Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs positioned themselves well for a potential College Football Playoff berth following a significant victory against No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday night. After competing against three top-10 teams this season, Smart emphasized the challenges posed by UGA’s demanding schedule.
The Bulldogs began the season by facing No. 20 Clemson and subsequently visiting formidable opponents like No. 10 Alabama, No. 3 Texas, and No. 11 Ole Miss before hosting the Volunteers in Week 12.
No other team has encountered a more challenging schedule than Georgia, and Smart has made a point to highlight this to fans, analysts, and the playoff committee. After last week’s surprising No. 12 ranking for his two-loss team, the two-time national champion coach expressed uncertainty about how the committee evaluates Georgia.
In his postgame press conference, Smart subtly addressed those who have not adequately acknowledged the Bulldogs’ tough schedule, stating, “I’ll let y’all judge… If you told me this group would be this resilient, I’d probably say I don’t doubt it because they’re great kids. They played the toughest schedule in our league, and we still have two challenging games left.”
The Bulldogs’ chance for an automatic playoff bid may hinge on results from the SEC championship race.
Texas, which lost by 15 points to Georgia in October, has just one SEC defeat, while No. 15 Texas A&M is similarly positioned before its matchup with Texas at season’s end. Moreover, Alabama and Ole Miss hold the tiebreaker over Georgia.
Should the Dawgs not reach the conference title game in Atlanta, they are likely to host a first-round playoff game, depending on the playoff committee’s final ranking.
In Week 13, Georgia will face off against Massachusetts (2-8) before closing the regular season at home against rival Georgia Tech (6-4).
