Death, taxes and the Associated Press not being able to take one weekend's outcomes within the context of anything. While the Coaches Poll seems to be a bit more steady, the wild swings of emotion is what makes the AP Top 25 Poll so incredibly captivating, for better or worse... While the Georgia Bulldogs look like a top-five team in the country, the AP likes one SEC team more than them.
To lose one's mind over what some 66 writers collectively feel about a team is not the best course of action. However, the AP Poll does remain the college football world's guiding light up until the first College Football Playoff rankings come out in early November. The Coaches Poll has some merit, but nowhere near to the degree of the AP Top 25. Naturally, both polls came out with a bang on Tuesday.
Let's start with the Coaches Poll dropping first before diving into the AP Top 25 regarding Georgia.
Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked in the Coaches Poll ahead of Week 2?
Shortly before the AP Top 25 Poll was released, here is what the US LBM Coaches Poll provided us.
- Ohio State Buckeyes: 1,666 points (59 first-place votes)
- Penn State Nittany Lions: 1,574 points (6 first-place votes)
- Georgia Bulldogs: 1,518 points (1 first-place vote)
- LSU Tigers: 1,469 points (1 first-place vote)
- Oregon Ducks: 1,381 points
- Texas Longhorns: 1,339 points
- Miami Hurricanes: 1,304 points
- Clemson Tigers: 1,067 points
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 1,038 points
- Arizona State Sun Devils: 957 points
- South Carolina Gamecocks: 915 points
- Illinois Fighting Illini: 909 points
- Michigan Wolverines: 725 points
- Ole Miss Rebels: 668 points
- Florida Gators: 638 points
- SMU Mustangs: 602 points
- Tennessee Volunteers: 563 points
- Iowa State Cyclones: 518 points
- Florida State Seminoles: 491 points
- Alabama Crimson Tide: 390 points
- Indiana Hoosiers: 369 points
- Texas A&M Aggies: 363 points
- Texas Tech Red Raiders: 253 points
- Oklahoma Sooners: 251 points
- BYU Cougars: 161 points
And for further reference, here is every team that got at least one point in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
- Utah Utes: 117 points
- Louisville Cardinals: 95 points
- Missouri Tigers: 88 points
- Kansas State Wildcats: 79 points
- Tulane Green Wave: 45 points
- USC Trojans: 41 points
- Auburn Tigers: 41 points
- TCU Horned Frogs: 33 points
- Iowa Hawkeyes: 23 points
- Navy Midshipmen: 17 points
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 17 points
- Nebraska Cornhuskers: 13 points
- Memphis Tigers: 11 points
- South Florida Bulls: 9 points
- Duke Blue Devils: 5 points
- Kansas Jayhawks: 4 points
- Washington Huskies: 3 points
- Vanderbilt Commodores: 2 points
- Florida International Panthers: 1 point
Georgia enters Week 2 at No. 3 in the Coaches Poll behind only Ohio State and Penn State. While there was a chance that LSU's road upset over Clemson could propel the Tigers into the top three, the Dawgs were able to keep the Bayou Bengals back just a bit. They both got one first-place vote, but Georgia garnered 49 more points that the Tigers for Week 2. Oregon rounded out the top five.
Now let's turn our attention to see where Georgia ranks inside the second AP Top 25 Poll of the year.
Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll ahead of Week 2?
Here is what the AP Top 25 Poll looks like heading into Week 2 of the 2025 college football season.
- Ohio State Buckeyes: 1,636 points (55 first-place votes)
- Penn State Nittany Lions: 1,558 points (7 first-place votes)
- LSU Tigers: 1,514 points (3 first-place votes)
- Georgia Bulldogs: 1,410 points
- Miami Hurricanes: 1,360 points
- Oregon Ducks: 1,302 points (1 first-place vote)
- Texas Longhorns: 1,293 points
- Clemson Tigers: 1,135 points
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 1,068 points
- South Carolina Gamecocks: 882 points
- Illinois Fighting Illini: 855 points
- Arizona State Sun Devils: 850 points
- Florida Gators: 737 points
- Florida State Seminoles: 705 points
- Michigan Wolverines: 686 points
- Iowa State Cyclones: 566 points
- SMU Mustangs: 561 points
- Oklahoma Sooners: 519 points
- Texas A&M Aggies: 424 points
- Ole Miss Rebels: 393 points
- Alabama Crimson Tide: 360 points
- Tennessee Volunteers: 339 points
- Indiana Hoosiers: 257 points
- Texas Tech Red Raiders: 247 points
- Utah Utes: 227 points
For a bit more clarity, here is every other team that received at least one AP Top 25 vote for this week.
- BYU Cougars: 102 points
- Auburn Tigers: 94 points
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 67 points
- USC Trojans: 64 points
- Louisville Cardinals: 59 points
- TCU Horned Frogs: 49 points
- Missouri Tigers: 42 points
- South Florida Bulls: 25 points
- Tulane Green Wave: 18 points
- Nebraska Cornhuskers: 13 points
- Kansas State Wildcats: 7 points
- James Madison Dukes: 4 points
- Liberty Flames: 4 points
- UNLV Rebels: 4 points
- Duke Blue Devils: 4 points
- Navy Midshipmen: 2 points
- Pittsburgh Panthers: 2 points
- Baylor Bears: 2 points
- Virginia Cavaliers: 2 points
- Memphis Tigers: 2 points
Clearly, the AP was overly reactionary with LSU's decisive, but narrow road victory over Clemson. LSU is ranked third ahead of No. 4 Georgia inside the AP Top 25. Ohio State and Penn State get the top nods, but LSU getting three first-place votes over Georgia's zero is why the Bayou Bengals ended up with 104 more points than the Dawgs in the AP Top 25 Poll. Oregon getting one first-place vote is sad.
Here is what this means heading into Georgia's Week 2 game vs. the Austin Peay Governors Saturday.
What Georgia's No. 4 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll means going forward?
The biggest takeaway from this is Georgia has next to no chance of moving up from No. 4 between now and their Week 3 road game at No. 22 Tennessee. This is because all three teams ranked ahead of the Dawgs will be massive favorites in Week 2 with No. 1 Ohio State hosts HBCU Grambling State, No. 2 Penn State draws unranked Florida International, and No. 3 LSU faces unranked Louisiana Tech.
Georgia is also massive favorite entering Week 2. While FCS Austin Peay did get the best of Middle Tennessee last week in Murfreesboro, a win over the Governors will do next to nothing to help the Dawgs climb up any higher in the AP Top 25. Conversely, Tennessee could move up from No. 22 ahead of Week 3, based solely on others losing ahead of them. The Vols host East Tennessee State.
Overall, seeing LSU be ranked ahead of Georgia is what it is. The Tigers have played and beaten the tougher opponent so far, and that came on the road in a hostile environment. The Dawgs will have their day in the sun in no time. For now, it is all about getting ready for two SEC games off the bat to close out September with a bang. Wins over Tennessee and Alabama will allow Georgia to climb up.
Georgia may have moved up in the AP Top 25, but nowhere to the degree of other Power Four teams.