ATHENS — 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 television show on ESPN that commences this time of year. The Vols, who only this week moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, leapfrogged 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.
“Tennessee was voted No. 1 because of impressive road wins at LSU and the win over Alabama,” said committee chairman Boo Corrigan. “Georgia’s been dominant, which has been plain to see, but Tennessee’s wins against those two strong teams really made a difference.”
Likewise, the committee liked Ohio State’s schedule better than Georgia’s, particularly the Buckeyes’ 44-31 road victory over No. 15 Penn State in Happy Valley last Saturday. The Bulldogs’ best victory to date continues to be over Oregon, which they beat 49-3 in the season opener. The Ducks haven’t lost since and entered the CFP poll Tuesday at No. 8.
Tennessee beat No. 6 Alabama 52-49 last month in Knoxville and No. 10 LSU 40-13 on the road on Oct. 8. Georgia and the Vols have one common opponent in Florida. The Vols beat the Gators 38-33 in Knoxville, and the Bulldogs defeated Florida 42-20 on a neutral field in Jacksonville, Fla., this past weekend.
What did not seem particularly equitable was the claims of Corrigan and CFP CEO Bill Hancock that the committee seeks “balance” from best-rated teams. Balance, they explained, means teams that are strong offensively and defensively. But only Georgia (fourth) and Ohio State (sixth) are among the top six teams ranked in the FBS top 10 in total defense.
“It is about being good on both sides of the ball,” Corrigan said. “Georgia is an exceedingly solid team that the committee really likes and felt good about who they are, and obviously the dominant win at the beginning of the season against Oregon. That turned a lot of heads. Their defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the first quarter. All of that was part of our discussion. ... But, again, there are a lot of really good teams at the top of the rankings right now.”
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 still the highest-ranked matchup – based on opinion polls – in the history of 93-year-old Sanford Stadium. The previous was No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 4 Auburn in 1983.
The CFP rankings come out each week until the completion of conference championship games the first week of December. 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 AJC will recognize only the CFP rankings going forward.
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 while not playing.
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 bottom three teams in the Eastern Division.
The biggest question answered by the selection committee 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 consecutive wins over ranked teams.
However, it was the Tigers who got the nod for the No. 4 spot Tuesday, while TCU was No. 7. Michigan and Alabama got the fifth and six spots, which would place them in the “New Year’s Six” bowls.
