Gunnar Stockton had a lot of scrutiny coming into the season, but he proved why the Georgia Bulldogs believed in him this whole time. He not only kept the Bulldogs close to Tennessee after getting behind, 21-7, early. They eventually took a lead in the second half before a back-and-forth fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs, though they probably should have lost, looked like a solid team and they’re still one of the toughest teams to beat in the SEC. If Tennessee couldn’t pull it off at home with the situation they were in with a possible game-winning field goal, I don’t know if anybody will be able to knock off Georgia this year.
Here are the projected rankings after Georgia escapes with a three-point win over Tennessee to open their conference slate.
Projected rankings after Georgia escapes Knoxville with first conference win
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- LSU Tigers
- Oregon Ducks
- Miami Hurricanes
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Texas Longhorns
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Florida State Seminoles
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Utah Utes
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Michigan Wolverines
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Auburn Tigers
- Missouri Tigers
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Baylor Bears
It was the perfect way to set up an exciting evening slate of games. Georgia had to fight, but they managed to avoid the upset loss. First it was a Max Gilbert missed field goal in regulation and after Gilbert made one in overtime, Georgia ultimately scored the touchdown to win. With the win, the SEC standing got a whole lot more convoluted. Nonetheless, here’s the projected rankings.
Tennessee drops stays in Top 20 despite first loss of the season
The Volunteers shouldn’t be punished for losing a game in which they lost by three points and were ranked nine spots behind their opponent. They looked every bit like one of the best teams in the country and they should still be considered one of the best. Though the AP voters have been very hot and cold with their rankings, they can’t slam Tennessee for an overtime loss to a higher-ranked team.
This season, Tennessee has to play Alabama and Florida on the road and then play Oklahoma at home. They'll have some chances to gain some ground and if I'm any of those teams, I'm not overlooking the Volunteers. This game proved they won't be easy to beat again this year.
Georgia stays put at top of AP poll proves how good they are
The Bulldogs stay put at No. 6. With nobody losing ahead of them, there’s no reason to move them up, especially when they probably should have lost that game. This game proved the Bulldogs aren’t bulletproof like they have been in years past, but it showed they’re still a good football team. Georgia set the tone with a comeback win against Tennessee and they should still be a dangerous team to watch, regardless of how this game went.
Georgia's conference slate is brutal with ranked games against Alabama, Florida, Texas, Ole Miss and Auburn. The Bulldogs will also end the season against Georgia Tech, who just knocked off No. 12 Clemson earlier on Saturday. Georgia will have a tough slate ahead of them, but they proved in the face of adversity, they're not to be played with.