Coaches Poll makes bizarre ranking decisions for Mizzou, Florida after bye week
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The Coaches Poll was revealed on Sunday afternoon as it always is, as the teams that fought hard on the gridiron during Week 8 found out where the new poll put them after winning — or losing.
But what about a couple of SEC teams who didn’t even play? Florida and Mizzou enjoyed bye weeks during Week 8, as the Gators and Tigers tried to get healthy in the meantime before getting back to action in Week 9.
Both Florida and Mizzou were ranked going into Week 8, and sometimes the results of other games impact the new ranking for a team that was on a bye. But what the Tigers and Gators saw for their new Coaches Poll ranking — and AP ranking, for that matter — had to leave both teams doing a little head-scratching.
Especially Mizzou, which fell 2 spots from No. 21 to No. 23 in the brand-new Coaches Poll. If that seemed a little harsh for the Tigers since they didn’t even play, consider what happened with Florida in said Coaches Poll. The Gators rose a whopping 4 spots in the new rankings, from No. 24 to No. 20, which might seem a little extreme to some who are also looking at Mizzou being bumped down a couple spots.
That type of movement for the Tigers and Gators, despite both being on byes, left quite a swing. Mizzou was 3 spots ahead of Florida coming into Week 8, and despite both not playing, the Gators now enter Week 9 3 spots ahead of the Tigers, so it was a complete flip for both teams in the Coaches Poll.
But the Coaches Poll wasn’t the only one that had to leave Mizzou scratching its head. Florida also got the royal treatment from the AP voters, moving up 3 spots to No. 17. Meanwhile, Mizzou got the opposite treatment, again, dropping 1 spot to No. 23 in the new AP poll.
Some caught on to the whole Mizzou-Florida ranking dynamic. Like Calum McAndrew, who covers the Tigers for the Columbia Tribune, who posted this quip along with the updated Coaches Poll rankings showing the curious movement for Mizzou and Florida:
“Florida has better bye week than Mizzou, say the coaches,” McAndrew wrote on his social media account.
The rankings are one thing in late October. For Mizzou and Florida, it all comes down to winning or losing on the field as they chase an SEC title. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to capture that conference championship trophy in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
