7. Florida (16-2)
Before the season, many expected Florida to have a say in the SEC race and they proved that by going 13-0 to start the year. You could make an argument about the weakness of that opening schedule, but the Gators disproved any claims of weakness with that 30-point win against Tennessee last week. With all of this in mind, what exactly would Florida show us this week?
The opening statement was a major dud, as the Gators were upset 83-82 on their homecourt by Missouri on Tuesday night. Another dreadful defensive showing cost Florida, who got 28 points from Walter Clayton Jr. but fell short against the Tigers. They managed to shake off those cobwebs over the weekend, winning 84-60 in a solid game over Texas. Alijah Martin scored 22 points while Clayton added 19 in a much better effort on both sides of the ball.
That effort against Missouri was obviously regrettable but there’s still a lot to like about these Gators. This is one of the best offensive teams in the nation, with a defense that usually shows up and plays at a high level. They shook off that rough one against the Tigers and have to keep fighting in this dogfight of a conference race. Next week will see winnable outings against South Carolina and Georgia as they look to propel back up the standings.