ATHENS — This time next week, Georgia will know its College Football Playoff plans.

The final rankings will be released at noon ET next Sunday. Currently, Georgia is No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, which will be re-released on Tuesday night.

The latest AP Poll Top 25 rankings did see Georgia move up to No. 3 following its 16-9 win over Georgia Tech this weekend. Georgia is also No. 3 in this week’s Coaches Poll Top 25.

Should Georgia remain inside the top four, it would clinch a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. And unlike last season, Georgia does not need to necessarily win this weekend to ensure a bye week.

This year, the top four seeds will get automatic byes. Last season, the four-highest rated conference champions received first-round byes. This year, the five highest-rated conference champions gain entry into the 12-team field but do not get byes.

Following the win over Georgia Tech, head coach Kirby Smart outlined what the week ahead would look like for Georgia.

“First thing we’ll do is go in, look at our roster, talk to our kids, visit with our kids, get ready for signing day, get recovery, do some lifting,” Smart said. “Do some self-scout, look at some other opponents and see what they’re doing well, how we can maybe grow our encyclopedia of offense and defense, and just continue to get better. But we got a plan in place, and we talked to some people that have had to sit that week before and try to do the best thing, and the best thing is get our guys healthy.”

Those comments were before Georgia knew it would be playing in the SEC championship game. Texas A&M’s loss to the Texas Longhorns clinched a berth in the SEC championship game for the Bulldogs.

Georgia will face a familiar foe in the Alabama Crimson Tide, who beat Auburn 27-20 on Saturday.

This will be the third time in the last five seasons that Georgia and Alabama have met in the SEC championship game. Alabama gave Georgia its only loss earlier this season when the Crimson Tide beat Georgia 24-21 in Athens.

Should Georgia get revenge, it will almost certainly be a top four seed, likely climbing to No. 2 as Indiana and Ohio State play each other in the Big Ten championship game. If the Bulldogs lose once again, the door is open for Georgia falling to No. 5, past Texas Tech and Alabama, and hosting a first round playoff game against the No. 12 ranked team.

For now, Georgia is focused on winning this week and getting a much-sought-after win over Alabama. Smart is 1-7 in his career against Alabama.

Georgia’s game against Alabama is set for a 4 p.m. ET start on ABC.

You can see the full AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 15. The next College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET. Georgia is ranked No. 4 in those rankings.

AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 15