Unbeaten but once-tied Florida, barred from winning...

Unbeaten but once-tied Florida, barred from winning the title in its own conference, is the new front-runner in the race for the national championship.

The Gators achieved the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press poll in results announced Tuesday, the first time they have held that position.

Should Florida (7-0-1) still be No. 1 in the final poll, it will win the national title. However, no matter what it does in those remaining games, the Gators cannot win the Southeastern Conference title or appear in a bowl game because it is serving an NCAA probation out for past recruiting violations.