The revised College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night via ESPN.
Notably, there were shifts following last weekend’s games, with Georgia rising from No. 12 and the “First Team Out” position to No. 10 and the 11th seed in the 12-team bracket after their victory over Tennessee, which dropped the Volunteers to No. 11 and out of the playoff picture for now.
Despite Georgia’s upward movement, Paul Finebaum believes the Bulldogs are being overlooked in favor of two Big Ten teams. He stated on Wednesday’s First Take that the committee seems to favor Indiana and Penn State due to their one-loss records rather than their schedules. Finebaum argued that Georgia’s strength of schedule has been significant, noting their two losses to teams ranked above them.
He asserted that Indiana would likely have four or five losses if they had faced Georgia’s schedule and expressed eagerness for their upcoming matchup against Ohio State. Finebaum criticized the notion that Georgia might have to start the playoffs on the road because of their league’s scheduling.
As it stands, Georgia (8-2) has notable victories over No. 3 Texas (the Longhorns’ only loss), No. 11 Tennessee, and No. 17 Clemson, alongside losses to No. 7 Alabama and No. 9 Ole Miss.
Head coach Kirby Smart also expressed his perplexity regarding the criteria used by the CFP committee for rankings, emphasizing the lack of a clear standard and the overlapping factors that lead to debates over the rankings.
Fortunately for Georgia, if they secure wins against UMass and Georgia Tech to finish the season, they will significantly enhance their chances of making the College Football Playoff.
