Danny Kanell isn’t waiting around to see more from Georgia. After the Bulldogs knocked off Alabama in Tuscaloosa, he says their place in the College Football Playoff is already locked in.
“Georgia is the first team that punched their ticket to the playoff and most likely as the #1 seed. Passed the biggest (and only?) test and low key the remaining schedule is easy.”
That’s the kind of statement that comes with some pushback on the surface, especially with road trips to Ole Miss in Week 10 and Mizzou in Week 11 still ahead. But the larger point is hard to ignore: Georgia already has the win over Alabama in its back pocket, and even a split in those two games would leave the Bulldogs sitting at 10-2, which would be enough to get them into the CFP.
Of course, that’s before considering the possibility that Georgia runs the table from here. At this point, that feels like the more likely path.
The Bulldogs should be sitting near the top of the country when the Coaches and AP Polls are released later Sunday afternoon. Gunner Stockton added another strong road showing against a top-10 opponent and further made the case that he belongs among the SEC’s top quarterbacks. Georgia’s defense also did its job, holding Keelon Russell and a dangerous Alabama offense in check after the Tide had scored more than 45 points in every game leading up to the Week 6 matchup.
And then there’s Kirby Smart, who keeps doing what he does best. Georgia looks like a team built to stay in the fight all year, and right now, it has the kind of résumé that makes Kanell’s playoff take look pretty reasonable.
In Other News...
Georgias Win Was Just Overshadowed By An Ugly Alabama Tunnel Incident
Georgias 20-17 win over Alabama should have been remembered for what it meant on the field, with a strong rushing effort carrying the Bulldogs and Gunner Stockton adding to the offense through the air. Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker helped set the tone, giving Georgia enough balance to grind out a signature road-style victory in a game that stayed tight all the way through.
Instead, the postgame scene near the stadium tunnel drew the attention. Video captured an Alabama fan physically attacking Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson, slapping and shoving his helmet in a confrontation reporter Reggie Chatman Jr. called unusual, and witnesses said the fan used a racially degrading term during the encounter. For a game that had already packed in plenty of tension, the final image was a reminder that the emotions spilled well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Leak Puts Georgia's Biggest Win In A Different Light
Following Georgias win over Alabama, two videos purportedly showing Kirby Smart in pregame and postgame settings began circulating on social media, adding an unusual off-field wrinkle to one of the Bulldogs biggest victories. The clips appear to have been recorded secretly, include strong language and touch on what would normally be private team communication, which is part of why their appearance caught so many people by surprise.
Their authenticity has not been confirmed, but the fact that they surfaced at all gives the win a slightly different backdrop than the one Georgia expected. For a program that keeps so much of its internal business behind closed doors, the release of those videos is a reminder that even a landmark result can quickly be reframed by what leaks out afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias Defining Win Over Alabama Came With Late SEC Drama
Georgias win over Alabama did more than add another headline victory to the rsum. With Texas also taking a loss, the Bulldogs now sit in position to move into the No. 1 spot in the country, and the timing only adds to the sense that this was the kind of game that can shape a season. It was close, physical and tense throughout, the sort of SEC showdown where every call and every mistake feels magnified.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer left the game visibly frustrated, pointing to a missed pass interference call and a costly late penalty as turning points in the finish. Those moments became part of the larger story because they fed directly into the outcome, leaving Georgia with a defining win and Alabama with plenty to question about how the final stretch unfolded. [Read more 🡒]