Georgia
Behind the AP Top 25 ballot: Sorry, Georgia! Yes, you’re No. 1
This still feels like a college football season that has much more parity than recent years, but my AP Top 25 ballot is going back to the familiar — at least at the top. Let’s dive into this week’s rankings:
1. I apologize, Georgia. Please forgive me — or thank me and several other voters for the extra motivation? Moving the Bulldogs down a spot after a close win at Auburn to put Texas No. 1 seemed reasonable at the time, but here we are a short week later: Texas lost, Georgia thoroughly dominated Kentucky and I’m back to the beginning. So it goes. Perhaps we could have all seen that coming.
Though you can still quibble with Georgia’s resume — it would not be atop a straight resume ranking of teams — it looked like the team to beat again in its 51-13 drubbing of No. 20 Kentucky. Georgia outgained the Wildcats 608 to 183 and had a 33 to 12 edge in first downs. The game was every bit as lopsided as the final score, and then some.
Now, one blowout win against Kentucky doesn’t make a season. Kentucky is still ranked, but largely because of a win against a mediocre Florida team (that did, at least, beat Tennessee). But we’ve been waiting for Georgia to look like the Georgia of the past two years again, and that’s exactly what we got. I didn’t hesitate to move the Bulldogs back to No. 1. Most agree, as their share of first-place votes rose to 50 from 35.
If motivation is still needed, however? I’ll still take someone not named Georgia to win the national title. It’s the best choice for No. 1 right now, even if I think someone else is going to rise up and snatch it.
2. Yes, I’m back aboard the Michigan bandwagon too, slotting in the Wolverines at No. 2. Not that beating Minnesota and Nebraska is something worthy of lavish praise, but Michigan is back to doing exactly what it should do against inferior opponents. It came into this season expected to have an argument for being the most complete team in college football. As its offensive line jells, it is starting to make that exact case. Washington lacks quality wins as well, Ohio State and Florida State have shown cracks even in staying unbeaten and I’m not quite sold on Oklahoma leaping all the way into the top two.
A running theme in this column through the first half of the season is that the top tier of teams is far more bunched up than usual. That’s still the case, hence the weekly shuffling of teams on my ballot as more results come in and resumes evolve. This is a season that demands voting flexibility. But right now, if you asked me who the best two teams are, I’d go back to the teams that were atop my ballot in August: Georgia and Michigan. And that’ll probably change again next week.
3. After I voted Texas No. 1 last Sunday, there was a case to be made for Oklahoma this Sunday. The Sooners have a proven quarterback in Dillon Gabriel and a defense that feels much more like a typical Brent Venables unit, even if the Longhorns put up 527 yards. They’re more physical and have a higher ceiling than the underperforming Oklahoma defenses we grew accustomed to under Lincoln Riley.
Nobody put Oklahoma first, but a pair of voters placed the Sooners second. I was one of seven to rank them third, as preseason perception is now thrown totally out the window. Oklahoma is back in familiar territory after last year’s unranked detour.
GO DEEPER
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4. The easy reaction to Saturday — and the hype here, among other places — is Texas backlash. It’s been an understandably popular reaction over the past decade-plus, because rarely do the Longhorns actually live up to their billing. Like anyone, I’ve been guilty of overrating Texas as a voter over the years. So if you want to criticize those of us who ranked Texas No. 1 immediately before a loss, that’s fine. But let’s not declare the Longhorns’ dreams dead yet, either.
Texas still won at Alabama, which has started to get its act together again. It’s still one of the most talented teams in the country, and it effectively played a toss-up game against undefeated Oklahoma that was decided by a 3-0 turnover deficit and a goal-line stand. Texas is capable of running the table and beating Oklahoma in a rematch for the Big 12 title.
Saturday was a great rivalry game between two teams that have earned top-10 rankings. It was in no way evidence of Texas being a fraud, even if Texas didn’t quite earn No. 1 status. It was just another in a long line of high-stakes Oklahoma-Texas games that went down to the wire. In fact, it’s the 23rd time a Oklahoma-Texas game both 1) featured two ranked teams and 2) was decided by eight points or fewer. That ties it with Michigan-Ohio State for the most ranked matchups decided by eight points or fewer since the AP poll began in 1936.
Most ranked games decided by 8 or less
| Series | Games |
|---|---|
|
Oklahoma-Texas |
23 |
|
Michigan-Ohio State |
23 |
|
UCLA-USC |
15 |
|
Alabama-LSU |
15 |
|
Alabama-Auburn |
15 |
|
Michigan-Notre Dame |
14 |
|
Auburn-LSU |
13 |
|
Florida State-Miami |
13 |
|
Florida-Tennessee |
12 |
|
Nebraska-Oklahoma |
12 |
|
Notre Dame-USC |
12 |
5. Kudos to Louisville for its decisive win against Notre Dame. Perhaps the Irish didn’t deserve their top-10 billing, but Jeff Brohm keeps getting it done in big games — or at least games perceived as big games. Since 2018, Brohm is 4-2 against AP top-10 teams at the time of the game, with all four wins (and both losses) by double digits. It was Louisville’s eighth all-time win against an AP top-10 team, and each of the past five have been by double digits.
It’s still hard to get a read on Louisville, but I vaulted the Cardinals 11 spots to No. 12 on my ballot, a couple of spots ahead of their No. 14 ranking in the poll. They made a great coaching hire, they’re 6-0 and they are going to make noise in the ACC race, especially as they face a regular-season schedule that does not include Florida State, Clemson and North Carolina.
6. I refused to rank LSU last week, but it’s become hard to totally disregard two-loss teams. I have LSU back in at No. 19 after a 49-39 win at Missouri. Even if LSU can’t stop anyone, Jayden Daniels is capable of making every game exciting. I also kept Notre Dame ranked at No. 21, though the Irish’s hold on a ranking is perilous heading into another prime-time game against USC.
As usual, there’s no perfect way to approach the bottom of the ballot. I wasn’t thrilled about ranking Tennessee after an off week — I didn’t rank the Vols last week, and the 13-point loss to Florida still happened — but that debate will be moot soon, with Texas A&M, Alabama and Kentucky up next. I also moved in Wyoming after it knocked off Fresno State. The Cowboys also own wins against Appalachian State and Texas Tech and hung with Texas for three quarters.
Wyoming is the second team out of the poll after beating Fresno State. (Troy Babbitt / USA Today)
7. One team I couldn’t possibly vote for even though it held onto a spot? Miami. Yes, the Hurricanes had the game against Georgia Tech won, had they simply taken a knee. But they didn’t, and they proceeded to fumble and give up 74 yards in four plays in 25 seconds to a Georgia Tech team most recently seen losing to Bowling Green. The same Bowling Green that lost to Ohio by 31 a week before beating the Yellow Jackets and lost to Miami (Ohio) 27-0 a week after. All of the goodwill the Hurricanes earned from thumping Texas A&M has been squandered by a mind-numbingly bad collapse.
They’ll have to earn their way back against North Carolina and Clemson the next two weeks.
GO DEEPER
Miami’s mind-numbing loss to Georgia Tech defies explanation. Now what?
8. The Week 7 headliner is clear, as No. 8 Oregon visits No. 7 Washington, with both coming off idle weeks. It’s the biggest chance yet for a Pac-12 team to begin to separate itself from the rest in the rankings. It also happens to be the biggest Oregon-Washington rivalry game ever, at least in terms of the poll: Never before have the Ducks and Huskies met while both ranked in the top 10. Oregon is 12-8 all-time in matchups of two top-10 teams, with all but one of those games happening since 2000. Washington is 10-10-1, though just 2-7 since Jan. 1, 1992.
I already have Washington ranked No. 4, and the winner will deserve to be ranked in the top five in the poll.
9. Even if Oregon and Washington are about to offer some clarity, ranking Pac-12 teams is bound to be convoluted throughout the rest of the season. Joining those two on the undefeated tier is No. 10 USC, which fell in the rankings for the third consecutive week after a triple-OT win against Arizona. Then there’s the tier of four one-loss teams, where the problem really begins, given that: Washington State beat Oregon State, which beat Utah, which beat UCLA, which beat Washington State.
The poll orders them Oregon State-Utah-UCLA-Washington State. I agree with that, as the closest result among all of those games was the Beavers losing at Washington State by three points on the road. There’s no great way to order them, but we’ll get another meaningful data point this week when Oregon State hosts UCLA.
10. Welcome back to the Top 25, Kansas! With Kentucky hanging on to a spot, basketball blue bloods Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina are ranked at the same time in the football poll for the first time ever. Throw in Louisville, too: If the rankings hold, Louisville and Kentucky would have their first ranked versus ranked matchup ever. Meanwhile, Duke and UNC could have their first ranked matchup since 1939.
(Top photo of Kendall Milton: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
Multiple sources are telling us this evening that Georgia Labor Commissioner, Bruce Thompson, has lost his battle with cancer.
I first met Bruce Thompson when he decided to seek the 14th Georgia State Senate District to succeed Barry Loudermilk, which would make him my State Senator. He was straight to the point. No pretense. He knew a lot about what he knew, and wasn’t afraid to say he didn’t know about what he didn’t. I instantly liked him.
Originally from Montana, Bruce wasn’t shy about sharing how Christ had changed his life. He knew that his relationship with The Lord meant that he wasn’t perfect, just forgiven. And he regularly expressed his gratitude for the Grace of his Lord and Savior.
He was a devoted husband and loving father. He leaves behind his wife, Becky, and two adult children, Faith and Max. To meet his children is to understand the man, and he was very proud of them both.
In business, Bruce was a serial entrepreneur. He ran businesses that developed software, installed pool covers, and sold insurance among others. It would not be fair to say that he had the Midas touch because all Midas had to do was touch something to make it turn into gold. No, Bruce was successful because he worked hard to make everything he did a success. In fact, this is a favorite photo I have of him when someone was a no-call-no-showed on one of his work sites. He threw on some old clothes in the Georgia heat and went to work.
A couple of years ago Bruce took a bold step and announce that he was going to challenge a Republican incumbent in Georgia’s Department of Labor. Elected Republicans simply do not challenge other elected incumbents. But it was clear that change was needed at that department as COVID had exposed how bad things could get when an important agency isn’t run well. He came into that office with a sense of urgency those who knew him had come to recognize as a key trait of his personality and work ethic.
Earlier this year Bruce announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. And he decided to fight with all of the same spirit and determination that had come to define so much about him. And he did it with an up-beat and positive spirit. Not too long ago I texted him to see how he was doing. He responded, “Just rocking and rolling, brother!!! Jesus is in control, and I have a darn good feeling He isn’t done with me yet!”
As I look at the legacy Bruce leaves behind, those whose lives he made better through service to them, his wife, his kids, I think Jesus is going to continue to be working through Bruce Thompson for quite a while yet. No. Jesus isn’t done with you, Bruce. Not by a long shot. Not even now. Because of what He has done through you.
Farewell, my friend. I am better for having known you.
Georgia
Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Open as 20.5 Point Underdogs vs Georgia Bulldogs in Rivalry Matchup
After beating NC State on Thursday, Georgia Tech is now 7-4 heading into their Black Friday rivalry showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs. The Yellow Jackets have not beaten Georgia since 2016, but this could be the best chance that they have had to knock off the Bulldogs since then and if they were to win, they would put a big dent in the Bulldogs playoff hopes, though they would still have a chance to win the SEC.
It is going to be a big task for the Yellow Jackets though and at Fanduel Sportsbook, Georgia Tech is a 20.5 point underdog next Friday vs Georgia and the total is set at 54.5.
Georgia Tech played Georgia almost as well as anyone did last year. Georgia won 31-23, but the Yellow Jackets were an onside kick away from getting the ball back and having a chance to tie the game up. In 2022, Key had his alma mater within six points of the No. 1 Bulldogs (13-7) in the middle of the third quarter before Georgia finally pulled away. In each of the past two seasons, Key has had this team playing better against the Bulldogs since the last time the Yellow Jackets won in 2016. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, Georgia handled the Yellow Jackets with ease, but they have had to fight for the past two seasons to put Georgia Tech away.
It will be a tall task though. Despite their losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, Georgia has one of, if not the most talented roster in the country and has not lost a home game since being upset by South Carolina in 2019.
Will Georgia Tech’s two-quarterback system work against the Bulldogs? It worked to perfection against Miami, but not so much against NC State. True freshman Aaron Philo played well and led the game-winning drive, but going into Athens as a true freshman and beating Georgia is a tough ask. Can Georgia Tech run the ball? They were able to overcome a poor performance on the ground last night, but they usually lose when they don’t run the ball well. The defense played great at times last night, but had a really bad fourth quarter and nearly let the game slip away. When Georgia has lost this season, quarterback Carson Beck has been a big reason why. Can Tyler Santucci’s defense force Beck to make mistakes?
They might not be able to beat the Bulldogs in Athens to close the season out, but this is without a doubt the best chance that they have had since they last won the game in 2016. Georgia Tech has relished being in the underdog role with Key at the helm and he is looking to pull off his biggest win yet.
Additional Links:
ACC Power Rankings: Week 14
Updated ACC Recruiting Rankings: Georgia Tech Has a Strong Grip On The No. 2 Class in the Conference
Bleav Georgia Tech: Instant Reaction To Four-Star Safety Tae Harris Flipping From Clemson to Georgia Tech
Georgia
SEC title game scenarios: Auburn upset sets up Georgia vs. Texas-Texas A&M winner in Atlanta
Rival programs Texas and Texas A&M will meet next Saturday for the first time in 13 years and will have an SEC championship game berth on the line when they do.
The winner between the No. 3 Longhorns and No. 15 Aggies will clinch a berth in the SEC title game and will play No. 10 Georgia. The SEC office confirmed Saturday night that following Week 13’s results, the Bulldogs have clinched a spot in the conference title game for the fourth consecutive season.
That’s the unexpected outcome of a stunning day of upsets in the SEC, which saw Ole Miss and Alabama eliminated by taking a third loss, No. 11 Tennessee eliminated because of tiebreakers and Georgia clinch a spot after the new tiebreaker rules were examined.
Here’s a look at the top four teams in the standings heading into Week 14:
| Team | SEC record | Final SEC opponent |
|---|---|---|
|
6-1 |
at Texas A&M |
|
|
6-2 |
n/a |
|
|
5-2 |
Texas |
|
|
5-2 |
at Vanderbilt |
Breaking down the SEC scenarios
• If Texas wins next week, then it has the best record and No. 1 seed. Georgia would then be the second seed whether or not Tennessee wins against Vanderbilt, as Georgia owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Volunteers.
• If Texas A&M wins, it creates either a three-way or four-way tie for first place, depending on whether Tennessee wins. None of the first tiebreakers would appear to apply, so it would go to schedule strength. Texas A&M has that edge right now, and according to the SEC office calculations that would still hold after next week. Here is what they are after this weekend’s games:
| Team | Opponents’ cumulative conference record |
|---|---|
|
28-30 |
|
|
26-32 |
|
|
26-35 |
|
|
23-36 |
But that would only clinch the first seed, and the tiebreaker process would go back to the beginning with the remaining three teams. In that case, Georgia would get the second seed, by virtue of having beaten Tennessee and Texas.
If Texas A&M wins but Tennessee loses, then Georgia still gets the spot via its head-to-head win over the Longhorns.
The bottom line: It’s complicated.
Here are the six SEC tiebreakers, in order:
- Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
- Record versus all common conference opponents among the tied teams
- Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent in the conference standings, and proceeding through the conference standings among the tied teams
- Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
- Capped relative total scoring margin versus all conference opponents among the tied teams
- Random draw of the tied teams
How Auburn upset the Aggies
Auburn receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith made a leaping catch in the middle of the end zone of a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Payton Thorne in the fourth overtime that proved to be the game winner. Texas A&M had a chance to match it, but Marcel Reed’s rollout pass to Amari Daniels was dropped. Auburn fans stormed the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium to celebrate the win, its first over a ranked team in the Hugh Freeze era.
The Tigers (5-6, 2-5) raced out to a 21-0 second quarter lead behind their passing game. Thorne connected on four pass plays of 15 or more yards in the first quarter alone, including a 63-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman and a 60-yard completion to Lambert-Smith.
Texas A&M charged back with three touchdowns on its next four drives to tie the game at 21 with 7:57 to go in the third quarter. Aggies receiver Noah Thomas (five catches, 124 yards) accounted for two of those on touchdown catches of 14 and 73 yards in the third quarter.
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (130 rushing yards, three touchdowns) gave the Tigers a 28-21 lead, but Texas A&M responded with a Randy Bond field goal and an 8-yard Daniels touchdown run to take a 31-28 lead with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers penetrated inside A&M’s 10 in the final minute but settled for a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second overtime. By rule, teams must attempt alternating two-point conversion plays beginning in the third overtime. Both teams failed to convert theirs in the third overtime.
Looking ahead
Despite the loss, the Aggies still have a chance to make it to the SEC title game for the first time in school history. Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 but failed to win its division under Kevin Sumlin or Jimbo Fisher.
New coach Mike Elko has a chance to do something neither of his predecessors could, but it will require an upset of rival Texas. A loss will eliminate the Aggies from College Football Playoff contention since they’ll be ranked well outside the top 12.
The Longhorns visit Kyle Field next week, the first time since 2011 the rivals will meet and the 119th edition of the rivalry. Texas leads the all-time series 76-37-5 and won the last meeting 27-25 on a Justin Tucker field goal as time expired.
Earlier in the day, Georgia wasn’t considering the SEC championship a strong possibility, much less clinching a spot before the day was over. More of the discussion had been about whether it would be better to miss the game, rest and prepare for the first round of the Playoff, rather than risk a loss and drop further in the rankings.
“We haven’t really discussed it,” guard Tate Ratledge said. “If it falls into place, we’re going to do our best to go up there and do our best to win it. But if it doesn’t it doesn’t. Right now we’re just focused on (Georgia) Tech.”
(Photo: Michael Chang / Getty Images)
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