Han Vance on Georgia football: The new College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., by the committee. Remember: teams are re-slotted weekly through the end of the conference championship games. The #1 team will host #4, while #2 will host #3, in the Orange and Cotton Bowls. Whichever site is closest to #1, gets the 1-4 matchup, while 2-3 goes to the other.
Looking at #5 Georgia versus the field:
- Alabama – Beat SEC champion Georgia in OT in Atlanta for the last national championship and edged Georgia in the schools’ only SEC championship meeting.
- Clemson – Split with Georgia in a relatively-recent home-and-home; the only Clemson win in the 60-game series in many years could have gone the other way.
- Notre Dame – Lost the 1980 national championship to Georgia and lost at home to the Dawgs 20-19 last season. The teams are playing in Athens in 2019.
- Michigan – Winningest team in college football history has the number one defense in the country and is on Georgia opponent wish lists, for many fans.
- GEORGIA – At optimum capacity, only Georgia can beat Georgia.
- Oklahoma – Lost 2018 Rose Bowl to Georgia in double-overtime.
- LSU – Beat Georgia in Baton Rogue this season.
- Washington State – Non-starter as story, Pac-12 dark horse that has emerged.
- UCF – Underrated program beat Georgia in Aaron Murray’s freshman year.
- Ohio State – Lost to a Garrison Hearst-led team in the Citrus Bowl.
- Florida- Overrated three-loss team beat LSU; Dawgs own Gators.
- Penn State – Richt’s final team beat them in a bowl without him. Beat Georgia to shatter the 1982 dream season in Herschel Walker’s last college game.
- West Virginia – Beat Georgia in that Sugar Bowl moved to Atlanta.
- Texas – 10 to 9, that’s what time it was in the Cotton Bowl.
- Kentucky – Outclassed by Georgia…then Tennessee.
- Washington – See 8, replace words “dark horse” with “program.”
- Utah – Another Pac-12 team Georgia may never play.
- Mississippi State – Blown out in Athens in last year’s SEC opener.
- Northwestern – Chicago’s finest may get Auburn in another bowl.
- Syracuse – Family school for me via my sister’s marriage.
- Utah State – Another underrated little guy you don’t want.
- Texas A&M – Play in Athens late regular season of 2019.
- Boise State – Split two-games with UGA played in Georgia.
- Pitt – Beat Georgia to end 1981 season.
- Iowa State – Who cares? They are 6-4.
GO DAWGS! Win just two more games, and the (now 10-1) University of Georgia are repeat SEC football champions and bound again for the College Football Playoff. Any loss ends playoff hopes.