CFP rankings update for Georgia football: Where Bulldogs landed in bracket
Georgia football started in a familiar spot in the unveiling of the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs were inside the top three for a fourth straight year on the CFP rankings.
Georgia is No. 3 in the initial rankings, which is one spot lower than it is in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll.
"I don’t think you can worry about it much," coach Kirby Smart said less than an hour before the rankings show on ESPN. "Certainly, whatever it is today, it won’t be the next week and the next week and the next week. It’s great energy and buzz for you guys and the fans, I guess, but every minute you spend worrying about that, it’s one less I’m worried about our team.”
This time the rankings come in a season when a bracket will be filled in for the first 12-team playoff.
"You’re going to look a little further down," Smart said. "You would look at 12 last year and figure out does the 12 team have a shot to get to the fourth? What’s gotta happen? …Now you’re looking at 20, 21 or 22 with the automatic qualifier. Who’s got the best shot and how are they going to perceive these teams?"
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, linebacker Jalon Walker and company have a big road test Saturday at CFP No. 16 Ole Miss. The Bulldogs are 7-1.
Georgia started at No. 2 last year and moved up to No. 1 in the rankings and held the spot for three weeks before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game and sliding to 6 and out of the playoff.
Latest CFP rankings
Here are the top 12 teams in the first reveal:
No. 1 Oregon
No. 2 Ohio State
No. 3 Georgia
No. 4 Miami
No. 5 Texas
No. 6 Penn State
No. 7 Tennessee
No. 8 Indiana
No. 9 BYU
No. 10 Notre Dame
No. 11 Alabama
No. 12 Boise State
Georgia’s projected CFP opponent
Georgia would be the No. 2 seed and would play the winner of No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
College Football Playoff bracket: Who’s in, who’s out
The first-round matchups would be: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State, No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Alabama, No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Indiana. The other first-round byes are No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Miami and No. 4 BYU which would get the bye because the Big 12 would be ranked as the fourth highest ranked conference.
Teams on the outside of the bracket this week include No. 13 SMU, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 15 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss.
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
The playoff has expanded from a four-team to 12-team field. The four highest ranked conference champions receive byes and the fifth-highest ranked conference champion is slotted where it is ranked in or placed at No. 12 of lower. Ohio State is the No. 5 seed because it is the second ranked Big Ten team.
When next College Football Playoff rankings come out
The second CFP rankings will be revealed during the top 25 rankings show on Tuesday Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia in CFP rankings: Latest bracket, playoff picture, what to know
