Gators Enter Bye Week at No. 7 in the AP Top 25

The Gators remain ahead of their next opponent, the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs.

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Gators enter their second bye week of the 2019 season unlike their first: With a boost in the rankings after a win.

The Gators (7-1, 4-1 SEC) have moved up to No. 7 in the AP Top 25, jumping two spots from their ninth-ranked spot prior to their 38-27 victory over South Carolina (3-4, 2-3 SEC) in Columbia.

Florida stands ahead of their next opponent, the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1 SEC), and the annual matchup in Jacksonville will likely be Florida's third Top 10 game this season. Georgia shut out the Kentucky Wildcats (3-4, 1-4 SEC) at home, 21-0, but the game was tied at halftime as Georgia struggled to move the ball.

The SEC is represented in the poll by No. 1 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC), No. 2 LSU (7-0, 3-0 SEC), and No. 9 Auburn (6-1, 3-1 SEC) - occupying half of the top 10 spots. Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), and Missouri (5-2, 2-1 SEC) received votes.

Entering their first of three bye weeks this year, Florida dropped from their No. 8 preseason ranking to No. 11, despite beating the Miami Hurricanes (3-4, 1-3 ACC) by a score of 24-20 at a neutral site of Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. No such rankings drop happened this time around.

The fate of Florida's 2019 season could lie ahead in Jacksonville, as the winner of Florida vs. Georgia will gain plenty of momentum to march towards winning the SEC East and advancing to Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Granted, Georgia has quite the schedule following the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and Florida could still contend after a loss, but a win for the Gators would likely seal the race.