Following the Georgia Bulldogs’ 28-10 defeat to Ole Miss, the stakes are high for their upcoming game. SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum indicated that this match could impact their chances for the College Football Playoff.
“They’ve had a rollercoaster season,” Finebaum noted on Saturday Down South, “and for the first time, they are facing a Playoff elimination game at home against Tennessee. It’s a crucial matchup.”
Georgia experienced its second loss of the season last Saturday against Ole Miss, following an earlier defeat to Alabama. This loss also marked their second SEC defeat of the year, leaving them at a disadvantage compared to Texas A&M and Texas, who both have just one SEC loss. Ole Miss and Alabama are tied with Georgia, each having two losses, which places Georgia in a precarious position regarding the SEC championship race. If they lose to No. 6 Tennessee, they would have three losses, a statistic that has seen only two teams with three losses finish in the top 12 after Week 14 since 2020.
Currently, ESPN gives Georgia a 74% chance of making the postseason, while their odds of winning against Tennessee are 61.8%. A loss would thrust them into a group of SEC teams with three losses.
LSU and South Carolina have under a 14% chance of playoff contention, and even Texas A&M with two losses stands at just 14.3%. Should Georgia lose to Tennessee, they risk falling out of the top 12 rankings, a position they haven’t found themselves in since 2017, which was Kirby Smart’s second year as head coach.
