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Test: Road to the College Football Playoff: Rivalry games loom large

The AJC’s weekly update on the playoff race
Georgia running back James Cook breaks off a 40-yard run against Charleston Southern during the first quarter Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Athens. (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com)

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

Georgia running back James Cook breaks off a 40-yard run against Charleston Southern during the first quarter Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Athens. (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com)
Nov 30, 2021

The journey to the College Football Playoff will go through Ann Arbor, Mich., and Stillwater, Okla., among other places, this weekend. It also will make the first of two stops in Atlanta.

The final weekend of the regular season brings high-stakes games for teams still in contention for playoff berths, with rivalry implications further fueling some of the key matchups.

Credit: SEC

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart the Bulldogs' first 7-0 start (5-0 SEC) since the 2017 season.

No. 1 Georgia can all but clinch a playoff spot by completing an undefeated regular season with a win over 35-1/2-point underdog Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The winner of No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan will enter the Big Ten Championship game in the CFP’s top four. No. 3 Alabama needs a win at Auburn to preserve a shot at a playoff berth even if it loses to Georgia in the SEC title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 4.

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General view of SoFi Stadium in advance for the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game between Georgia and TCU, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Ca. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

LIVE UPDATES: Georgia-TCU national championship game

Final: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Georgia 33, Alabama 18

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