After their 45-38 defeat to Florida State, the Florida Gators sit at No. 34 in ESPN's latest SP+ rankings, per Bill Connelly.
Connelly developed the SP+ ranking system in 2008 and, in his own words, is "a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency" and "intended to be predictive and forward-facing."
The offensive metric is much kinder to the Orange and Blue than the defensive metric. Offensively, the Gators are the 15th-best team in SP+, with a rating of 39.6. Defensively, Florida is the 78th-best team in SP+, with a rating of 29.5. Not so nice.
The stark difference in the rating properly explains the Orange and Blue's regular season. Offensively, the Gators were one of the best rushing teams in the nation. Their three-headed monster of Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Anthony Richardson did their jobs behind a talented offensive line led by O'Cyrus Torrence, a potential first-round draft pick in next year's draft.
Florida's defensive ranking accurately represents the journey the unit took over the course of the season. Sometimes, the defense looked lost and confused. Other times, the defense was locked in and determined to get off the field. They even recorded at least one turnover in all twelve games this season
Now that the regular season is over, the Gators will wait to find out who they will play in their bowl game. On Sunday, the College Football Playoffs selection show will announce the four teams that will participate in the playoff. Then, they will announce the pairings for the New Year's Six bowl games. The individual bowl teams will then announce their matchups throughout the evening.
Related
Florida drops in The Athletic's FBS team rankings after regular season
Gators earn an On3 commitment prediction for this 4-star RB
Gators drop again in USA TODAY Sports' post-season re-rank
USA TODAY Sports' bowl projections has Gators playing a familiar in-state foe
Gators make the cut for this 2024 4-star DB, January decision date set
List
Good, Bad and Ugly: Gators Wire looks back on Florida's loss to FSU
List
Florida finishes regular season unranked in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
List
Saturday Hash: Breaking down Florida's season-ending loss to FSU
List
Florida falls to FSU for the first time in four years, finishes season 6-6
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!
Story originally appeared on Gators Wire
