Kirk Herbstreit snubs Georgia in College Football Playoff rankings prediction
By John Buhler
Not everybody on the College GameDay set on Saturday morning thinks Georgia is the best team in all of college football. The Dawgs still have to win a major rivalry game on Saturday afternoon over Florida in the Cocktail Party, but this team has not lost a game in well over a year now. The two-time defending national champions have sat atop the AP Poll throughout the entire year up to this point.
While Rece Davis, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee all agreed that the Dawgs should be on top in the initial CFP rankings coming out on Tuesday, Kirk Herbstreit had UGA at No. 2 ... behind Michigan... Herbstreit may be a noted Ohio State alum, who he had fourth, but not even Wolverines legend and Heisman Trophy winner Howard had his Michigan team atop of the Dawgs. You do have to wonder...
Although Lee Corso was not on the show today due to a family matter, here is how the other guys put together their initial top sixes: The four teams that are getting in, and the first two teams that are out.
- Rece Davis: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Oklahoma
- Desmond Howard: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Ohio State
- Pat McAfee: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Florida State
- Kirk Herbstreit: No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Oklahoma
Who has the right College Football Playoff rankings ahead of the final weekend before the first one?
Kirk Herbstreit snubs Georgia in first College Football Playoff prediction
While Georgia and Michigan are universal picks inside the top three, all four college football analysts for ESPN have a differing opinion on all six teams in question: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, the Florida State Seminoles, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Washington Huskies. Washington was a universal No. 5 team for all four analysts, but all four cannot agree on the other five rankings at all.
Truth be told, mine would feature all of the same six teams, but my order would be yet another different one. I would have Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State as my first four in. Washington would be my first team out and Oklahoma would be my second. I guess I reflect the AP voters, even though I do not have a vote. Of the four analysts' picks, I would side with Davis' the most.
At this time, it is hard to argue for anyone else in the top six, as Oklahoma has the head-to-head victory over No. 7 Texas and Washington owns the head-to-head over No. 8 Oregon. I get that Georgia has not played anyone of significance yet, but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Any of these teams can be in the top four, but an undefeated Georgia should have the top spot.
You factor in the Michigan scandal and you may wonder how the Selection Committee feels about it.