Georgia made its case for the College Football Playoff on Saturday with a 31-17 victory over Tennessee and Kirby Smart had a message for the committee.
In the latest rankings, Georgia was ranked No. 12 and the first team on the outside looking in on the bracket. The Bulldogs’ ranking came after a loss to Ole Miss last week. Tennessee came into Saturday’s matchup ranked as the No. 7 team in the rankings and would be in the Playoff.
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts on the sideline during the game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia’s big win will likely change that.
“I don’t know what they’re looking for. I really don’t,” Smart said of the selection committee, via ESPN. “I wish they could really define the criteria. I wish they could do the eyeball test where they come down here and look at the people we’re playing against and look at them.
“You can’t see that stuff on TV, and so I don’t know what they look for. But that’s for somebody else to decide. I’m worried about our team.”
Quarterback Carson Beck reacts after a Georgia touchdown against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ESPN noted that CFP selection committee chairman Warde Manuel, who is also the athletic director at the University of Michigan, said the Bulldogs’ turnovers and offensive woes were the reason why they dropped from No. 3 to No. 12.
Georgia had 453 total yards and no turnovers at home on Saturday.
“They’re not in that environment,” Smart said of CFP officials. “They’re not at Ole Miss in that environment, playing against that defense, which is top five in the country with one of the best pass rushers in the country, and they’re fired up. They got a two-score lead, and they’re coming every play. They don’t know. They don’t understand that.”
Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson reacts after the Bulldogs sacked Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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Georgia is 8-2 this season and has UMass and Georgia Tech left on the year. A third loss would surely sink its hopes of making the final bracket.
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