For the second week in a row, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee decided that the Georgia Bulldogs are the No. 4 team in the nation. They are being viewed as the best one-loss team in the country. Its lone defeat was at home to No. 10 Alabama by three points. Georgia has three ranked wins on its resume over No. 19 Tennessee, No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 16 Texas, with a shot at one more...
With the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets dropping down to No. 23 this week after their second loss of the season to the Pittsburgh Panthers, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate does not carry the same luster it did even a week ago. Georgia Tech has to win to make it to the ACC Championship to maybe make it to the playoff. For Georgia, the Dawgs are a playoff lock, one that may possibly have a first-round bye.
Heading into rivalry weekend, here are the latest College Football Playoff rankings entering Week 14.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0)
- Indiana Hoosiers (11-0)
- Texas A&M Aggies (11-0)
- Georgia Bulldogs (10-1)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-1)
- Oregon Ducks (10-1)
- Ole Miss Rebels (10-1)
- Oklahoma Sooners (9-2)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2)
- BYU Cougars (10-1)
- Miami Hurricanes (9-2)
- Utah Utes (9-2)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (9-2)
- Michigan Wolverines (9-2)
- Texas Longhorns (8-3)
- USC Trojans (8-3)
- Virginia Cavaliers (9-2)
- Tennessee Volunteers (8-3)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (8-3)
- SMU Mustangs (8-3)
- Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-2)
- Tulane Green Wave (9-2)
- Arizona Wildcats (8-3)
And based on the criteria of the College Football Playoff, these would be the 12 teams in this week.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0): Projected Big Ten champion
- Indiana Hoosiers (11-0): Projected Big Ten runner-up
- Texas A&M Aggies (11-0): Projected SEC champion
- Georgia Bulldogs (10-1): Projected SEC runner-up
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-1): Projected Big 12 champion
- Oregon Ducks (10-1): Projected Big Ten at-large
- Ole Miss Rebels (10-1): Projected SEC at-large
- Oklahoma Sooners (9-2): Projected SEC at-large
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2): Projected national independent at-large
- Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2): Projected SEC at-large
- Miami Hurricanes (9-2): Projected ACC champion
- Tulane Green Wave (9-2): Projected AAC/Group of Five champion
For a little bit more context, these would be the first four teams out of the playoff at this point in time.
- 13. BYU Cougars (10-1): Projected Big 12 runner-up
- 14. Utah Utes (9-2): Big 12
- 15. Vanderbilt Commodores (9-2): SEC
- 16. Michigan Wolverines (9-2): Big Ten
Let's unpack why winning Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate gives Georgia more than just bragging rights...
Georgia Bulldogs may end up with a first-round bye after rivalry weekend
Check this out... Should Georgia beat Georgia Tech, it would give the Dawgs another quality win, finishing the regular season at 11-1 overall and 7-1 in SEC play. Because their one loss was to Alabama in conference play, they are not guaranteed to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship. If Alabama beats Auburn and if Texas A&M beats Texas, Georgia will not make it back.
In the event it is an Alabama vs. Texas A&M SEC Championship Game, Georgia still stands a very good chance of getting a first-round bye into the College Football Playoff, regardless of the outcome. The only two teams who could move ahead of them are Texas Tech at No. 5, and maybe Alabama at No. 10. The Crimson Tide are not likely to move all the way up to No. 4 from No. 10 in two weekends...
We should expect both Ohio State and Indiana to get first-round byes, assuming they meet each other in Indianapolis undefeated. If Texas A&M wins the SEC, the Aggies will get a first-round bye. Would Texas Tech beating presumably BYU for the second time this season get past Georgia for the No. 4 spot as Big 12 champions? Potentially, but Georgia has played the far more difficult schedule.
In the event that Texas A&M beats Texas, but loses to Alabama, that could potentially knock them behind Georgia. Texas A&M would still make the playoff, but they might go from the No. 3 seed to the No. 7 or No. 8 with a loss to Alabama. Georgia, Texas Tech, and potentially Alabama would go ahead of them. Georgia would be sitting pretty at 11-1 (7-1) as the best at-large SEC team in the playoff field.
Simply put, a win over the Yellow Jackets guarantees Georgia will be no worse than the No. 6 seed.