Georgia

SEC title game scenarios: Auburn upset sets up Georgia vs. Texas-Texas A&M winner in Atlanta

Published

1 year ago

November 24, 2024

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 Advertisement	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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Georgia Power proposal could raise bills as company seeks to expand grid

Published

10 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Georgia Power proposal could raise bills as company seeks to expand grid

Utility rate increase possible if PSC approves Georgia Power request

Georgia Power wants to add more energy to the grid. But analysts with the state agency that regulates rates say that could mean your monthly utility bill could go up. Right now, the Public Service Commission is considering a request from Georgia Power to add 10-gigawatts to the grid.

ATLANTA – Georgia Power wants to add more energy to the grid — but analysts with the state agency that regulates utility rates say that could mean higher monthly bills for customers.

What we know:

Right now, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is considering Georgia Power’s request to add 10 gigawatts of energy capacity. The company says the expansion is needed to keep up with rising demand, particularly from data centers that could move into the state.

What they’re saying:

Public advocates warn that all that extra power could come at a cost to customers who are already paying more than they used to.

Giselle Graciano, who moved from Kansas to metro Atlanta earlier this year, said her monthly utility bills have been much higher than expected.

“Average bill, so far, has been around $90 to $110,” Graciano said. “Compared to where I came from, yeah — that’s a lot of money.”

In recent testimony, public-interest advocacy staff with the PSC said Georgia Power’s proposal could raise monthly bills by about $20.

“Definitely, a bit of a strain in terms of budgeting, especially in current economic conditions,” Graciano said.

Georgia Power has already raised prices six times since 2022, though the PSC approved a rate freeze through 2028. Consumer advocates worry customer bills could rise again once that freeze ends.

“I think it’s a travesty,” said Kimberly Scott, Executive Director of the advocacy group Georgia WAND. “We could see an increase in our rates come 2028, 2029.”

Public-interest advocates are urging the PSC to approve only about one-third of what Georgia Power requested, arguing it’s unclear if the potential data center contracts will actually materialize.

“The approach seems to be, if you build it, they will come. But what if they don’t?” said Bob Sherrier, Staff Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

The other side:

In a statement, Georgia Power spokesperson Matthew Kent said the company disagrees with staff testimony calling its demand projections speculative.

“We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to ensure that we have the reliable energy Georgia needs as our state grows while maintaining affordability for all customers,” Kent said. “It is due to these large-load commitments that Georgia Power was able to freeze base rates for the next three years.”

What’s next:

The Public Service Commission will hold hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 12 and is expected to vote on Dec. 19, just before newly elected commissioners are sworn in.

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Christopher King speaking with advocates and past FOX 5 reporting. He also reached out to Georgia Power for a statement.

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Want Georgia football tickets vs. Georgia Tech? See best prices for remaining available seats

Published

1 day ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Want Georgia football tickets vs. Georgia Tech? See best prices for remaining available seats

No. 4 Georgia football (10-1) travels to No. 19 Georgia Tech (9-2) on Friday, Nov. 28, at 3:30 p.m.

It’s the final regular season game of the year for the Bulldogs.

For the fans staying in the Classic City to watch the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic at a local dive bar, the game will be broadcast on ABC.

However, for the fans that are planning to travel the roughly two-hour drive (with Thanksgiving and Black Friday traffic on top of normal metro area traffic, definitely expect delays) across SR-316 W to I-85 and Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, here’s how much tickets cost and where to buy them.

Buy Georgia football tickets

Georgia football tickets vs. Georgia Tech

Ticket prices for the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game at Mercedes Benz Stadium on Friday, Nov. 28, at 3:30 p.m. start at $196 on StubHub, $148 on Ticketmaster, and $234 on VividSeats.

To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub.

Buy Georgia football tickets

Georgia football schedule

Here is the entire 2025 Georgia football schedule.

Game 1: Georgia 45, Marshall 7
Game 2: Georgia 28, Austin Peay 6
Game 3: Georgia 44, Tennessee 41 (OT)
Game 4: Alabama 24, Georgia 21
Game 5: Georgia 35, Kentucky 14
Game 6: Georgia 20, Auburn 10
Game 7: Georgia 43, Ole Miss 35
Game 8: Georgia 24, Florida 20
Game 9: Georgia 41, Mississippi State 21
Game 10: Georgia 35, Texas 10
Game 11: Georgia 35, Charlotte 3
Game 12: Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

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Coaches Poll Top 25 sees Georgia football keep its ranking heading into rivalry week

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2025

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Coaches Poll Top 25 sees Georgia football keep its ranking heading into rivalry week

ATHENS — To little surprise, Georgia picked up an easy win over Charlotte on Saturday.

The 35-3 win ensured Georgia would remain as the No. 4-ranked team in the Coaches Poll Top 25 heading into Week 14.

Georgia’s opponent heading into the final week of the season did not enjoy a stress-free Saturday, with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets falling 42-28 at home to Pitt.

The loss dropped Georgia Tech from No. 12 to No. 19 in the Coaches Poll rankings. The Yellow Jackets also saw their ACC championship game hopes take a serious hit. A win would’ve clinched a spot in the conference title game.

Now, Georgia Tech has to try and get off the mat with Georgia rolling into Atlanta.

The game won’t be played at home for Georgia Tech, with the game moving to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be a short week for both teams, with the game being played on Black Friday once again.

Last year’s contest was played in Athens and saw the Yellow Jackets jump out to a 17-0 lead. Georgia rallied to win in eight overtimes, 44-42.

Prior to yesterday’s loss, Georgia coach Kirby Smart made it known Georgia expects to get Georgia Tech’s best shot and then some this coming week.

“It’s the same amount of time they have, we have,” Smart said. “So I don’t know that it’s an advantage. The advantage, I guess you’re asking about, is you did it before, so repeating the process. But it’s a little different this time for us in terms of timing and everything because we’ve got to go on the road this time.”

Georgia will be fully occupied with trying to take down Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs do still have a chance to play back-to-back games in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as Georgia is still alive to play in the SEC championship game.

Georgia’s chances of making it to the game did take a hit on Saturday with Vanderbilt beating Kentucky. The only scenarios in which Georgia can get to Atlanta involve either Texas A&M losing to Texas or Alabama losing to Auburn. Both of those games will be played after Georgia concludes its game against Georgia Tech.

Friday’s game is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET game on ABC.

You can see the full Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings below.