Georgia Bulldogs news: Former UGA RB blames Saban for CFP snub, Senior Bowl, hoops loses three straight, and more

Most college football fans are on to next season, but former Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook is still upset about his alma mater being left out of the final four-team College Football Playoff. Cook told USA Today his theory on why the committee didn’t include the Bulldogs after back-to-back national championships. 

“We were supposed to be in this year. If Georgia is in the playoffs this year, we win it all. I think they didn’t want to see us go back-to-back-to-back,” the current Buffalo Bills running back said. “We lost one game to Alabama in the SEC Championship and hadn’t been beaten the whole season. It was like the same scenario my last year in college. We won every game and lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship but we still got in and went on and won it all. But I just feel like they knew Nick Saban was going to retire so they tried to sneak him one.”

It may be hard to disagree that Georgia wasn’t one of the four best teams in college football this season, but the situation was still quite different from Cook’s final year in college in 2021. 

That year, there were no undefeated Power Five teams and for the first time, a Group of Five team got the nod with 13-0 Cincinnati. The Pac 12’s top-ranked team with 10-3 Utah at No. 11 and the ACC Champion was 11-2 Pittsburgh who finished at No. 12 in the final CFP rankings. 

Georgia Bulldogs in the Senior Bowl

This year, Tykee Smith, Javon Bullard, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Ladd McConkey, Daijuan Edwards, and William Mote all represented the Bulldogs at the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama. 

All were members of the American Team roster and dominated the week. Ladd McConkey was voted as the team’s top wide receiver prior to Saturday’s game. Bullard was also voted as the team’s top deep safety. 

In the game, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint caught the first touchdown, a 29-yard pass from South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler. 

Tykee Smith was the biggest star, breaking up three passes from his slot cornerback position, Smith was named the American Team MVP. Rattler was the MVP of the game. 

More Georgia Bulldogs news

On Saturday, men’s basketball hosted 18-3 South Carolina and after taking a 40-38 lead into halftime, the Bulldogs went cold. UGA only managed to score 22 points in the second half and dropped its third straight game in SEC play. Georgia is 14-8 (4-5) and 10th in the conference. 

Next up, the Georgia men will face Mississippi State in Starkville on Wednesday. 

The Georgia women’s basketball team defeated Kentucky on Sunday 72-65 behind 23 points and 13 rebounds from Javyn Nicholson. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak and leaves the Bulldogs at 13th in the conference with a 2-7 SEC record. 

Next up, the Georgia women will also play Mississippi State in Starkville on Thursday, February 8.