GOOD FOR NOW

No. 4 Gators move one step closer to national title

By LOUIS ANASTASIS
Alligator Staff Writer

Andy Apicella / Alligator
UF coach Urban Meyer and the Gators have taken another step closer to having a shot at the national championship after the latest Bowl Championship Series standings have them at No. 4.

So much for that devastating Auburn loss.

Just two weeks after seemingly taking a crippling hit to its national championship hopes, UF has climbed to No. 4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

The somewhat surprising two-spot jump officially anoints the Gators as the highest-ranked one-loss team, a distinction that could mean everything at season's end.

The only teams ranked ahead of UF are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 West Virginia.

The Gators also jumped from No. 9 to No. 7 in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

Needless to say, UF (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) controls the East Division. If UF wins its next two conference games (Vanderbilt and South Carolina), it will be Atlanta-bound.

"We are officially in the hunt for the SEC East title," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "(But) we need to get our mistakes fixed."

UF's biggest break came when Southern Cal lost to mediocre Oregon State on Saturday. But while the Gators were expected to leapfrog the Trojans, nobody foresaw Auburn slipping. Ranked No. 5 heading into the weekend, the Tigers' fell to No. 6. Auburn was jumped by UF and No. 5 Louisville after struggling with Mississippi 23-17. UF had its own problems with Georgia, winning 21-14 after racing out to a 21-0 lead. However, the rivalry component might have mellowed voters to give the Gators the benefit of any doubts.

UF will now pay close attention to Thursday's West Virginia-Louisville game. The victor will likely be ranked ahead of the Gators next week. The Gators' best-case scenario - assuming they win out - is to have that game's winner lose to either Rutgers or Pittsburgh, which West Virginia and Louisville both still face.

The only other game with larger national implications is Michigan-Ohio State on Nov. 18. The Gators must hope the victor wins handedly so as to bump the loser behind UF.

So what can the Gators control? Style points.

UF must take notes from Auburn - poor showings against mediocre teams mar your appeal in the minds of voters.

But avoiding this pitfall will require a 180-degree turn offensively. UF's production is nowhere near that of Meyer's 2004 undefeated Utah team that averaged 45 points a game.