ATHENS, Ga. — Well, Georgia-Tennessee is still going to be a colossal game, but maybe not in the same way the Bulldogs’ fans envisioned.
The first College Football Playoff rankings were released to great fanfare Tuesday night in the live show on ESPN. The Vols, who recently moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, leapfrogged both the Bulldogs and Ohio State in the first CFP rankings of 2022 to land at No. 1. Tennessee’s strength of schedule was considered higher than both teams.
The Bulldogs’ best win to date continues to be over Oregon, which they beat 49-3 in the season opener but hasn’t lost since. Tennessee beat Alabama last month in Knoxville and Kentucky last week, among other notable victories.
No matter. Tuesday’s rankings will change next week based on the outcome of Saturday’s game between the Bulldogs and Vols in Athens (3:30 p.m. CBS). As it is, it is the highest-ranked matchup – based on opinion polls — in the history of 93-year-old Sanford Stadium. That will still be the case with the new CFP rankings, which the AJC will recognize going forward.
The CFP rankings will determine the four teams that eventually meet in the playoff to determine a national champion. Georgia was No. 3 when it entered the playoff last year. It defeated No. 2 Michigan and No. 1 Alabama on the way to winning the 2021 national championship.
The Bulldogs (8-0, 5-0 SEC) have been ranked No. 1 in both the AP and USA Today/coaches polls the last three weeks. Tennessee moved up to No. 2 in the AP and No. 3 in the coaches’ after last Saturday’s 44-6 win over Kentucky.
Georgia experienced a similar situation in 2017. The Bulldogs shot ahead of previous No. 1 Alabama in the first CFP rankings that season based on their stronger schedule and overall showing to date, per the selection committee. But Georgia and Alabama didn’t remain 1-2 very long. The Bulldogs fell to seventh after losing to 10th-ranked Auburn the second week of November, then Alabama fell to then No. 6-ranked Auburn in the regular-season finale.
Georgia jumped back into the top four when it defeated the No. 2-ranked Tigers 28-10 in the SEC Championship game the next month. Then, Alabama popped back in by sitting on the sidelines.
Such a scenario could be afoot this year, depending on how things shake out the next few weeks. Either Tennessee or Georgia likely will be out depending on the outcome of Saturday’s game. But there will remain a route back for both teams depending on the rest of the games.
The Bulldogs still have road games remaining against Mississippi State and Kentucky, while Tennessee wraps up with Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the last three teams in the Eastern Division.
The biggest question answered by the selection committee on Tuesday was how it felt about Clemson versus TCU. The external narrative coming into the first rankings release was the undefeated Tigers have fattened up against a diminished ACC schedule. Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs have had four straight wins over ranked teams.
