College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 7
By Zach Bigalke
Florida’s balanced offense and lockdown defense allowed the Gators to finish their first half of the season at 5-1. Jim McElwain’s defense flustered the Tigers’ passing attack, as Drew Lock and Marvin Zanders combined for fewer than 100 yards and two interceptions (both Lock’s). Luke Del Rio wasn’t much better, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and tossing three picks by himself. But the Florida quarterback also threw for 236 yards and a score, offsetting the bad with the good. Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett both rushed for over 100 yards in the win.
The Gators are still in the thick of the SEC East race thanks to Tennessee’s past two losses to Texas A&M and Alabama. The Gators have next weekend off before the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville against rival Georgia. November opens with a trip to Fayetteville to face Arkansas. Florida’s last home game comes against South Carolina, thanks to their make-up game against LSU being moved to Baton Rouge. As a result the Gators lose FCS Presbyterian on their schedule, reducing their regular season to 11 games but bolstering overall strength of schedule.