Florida cracks CBS Sports' power rankings after Week 1 win

Florida football opened up the 2026 campaign with a 45-point victory over the FAU Owls in the Swamp last Saturday. The victory made Jon Sumrall the ninth-straight head coach to win his debut for the Gators — a streak that stretches back to 1978.

Following the conclusion of Week 1's schedule, CBS Sports writer Brandon Marcello published his first college football power rankings of the regular season, with the Gators making an appearance at No. 23 after being left off the preseason list.

"Maybe Jon Sumrall is the new Steve Spurrier," Marcello begins. "Florida defeated FAU 66-21, the most points scored by the Gators against an FBS team since 2001. Jadan Baugh was exceptional, picking up where he left off last season, running for 160 yards and three TDs on only 14 carries. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo threw three TDs and scored on the ground."

Marcello should probably tap on the brakes when it comes to comparing Sumrall to Spurrier, but the results from the season opener are no doubt encouraging to the Gator Nation. A great deal of credit also goes to offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who is the mastermind behind Florida's revamped approach.

After the SEC went undefeated in Week 1 for the first time since 1997, the conference boasts 10 teams among the top 25, headlined by third-ranked LSU, who routed Clemson in Baton Rouge, along with Texas (No. 5), Georgia (No. 6) and Ole Miss (No. 10) among the top 10. The rest of the league's power rankings representatives consist of Oklahoma (No. 11), Alabama (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 14), Tennessee (No. 16), Missouri (No. 18) and Florida (No. 23).

CBS Sports Week 1 College Football Power Rankings