8-1 (6-1)41-21 W at Mississippi State+1
4Alabama Crimson Tide8-1 (6-0)20-9 W vs. LSU-2
5Ole Miss Rebels9-1 (5-1)49-0 W vs. The Citadel-2
6Texas Longhorns7-2 (4-1)BYE-1
7Oklahoma Sooners7-2 (3-2)BYE
8Tennessee Volunteers6-3 (3-3)BYE+2
9Missouri Tigers6-3 (2-3)38-17 L vs. Texas A&M
10Mississippi State Bulldogs5-5 (1-5)41-21 L vs. Georgia-2
11Auburn Tigers4-6 (1-5)45-38 L (OT) at Vanderbilt+4
12Kentucky Wildcats4-5 (2-5)38-7 W vs. Florida+2
13Florida Gators3-6 (2-4)38-7 L at Kentucky-2
14South Carolina Gamecocks3-6 (1-6)BYE-2
15LSU Tigers5-4 (2-4)20-9 L at Alabama+1
16Arkansas Razorbacks2-7 (0-5)BYE-3

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football Week 11 SEC vibe rankings The Athletic

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