The Florida football program checked in at No. 10 in the Associated Press' all-time ranking. (Photo: Jay Metz for UAA)
Carter's Corner: Gators No. 10 in All-Time AP Rankings
Tuesday, August 2, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter
Florida joined Alabama as the two SEC schools in top 10.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Associated Press started ranking college football teams in 1936, the same year rookie outfielder Joe DiMaggio helped the Yankees win the World Series when baseball, boxing and horse racing dominated the American sports landscape.
The Gators didn't make their first appearance in the AP Top 25 until 1950, easing into the poll at No. 20 after a 31-27 win at Vanderbilt in head coach Bob Woodruff's first season. The Gators moved up to No. 17 the next week after a victory over Furman, but dropped out the rest of the season following a 40-6 road loss to Bear Bryant's Kentucky team.
Florida didn't become a regular in the poll until the 1980s and stayed there almost permanently in the 1990s, appearing in 98.8 percent of the AP Top 25 rankings during the decade.
The AP released its all-time Top 25 on Tuesday and the Gators, despite a slow start, made a strong showing at No. 10. According to the AP, to determine the all-time Top 25, the formula counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (two points) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points).
The three-time national champion Gators (1996, 2006, 2008) have not been consistently ranked in the poll in recent years. They reached as high as No. 8 in 2015 before three consecutive losses to end the season dropped them to No. 25 in the final poll of the season.
The defending SEC East champion Gators open preseason camp Thursday.
As for the top college football programs of all-time using data from the AP Top 25 over the last 80 years, Ohio State topped the poll, followed by Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama and Southern Cal.
The Gators didn't make their first appearance in the AP Top 25 until 1950, easing into the poll at No. 20 after a 31-27 win at Vanderbilt in head coach Bob Woodruff's first season. The Gators moved up to No. 17 the next week after a victory over Furman, but dropped out the rest of the season following a 40-6 road loss to Bear Bryant's Kentucky team.Florida didn't become a regular in the poll until the 1980s and stayed there almost permanently in the 1990s, appearing in 98.8 percent of the AP Top 25 rankings during the decade.
The AP released its all-time Top 25 on Tuesday and the Gators, despite a slow start, made a strong showing at No. 10. According to the AP, to determine the all-time Top 25, the formula counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (two points) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points).
The @AP has @GatorsFB No. 10 in its all-time college football ranking. What do you think?
— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) August 2, 2016
The three-time national champion Gators (1996, 2006, 2008) have not been consistently ranked in the poll in recent years. They reached as high as No. 8 in 2015 before three consecutive losses to end the season dropped them to No. 25 in the final poll of the season.
The defending SEC East champion Gators open preseason camp Thursday.
As for the top college football programs of all-time using data from the AP Top 25 over the last 80 years, Ohio State topped the poll, followed by Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama and Southern Cal.
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