Florida entered Week 5 riding high. It was at No. 8 in the Coaches Poll, and there was hope of a College Football Playoff run.
Then the Gators went into Columbia and got a serious reality check from Missouri in the form of a 45-17 loss. Jadan Baugh, a Heisman Trophy contender just days ago, rushed for 13 yards on 12 carries. Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons dismantled the Florida secondary for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
As a result of that lopsided loss, the Gators tumbled down to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll. The Tigers, meanwhile, flew up to No. 16, where they inexplicably remain behind Florida.
Another team that came back to Earth a bit was Mississippi State, which got a taste of the SEC's elite tier in a 56-23 loss to Alabama. Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs are still ranked at No. 20, but some of the shine has worn off after that disappointing showing at home.
Elsewhere, Iowa slipped to No. 18 with its loss to Ohio State, and Kentucky joined the party after surviving an overtime thriller against South Carolina.
Week 5 Coaches Poll
- Texas (45)
- Georgia (20)
- Notre Dame (1)
- Miami
- Indiana (8)
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- BYU
- Texas Tech
- LSU
- Ole Miss
- Utah
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Missouri
- USC
- Iowa
- Houston
- Mississippi State
- SMU
- UCLA
- Duke
- Pittsburgh
- Kentucky
Schools Dropped Out
No. 22 Penn State; No. 24 Michigan
Others Receiving Votes
Oklahoma State 187; Boise State 161; Nebraska 117; Wake Forest 87; Northwestern 70; Wisconsin 47; James Madison 42; Minnesota 40; North Dakota State 29; Arizona 15; New Mexico 7; Baylor 3; Virginia Tech 1; Texas A&M 1; Kansas State 1
