Latest College Football Playoff rankings only add to SEC championship game stakes for Georgia
ATHENS — The College Football Playoff field will be revealed on Sunday.
And in the penultimate rankings, Georgia has moved up to the No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings for this week.
Georgia’s ascent comes at the expense of Texas A&M, which dropped to No. 7 after it lost to Texas.
Because Texas A&M lost, Georgia now finds itself in the SEC championship game this weekend. The Bulldogs will take on No. 9 Alabama, a rematch of Georgia’s only loss this season.
While Georgia is safely in the College Football Playoff field, Kirby Smart’s team still has a lot to gain this week. A win likely keeps Georgia in the top four, ensuring a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
One change for this year’s College Football Playoff field is that winning a conference championship no longer grants you one of those coveted byes. Only the five highest-ranked conference champions will gain automatic entry into the field.
Behind Georgia is Texas Tech at No. 4 and Oregon at No. 5. The Red Raiders take on No. 11 BYU this week in the Big 12 championship game. That contest will conclude before Georgia’s game against Alabama starts.
That game could go a long way in shaping the stakes for the SEC championship game. If BYU were to win, it would, in all likelihood, bump the Cougars over Alabama and possibly knock the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff if it were to lose to Georgia.
But given the history between Georgia and Alabama, this game still carries great significance for Smart and his squad.
“I have a lot of respect for it, and our guys earned their right to play in it by the way they led and competed in some really, really tough conference games throughout the year,” Smart told reporters this week. “It’s a goal of ours each year to make this game, and we’re excited.”
Georgia is the defending SEC champion, beating Texas 22-19 in last year’s game. This will be the eighth time in Smart’s tenure that Georgia plays in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs are 3-4 in those games, with three of the defeats coming against Alabama.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET start on ABC. The final College Football Playoff rankings will come out at noon ET on Sunday.
College Football Playoff rankings for Week 15
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Oregon
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Notre Dame
- BYU
- Miami
- Texas
- Vanderbilt
- Utah
- USC
- Virginia
- Arizona
- Michigan
- Tulane
- Houston
- Georgia Tech
- Iowa
- North Texas
- James Madison
College Football Playoff bracket for Week 15
- First round byes: Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech
- No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Tulane, winner faces Texas Tech *highest-ranked Group of Five team
- No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Miami*, winner faces Georgia *highest-ranked ACC team
- No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Notre Dame, winner faces Indiana
- No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama, winner faces Ohio State
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
