Predicting where every Florida Gators opponent will be ranked on game day in 2026

Florida enters the 2026 season unranked in the AP preseason top 25 poll. If things go well, the Gators should move up in the polls, and you could argue that the expectation in 2026 is that Florida should finish ranked.

But much like Gator fans have high hopes, everyone else on Florida's schedule is probably thinking the same thing. So we are going to look at every game Florida plays in 2026 and predict whether or not that respective team is going to be ranked higher or lower compared to its preseason ranking by the time Florida plays them.

Projecting the ranking of Florida opponents in 2026

Florida Atlantic⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked

Game against Florida: September 5/Week 1

Schedule before playing Florida: None — Florida is FAU’s season opener.

The odds of FAU getting a single vote in the top 25 this season are low. The Owls are coming off a 4-8 season, so there is not only zero shock that they aren't ranked; there is minimal chance they ever will be.

Campbell⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked

Game against Florida: September 12/Week 2

Schedule before playing Florida:

• August 29: at East Tennessee State
• September 5: vs. Western Carolina

Much like FAU, the Camels of Campbell were terrible in 2025, going 2-10 in the FCS. Even if Campbell somehow wins their first two games, there is no chance they get ranked even in the FCS ahead of playing Florida.

Auburn⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked (Receiving votes)

Game against Florida: September 19/Week 3

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Baylor in Atlanta
• September 12: vs. Southern Miss

Given Auburn's schedule, there is no chance they will be ranked prior to playing Florida, but if they beat Baylor in their opener, they should get an uptick in votes ahead of taking on the Gators.

Ole Miss⁠

Preseason ranking: No. 9

Game against Florida: September 26/Week 4

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 6: vs. Louisville in Nashville
• September 12: vs. Charlotte
• September 19: vs. LSU

Ole Miss is one of these teams we don't trust heading into 2026, and their preseason No. 9 ranking feels too high. With that said, they should handle Louisville and UNC Charlotte before they take part in the Lane Kiffin Bowl. If forced to choose right now, we would pick LSU in that game, and thus we anticipate Ole Miss being ranked lower than No. 9 when they face Florida.

Missouri⁠

Preseason ranking: No. 25

Game against Florida: October 3/Week 5

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 3: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• September 11: at Kansas
• September 19: vs. Troy
• September 26: at Mississippi State

Do we think Missouri is good? No, no we don't. But they are starting out at No. 25, and in classic Missouri fashion, they have a super soft schedule before taking on Florida. Let's put it this way: if the Gators had Missouri's first four games and didn't go 4-0, we would have questions. So by default, Missouri will probably be higher than No. 25 when they face Florida.

South Carolina⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked (Receiving votes)

Game against Florida: October 10/Week 6

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Kent State
• September 12: vs. Towson
• September 19: vs. Mississippi State
• September 26: at Alabama
• October 3: vs. Kentucky

The Gamecocks are coming into the 2026 campaign with a ton of question marks, and it is surprising they got enough votes to essentially be No. 32. Considering we have painted the game against Florida as Shane Beamer's potential swan song with South Carolina, we think they are going to be lower than that.

Texas⁠

Preseason ranking: No. 5

Game against Florida: October 17/Week 7

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Texas State
• September 12: vs. Ohio State
• September 19: vs. UTSA
• September 26: at Tennessee
• October 10: vs. Oklahoma in Dallas

After spending the entire offseason whining about missing the playoffs despite losing to Florida, the Longhorns come in at No. 5. What gets overlooked in the Texas conversation is that they had several other games they escaped in 2025. Combined with a tough schedule prior to playing Florida, we think they will be lower than No. 5 when the Gators travel to Austin.

Georgia⁠

Preseason ranking: No. 3

Game against Florida: October 31/Week 9

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Tennessee State
• September 12: vs. Western Kentucky
• September 19: at Arkansas
• September 26: vs. Oklahoma
• October 3: vs. Vanderbilt
• October 10: at Alabama
• October 17: vs. Auburn

Georgia will have a couple of tests before taking on Florida in Atlanta this year, but it is an otherwise manageable schedule that they should have no more than one loss before the game against the Gators. They probably will maintain near their No. 3 ranking heading into the Halloween matchup.

Oklahoma⁠

Preseason ranking: No. 10

Game against Florida: November 7/Week 10

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 4: vs. UTEP
• September 12: at Michigan
• September 19: vs. New Mexico
• September 26: at Georgia
• October 10: vs. Texas in Dallas
• October 17: vs. Kentucky
• October 24: at Mississippi State
• October 31: vs. South Carolina

Oklahoma is another one that is hard to project heading into this season because one has to decide whether or not last year was a fluke. Even if they go 1-2 against Michigan, Georgia, and Texas and win everything else, that would put them at 6-2 when they come to The Swamp. We are going to say Oklahoma is right around No. 10 when they play Florida.

Kentucky⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked

Game against Florida: November 14/Week 11

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Youngstown State
• September 12: vs. Alabama
• September 19: at Texas A&M
• September 26: vs. South Alabama
• October 3: at South Carolina
• October 10: vs. LSU
• October 17: at Oklahoma
• October 24: vs. Vanderbilt
• November 7: at Tennessee

Even if Kentucky is an improved team in 2026 under first-year coach Will Stein, their schedule does them no favors in trying to gain momentum. They might be able to sneak into the receiving votes category, but we don't see them beingranked ahead of facing Florida.

Vanderbilt⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked

Game against Florida: November 21/Week 12

Schedule before playing Florida:

• September 5: vs. Austin Peay
• September 12: vs. Delaware
• September 19: vs. NC State
• September 26: at Auburn
• October 3: at Georgia
• October 10: vs. Ole Miss
• October 17: vs. Arkansas
• October 24: at Kentucky
• November 7: at Mississippi State
• November 14: vs. Alabama

On the flip side of Kentucky, Vanderbilt feels like they have a manageable enough schedule that it wouldn't shock us if they were 6-3 when they travel to The Swamp, and if they can pick off one of Georgia, Ole Miss, or Alabama, they could be 7-2. We are going to put Vanderbilt in the category of possibly being ranked.

Florida State⁠

Preseason ranking: Unranked

Game against Florida: November 27/Week 13

Schedule before playing Florida:

• August 29: vs. New Mexico State
• September 7: vs. SMU
• September 19: at Alabama
• September 26: vs. Central Arkansas
• October 3: vs. Virginia
• October 9: at Louisville
• October 17: at Miami
• October 31: vs. Clemson
• November 7: at Boston College
• November 13: at Pitt
• November 21: vs. NC State

The way FSU's schedule is set up, they could actually sneak into the rankings early in the season. But given the back half of their schedule, they could enter a free fall ahead of the season finale, and this year's game could be Mike Norvell's last dance. We do not anticipate FSU being ranked when they play Florida.

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