Georgia’s latest jump in the AP Poll still didn’t get it all the way where it probably belongs.
After a 27-8 rout of Florida on Saturday and Ohio State’s loss to USC, the Bulldogs climbed to No. 2 in this week’s AP rankings. Miami stayed put at No. 1 for the third straight week, but the gap between the two teams looks a lot smaller when you start comparing the full body of work instead of just the record.
That’s where Georgia’s case gets loud. The Bulldogs have two standout wins on the résumé, beating Alabama and Florida.
Miami, meanwhile, has one notable win against Wake Forest and has also survived some uneasy moments against lesser competition, including North Carolina and Florida State. Beyond that, the Hurricanes have not faced another team with much bite this season.
Georgia’s schedule has been the tougher one by a clear margin, and that matters. The average opponent on the Bulldogs’ slate has been stronger than the average team Miami has seen, and that edge, paired with the better wins, is the heart of the argument for Georgia at No. 1.
The one thing standing in the way is Auburn.
Two weeks ago, Georgia took its first loss of the season to the Tigers. The Bulldogs answered by beating a ranked Florida team, but that Auburn defeat is the reason they are still sitting behind Miami in the AP Poll.
Nobody is pretending losses don’t count. They do.
But strength of schedule has to count too, and at some point a team’s résumé should be able to outweigh a cleaner record if the difference in competition is big enough.
That’s why this week matters so much. The first College Football Playoff rankings are set to be released Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7:00 pm EST on ESPN, and those rankings will shape the 12-team playoff picture as the season goes on. They also tend to become the rankings everyone watches from week to week.
Unlike the AP Poll, the CFP committee has shown it is willing to separate itself from the weekly win-loss shuffle and weigh résumés more heavily. That gives Georgia a real shot to leap Miami, even with the loss on its ledger.
If the committee does what it’s supposed to do, Georgia’s schedule and quality wins should put it at No. 1.
It may not change much in the end, but if Georgia deserves the top spot, it would be nice to see it there.
Every SEC team ranked in the Week 9 AP Poll:
2 Georgia
8 Kentucky
9 Alabama
10 Texas
12 Ole Miss
15 LSU
16 Tennessee
19 Missouri
23 South Carolina
25 Florida
In Other News...
Georgia Enters A Huge Week With Playoff And Injury Questions
Georgia has reached the stretch of the season where every week seems to carry a little more weight, and this one brings both postseason intrigue and a fresh round of injury questions. The Bulldogs have already played two-thirds of their regular season and SEC slate, and the defense keeps drawing notice, with Chris Cole and Gabe Harris earning SEC weekly honors after standout performances.
Kirby Smart addressed a wide range of topics in his weekly press conference, from player availability to the broader rhythm of the schedule, just as the first College Football Playoff rankings are about to be unveiled. Georgia could land as high as No. 2 when the initial list is released, while the Bulldogs basketball programs offered a quick lift around campus with season-opening wins over NC Central and West Georgia. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias Best Shot At A Home Night Game Is In Jeopardy
Georgias Nov. 14 meeting with Missouri is now in the SECs late-afternoon-or-night window, but the exact kickoff still hangs in the balance. The league announced the game will start either at 3:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. EST, and for Georgia fans hoping for one of the more electric atmospheres in Sanford Stadium, the night option is the one worth watching.
The catch is that Georgia is not the only SEC team chasing that slot. Texas at LSU is also in the mix, and the league will wait until after this weekends games to lock everything in. Since the SECs new media rights deal began in 2024, Georgia has landed fewer home night games than LSU, so the Bulldogs best shot at another one is tied not just to their own result against Missouri, but to how things shake out elsewhere in the conference. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Faces One Ole Miss Problem That Could Decide Everything
Georgias trip to Ole Miss in November already looks like one of the most important games on the schedule, and the Rebels have a quarterback who gives the matchup a very different feel. Trinidad Chambliss made an impression against Georgia last season, and he has carried that momentum into this year while helping Ole Miss pile up production through the air and on the ground.
For Kirby Smarts defense, the challenge is not just containing a productive passer, but dealing with an offense that has been efficient in several areas and can stress a defense in multiple ways. Road games in the SEC are hard enough without a quarterback who can extend plays and keep drives alive, which is why Chambliss is shaping up as the one Ole Miss problem Georgia cannot afford to let grow. [Read more 🡒]