The initial College Football Playoff rankings come out this Tuesday, and the Georgia Bulldogs have a case to be in the top spot
This Tuesday, we can all really start freaking out about the college football season when we get the very first College Football Playoff rankings of the year. The past couple years, the narrative has been that the SEC is no longer the dominant conference in college football, but when those rankings are released on Tuesday night by the committee, it’s pretty much guaranteed there will be two teams from the conference in the top two spots — Alabama and Georgia.
The assumption by many is that it will be the mighty Crimson Tide in the top spot with the Bulldogs from the East Division right behind them, setting the stage right off the bat for what could be quite the epic SEC Championship Game down the road.
But, could it actually be the other way around come Tuesday evening? Do the Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart really deserve that top billing more than The Alabama Crimson Tide and his mentor Nick Saban?
You can definitely make the case for it.
In the second season under Smart, Georgia has played like the best team in the country. With the running back duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel leading the way, Georgia’s rushing offense is just a nightmare to deal with for opposing defenses — not letting too much pressure be put on freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. And speaking of defense, the Bulldogs have not been a letdown in that facet of the game. Coming into Week 9, where they demolished the Florida Gators, the Bulldogs’ defensive unit ranked third in the nation in total defense, allowing just 252.6 yards per game. This is a complete team, for the most part, certainly deserving of being called the best team in the country.
Now, when it comes to the College Football Playoff Committee and their selections, we know that rèsume is a big deal. Georgia may have the leg up over Alabama here, too. When it comes down to it, while both teams are undefeated, Georgia probably has the best win of anyone out there this season. Back in early September, this Bulldogs group made the trip to South Bend where they came away with the 20-19 win over Notre Dame. As we’ve come to find out, the Irish are a lot better than people gave them credit for at the time, with them turning into a College Football Playoff contender themselves with the tear they’ve been on since that loss. But since that close outing against Notre Dame, it’s been smooth sailing for Georgia, winning up to this point by an average margin of 31.3 points.
To start the year, Alabama had assumed it locked up what would be considered at this time of the year the best win of anyone in college football when they defeated Florida State in Atlanta. Well, as it turns out, the Seminoles aren’t nearly the team we all thought they’d be during the preseason, just recently dropping to 2-5 after a loss to Boston College on the road. While most of the Tide’s wins have been pretty easily attained along the way, the committee may not be too pleased with the all-too-close one against Texas A&M a few weeks ago and may decide to somewhat factor in Alabama’s defense giving up 23 points and 391 yards to Colorado State.
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Ultimately, does it really matter who’s ranked above the other? No, not really in the grand scheme of things. If you’re one of the final four teams in the rankings, you’re in the position you need to be, plain and simple. But, does every team in college football yearn to be recognized as the No. 1 team in the most important ranking? Absolutely they do, and this 2017 Georgia team has maybe earned — and deserves — the right to be recognized as the best as we get set for the final month of the college football regular season.