Is Georgia a lock for the College Football Playoff after beating Tennessee?

Georgia has its eyes set on the College Football Playoff after beating Tennessee at home badly.

With the most impressive victory on the season, Georgia looks to be heading back to the College Football Playoff after beating Tennessee Between the Hedges on Saturday afternoon.

Truth be told, the Dawgs have arguably two of the three most impressive victories on the season. Their other one would have to be the drubbing of Oregon in Atlanta over Labor Day Weekend. Tennessee beating Alabama at home by a field goal still carries some clout, but probably not to the degree of those two wins the Dawgs have. With that in mind, are they a lock to make the playoff?

No, Georgia is not a lock to make the College Football Playoff right this instant, but the Dawgs’ pathway back into it just got a whole lot easier.

What Georgia has to do now to be a lock to make the College Football Playoff

At 9-0 overall and 6-0 in SEC play, Georgia is three more victories from getting back to Atlanta at a perfect 12-0. They still have to play on the road at Mississippi State next week and on the road at Kentucky in two weeks to close out conference play. The Dawgs will also get to host their in-state rival Georgia Tech in Athens over Thanksgiving Weekend for some Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

Because the Dawgs hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee, all Georgia needs to do is beat either Mississippi State or Kentucky to get to 7-1 in conference play to win the SEC East. If they get to Atlanta at 12-0, the Dawgs are pretty much a lock to make the College Football Playoff, regardless of the outcome. They may need some help if they lose the conference title bout.

If Georgia is 11-1 heading into the SEC Championship Game, the Dawgs are making the playoff should they beat whoever comes out of the SEC West between Alabama, LSU or Ole Miss. However, a two-loss SEC East champ and SEC runner-up is not making the playoff. A two-loss champion might be getting in, given Georgia’s overall clout in the sport, but let’s not count on it.

Overall, the Dawgs are about as close to a playoff lock as a 9-0 (6-0) team can be at this time. You cannot deny how impressive the Oregon and Tennessee victories are in the Dawgs’ favor. Although a loss to Mississippi State, Kentucky or to the Ramblin’ Wreck would not be the least bit good, the Dawgs can afford one of them and still get in, as long as they beat the SEC West division winner.

The best thing the Dawgs need right now is for the other undefeated teams in the country to lose a game between now and championship weekend. Only five remain, but we are not going to have any more than four heading into early December, as Ohio State will host Michigan in The Game. Clemson can get to Charlotte undefeated and TCU can do the same when it comes to Arlington.

All things equal, a one-loss SEC champion is getting in over every Power Five champion that has one or more loss on the year. The fewer undefeated teams remaining by December, the better it is for Georgia’s chances of getting in. Ultimately, there are no such things as playoff guarantees in the first week of November, but it would take quite a lot for Georgia not to be a top-four team in.

The best thing the Dawgs can do is to go into Davis Wade on Saturday and beat Mississippi State.

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