Georgia football’s climb in the US LBM Coaches Poll got a boost Sunday, and the timing made sense after the Bulldogs handled Florida with ease.
Kirby Smart’s team jumped one spot to No. 2 following Saturday’s 27-8 win over then-No. 20 Florida in Atlanta.
The move also came after then-No. 2 Ohio State lost to USC, opening the door for Georgia to slide up behind only unbeaten Miami.
Georgia is 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC, and this is its highest ranking in the coaches poll since it was No. 2 on Dec. 8, 2024, after beating Texas in the SEC Championship game.
Miami stayed at No. 1 after edging North Carolina 38-35. Behind the top two, the rest of the top five is Indiana, Utah and UCLA.
Georgia now turns to a major road test at No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
ET. That matchup is a rematch of the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal, which the Rebels won 39-34.
The Bulldogs’ defense was a big part of the rise. Georgia limited Florida to 252 total yards, gave up just 54 rushing yards, picked off three passes and added a fumble return for a touchdown.
“They played hard on defense, I was really proud of them," Smart said. "They worked really hard.
The most proud I was was the red area stop down there. That was huge, because we needed to win in the red area some.
We worked really hard on the red area."
The full coaches poll also included Notre Dame, Kentucky, BYU, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, LSU, Tennessee, USC, Houston, Missouri, Iowa, Boise State, Arizona, Northwestern, SMU and New Mexico.
In Other News...
Georgia Now Has A Bigger Concern Than Beating Florida
Ellis Robinson IV gave Georgia plenty to feel good about before the injury scare in Jacksonville, picking off a pass and adding tackles in the rivalry game against Florida before leaving in the third quarter with a lower-leg issue. Kirby Smart said Robinsons knee tightened up, and at the time there was no confirmed structural damage, but the cornerback did not return, leaving the Bulldogs to sort through both the result of the game and a developing concern in the secondary.
For a defense that has leaned on Robinsons playmaking, the bigger question now is how quickly Georgia can get clarity on his status for the stretch ahead. His availability for upcoming games is uncertain, and for a team with bigger goals than one rivalry win, any lingering issue with a key defensive back is the kind of problem that can ripple beyond a single afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Gunner Stockton Made One Thing Clear After Georgia Beat Florida
Gunner Stockton came away from Georgias win over Florida with the kind of measured postgame tone that usually plays well in a locker room. He praised the defense for setting the standard, acknowledged that the offense had its rough patches, and pointed to the atmosphere around the rivalry game as part of what made the day feel bigger than a normal Saturday. Even in victory, Stockton kept the focus on the details, including specific plays and the work of his teammates.
For Georgia, that mindset matters as much as the result itself. The Bulldogs got the win they wanted, but Stockton made clear there is still room to clean things up and keep pushing forward, which is often the message that carries most weight in November. A rivalry victory can cover up a lot for a week, but his comments suggested the goal inside the building is to treat it as a checkpoint, not a finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Singleton Just Gave Georgia Fans One More Reason To Remember Him
Eric Singleton has spent plenty of time on the wrong side of Georgia, and not just once. The wide receiver has taken four losses to the Bulldogs while suiting up for three different rivals, first at Georgia Tech, then Auburn and Florida, which already made him a familiar name around these parts before his latest comments added another layer to the story.
During a recent press conference, Singleton made a remark about Georgia that drew attention quickly enough for Florida to remove it from the official transcript. It has only added to the intrigue around his future, too, with speculation growing about whether he could get an extra year of eligibility and what that might mean if he ends up looking for another transfer landing spot. [Read more 🡒]