Second half collapse vs. Ole Miss sends Gators down a spot in SEC vibe rankings
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Florida was on the cusp of shooting up the SEC vibe rankings, leading Ole Miss, 24-20, entering the fourth quarter on Saturday, but the Rebels pulled off the win and sent the Gators down a spot to No. 14 in The Athletic’s weekly update.
Seth Emerson, who puts together the list each week, treated the loss as a three-act play.
“Start of the week and game: We want to beat Lane Kiffin so he may be out of the Playoff and we can hire him, but ha ha, that won’t happen,” Emerson wrote.
“Halftime of the game: Wait, actually …
“End of game: OK, it’s our fault for getting our hopes up. How did Missouri do today?”
Nearly every Florida fan who tuned into Saturday’s game went through this swing of emotions. It articulates one of the underlying facts that’s made this season so miserable: The Gators have the talent to compete for a College Football Playoff berth, but will instead miss a bowl game entirely.
Shakespearean levels of depression and disappointment aren’t an overstatement. They are a reality for the Orange and Blue.
Still, there’s room to move back up the rankings, especially with Lane Kiffin receiving an ultimatum from Ole Miss this week. The prospect of hiring the next Steve Spurrier has kept fans from losing all hope.
Even with a win over Florida, Mississippi’s front office seems scared Kiffin will jump ship. He’s the only one who took DJ Lagway and UF seriously, and he nearly predicted the upset. There are legs under these coaching rumors, even if things remain fluid. Obviously, getting a commitment from Kiffin would do wonders for the Gators’ morale.
The other way Florida moves up the rankings is with an upset (or two) against rival schools. Tennessee is up next and hasn’t been at its best. Beating the Volunteers in what will be the last annual game between the two gives the Gators bragging rights for at least a year, and likely more. Florida’s permanent SEC opponents are Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina, starting next year.
Beating Florida State in the season finale also ends things on a positive note, even if both teams are struggling.
The Athletic’s Week 12 SEC vibes rankings
| Ranking | Team | Record | Week 3 Result | Change |
| 1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 9-1 (7-1) | 35-10 W vs. Texas | +2 |
| 2 | Oklahoma Sooners | 8-2 (4-2) | 23-21 W at Alabama | +5 |
| 3 | Texas A&M Aggies | 10-0 (7-0) | 41-21 W at Mississippi State | -2 |
| 4 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 8-2 (4-2) | BYE | -2 |
| 5 | Ole Miss Rebels | 10-1 (6-1) | 34-24 W vs. florida | — |
| 6 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 8-2 (6-1) | 23-21 vs. OKlahoma | -2 |
| 7 | Missouri Tigers | 7-3 (3-3) | 49-27 W vs. Mississippi St. | +2 |
| 8 | Tennessee Volunteers | 7-3 (3-3) | 42-9 W vs. New Mexico State | — |
| 9 | Kentucky Wildcats | 5-5 (2-5) | 42-10 W vs. Tennessee Tech | +3 |
| 10 | Texas Longhorns | 7-3 (4-2) | 35-10 L at Georgia | -4 |
| 11 | Auburn Tigers | 4-6 (1-5) | BYE | — |
| 12 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 5-6 (1-6) | 4-27 L at Missouri | -2 |
| 13 | LSU Tigers | 5-4 (2-4) | 23-22 W vs. Arkansas | +2 |
| 14 | Florida Gators | 3-7 (2-5) | 34-24 L at Ole Miss | -1 |
| 15 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 2-8 (0-6) | 23-22 L at LSU | +1 |
| 16 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 3-7 (1-7) | 31-30 L at Texas A&M | -2 |
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football SEC vibe rankings Week 12
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