Down goes No. 3 Florida.
The Gators were upset by a Georgia team that lost four straight games heading into their SEC showdown. Florida dug itself into a 26-point first-half hole, though they made a valiant comeback effort, even taking the lead with roughly one minute remaining. But alas, the Bulldogs ultimately prevailed, thanks to some clutch late-game free throws.
Georgia scored its last seven points from the charity stripe in the 88-83 victory over the Gators. The reeling Bulldogs bolstered their resume tremendously by stunning Florida, keeping their 2025 NCAA Tournament hopes alive. However, if the updated conference standings are any indication, top-ranked Auburn benefits the most from the shocking result.
Updated SEC standings after Georiga shocks Florida
1. Auburn Tigers (13-1)
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-3)
3. Florida Gators (11-4)
T-4. Tennessee Volunteers (10-5)
T-4. Missouri Tigers (10-5)
5. Texas A&M Aggies (9-5)
6. Ole Miss Rebels (8-6)
7. Kentucky Wildcats (7-7)
8. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-8)
9. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-8)
T-10. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-9)
T-10. Texas Longhorns (5-9)
13. Georgia Bulldogs (5-10)
14. Oklahoma Sooners (4-10)
15. LSU Tigers (3-12)
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (1-14)
Florida now trails Auburn by 2.5 games with only three more matches in league play on the schedule. The Gators were a legitimate threat to challenge for the 2024-25 regular-season SEC title, but the Tigers' path to securing the crown now becomes clearer.
When can Auburn clinch the 2024-25 regular-season SEC title?
Florida holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Auburn, thanks to their 90-81 road win on Feb. 8 at Neville Arena. So, Georgia did them a massive favor, putting the Tigers within reach of securing their first regular-season conference championship since the 2021-22 campaign.
Auburn can clinch at least a share of the SEC regular-season title by handling business in its next two contests against Ole Miss and Kentucky. But they can also claim sole possession of first place if Alabama suffers a fourth conference loss somewhere along the way.
In addition to being atop the SEC and national rankings, Auburn is the No. 1 overall seed in Joe Lunardi of ESPN's latest bracketology. They've been the best team in the country virtually all season and are showing zero signs of slowing down.