Florida was never supposed to be the headliner on Georgia’s schedule. At the start of the season, it looked like just another SEC game. Now, after the latest AP Poll, it has turned into something much bigger.
The Gators opened unranked, climbed into the top 25 after beating Auburn, then took another huge leap by pounding No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 at home on Saturday. That surge pushed Florida all the way up to No. 8, and suddenly Georgia has a shot at a marquee victory next month against its bitter rival.
That matters for Kirby Smart’s team because Florida hasn’t often been the kind of opponent that boosts Georgia’s résumé. A win over the Gators is always valuable in the rivalry sense, but this time it could be the biggest win Georgia gets all season.
Georgia needed another opponent to rise after Oklahoma slid out of the picture. The Sooners entered the year in the top 10 and looked like a chance for a statement win, but they were not ranked when they faced Georgia on Saturday, and it does not appear likely they’ll work their way back into the rankings this season.
Florida fills that gap. Georgia now has three top 10 opponents left on its schedule - Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss - and all three games are on the road.
If the Bulldogs win all three, they could wind up with the best résumé in the country. Even if they don’t run the table, a win over Florida would still give them a major résumé piece and the kind of bragging rights that come with beating a rival.
The AP Poll didn’t go along with the idea that Georgia should take over the top spot either. The Bulldogs are 4-0, just like Texas, and their margin of victory has been eye-opening. Every win has come by at least 28 points, including their first two SEC games against Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Texas, though, stayed at No. 1.
The Longhorns have fewer blowout wins than Georgia, but they do own ranked victories over Ohio State and Tennessee. Georgia’s side of the argument is cleaner in terms of dominance, but Texas’ résumé kept it in front.
For now, Georgia remains No. 2, and the path to No. 1 runs through the kind of games that can change the conversation fast. Florida is one of them.
Alabama and Ole Miss are, too. Georgia gets its chance soon enough.
Every SEC team ranked in the Week 4 AP Poll:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Florida
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- Mississippi State
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Missouri
In Other News...
Georgia Has One Dangerous Problem Heading Into Vanderbilt
Georgia has spent this season looking every bit like a team that expects to keep winning, and the matchup with Vanderbilt fits the same script on paper. The Bulldogs are undefeated, favored again, and coming off a run of steady, no-drama performances that have kept them in the thick of the national conversation while the rest of the league keeps trying to catch up.
Still, there is a little extra edge to this one because Vanderbilts quarterback is freshman Jared Curtis, who was once committed to Georgia before ending up with the Commodores. The bigger concern for the Bulldogs, though, is less about the opponent than about themselves and whether they can stay locked in for four quarters, since the season has shown they can control games when they stay sharp and leave openings only when their focus slips. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Hinted At A Bigger Georgia Role Fans Will Notice
With Vanderbilt next on the schedule, Kirby Smart used his weekly availability to touch on the usual game-week checkpoints and a few broader themes around Georgias roster. He praised Clark Leas work with the Commodores, pointed to players such as Jared Curtis and Thomas Blackshear as part of the discussion, and walked through the kind of injury and practice updates that tend to shape how the Bulldogs prepare from one Saturday to the next.
Smart also spent time on the kind of player development questions Georgia fans tend to notice over the course of a season, offering thoughts on London Humphreys, JJ Hane, Dwight Phillips and Jordan Hall. Taken together, the remarks suggested a coach looking beyond the immediate matchup, with more attention on how individual roles are taking shape and where the Bulldogs may be leaning as SEC play keeps moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Bowers Is Already Giving Georgia Fans A Reason To Watch
Brock Bowers wasted no time reminding everyone why Georgia fans still track his every move on Sundays. Back from a knee injury, the former Bulldogs star was the focal point of the Las Vegas Raiders offense in a 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints, piling up 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in a performance that looked awfully familiar to anyone who watched him in Athens.
There was more Georgia flavor in the result, too, with Nakobe Dean leading the Raiders defense with a team-high 12 tackles and helping close the door with a game-sealing fumble recovery. At 3-0, Las Vegas is leaning on multiple former Bulldogs in all three phases, and for Georgia fans, that makes the Raiders an especially relevant watch even before the full story of this season takes shape. [Read more 🡒]