Georgia just wrapped up another powerhouse regular season, and now the Bulldogs are eyeing the biggest prize in college football. After finishing 12-1 overall and 7-1 in the SEC, Georgia punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff with a statement win over Alabama in the conference title game-a dominant 28-7 performance that flipped the script on their earlier 24-21 loss to the Crimson Tide back in September.
Kirby Smart’s crew has been here before. With national championships in 2021 and 2022, Georgia knows what it takes to reach the mountaintop.
But the past two postseasons have ended earlier than expected, with back-to-back quarterfinal exits. This year, the road to redemption runs through a stacked 12-team playoff bracket, and Georgia enters as the No. 3 seed-earning a first-round bye and a Sugar Bowl quarterfinal date on January 1.
Their opponent? That’ll be decided when Ole Miss and Tulane square off in Oxford.
Georgia fans are already familiar with the Rebels-these two met back in October, and it was a thriller. Georgia came out on top 43-35, thanks to a 17-0 fourth-quarter surge that sealed the win and handed Ole Miss its only loss of the season.
That was before Lane Kiffin packed his bags for LSU. Now under new head coach Pete Golding, the Rebels still bring serious firepower.
They finished the regular season third in the nation in total offense (498.1 yards per game) and 11th in scoring (37.3 points per game). Georgia’s defense held them well below those numbers the first time around-just 351 total yards and only 88 on the ground.
If the Bulldogs want to advance, they'll need another performance like that.
As for Tulane, don’t sleep on the Green Wave. They’re coming off an impressive 11-2 campaign and secured their playoff spot with a 34-21 win over North Texas in the American Conference title game.
They’ve already seen Ole Miss this season, though that matchup didn’t go their way-Tulane took a tough 45-10 loss back in September. Still, it’s been a banner year for the program, and head coach Jon Sumrall, who was recently hired by Florida, will stick around to lead the team through the postseason.
Regardless of who they face in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia will be favored-but the real test looms in the semifinals.
If the Bulldogs advance to the Fiesta Bowl, they’ll draw a heavyweight no matter how the bracket shakes out. The potential semifinal opponents? Ohio State, Texas A&M, or Miami.
Let’s start with the Buckeyes. Ohio State comes in as the defending national champion and was the top-ranked team all season-until Indiana stunned them in the Big Ten title game.
Even with that loss, they’re still the No. 2 seed and boast the best defense in the country, allowing just 213.5 yards per game. They also lead the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 10.8 points per contest.
On offense, quarterback Julian Sayin is surrounded by elite talent, including arguably the best wide receiver duo in the country: Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. If Georgia and Ohio State meet, it would be a clash of titans.
Then there’s Texas A&M. The Aggies spent most of the season in the top five before a Week 13 loss to Texas knocked them down a peg.
Still, at 11-1 under Mike Elko, this is one of the most complete teams in the country. They’re averaging 454.4 yards per game while allowing just 309.8-a balanced squad with NFL-caliber talent on both sides of the ball.
If Georgia draws A&M, expect a physical, grind-it-out battle.
And don’t overlook Miami. The Hurricanes edged out Notre Dame for the final playoff spot, a move that sparked plenty of debate.
They finished 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the ACC, with a season-opening win over the Irish that helped tip the scales. Losses to Louisville and SMU nearly derailed their season, but they held on.
The storyline writes itself if Miami makes it to the semis-quarterback Carson Beck, who won two national titles as a backup at Georgia, could face his former team on the sport’s biggest stage.
If Georgia survives the semifinals, the national championship game could feature any one of six teams from the other side of the bracket.
No. 1 seed Indiana headlines that group. The Hoosiers will take on the winner of No.
8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Indiana’s upset of Ohio State vaulted them to the top of the rankings, and they’ll be a tough out.
Elsewhere, No. 4 Texas Tech awaits the winner of No.
5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison in the Orange Bowl.
The winners of those two matchups will meet in the Peach Bowl on January 9, with the victor heading to the national title game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on January 19.
There’s no easy path in this bracket. But for Georgia, the road is clear: take care of business in the Sugar Bowl, brace for a heavyweight semifinal, and then prepare for a potential championship clash against one of several battle-tested contenders. It’s going to take the best version of the Bulldogs to run this gauntlet-but if they do, a third national title under Kirby Smart could be just three games away.