Georgia football is perfect no more. That much is clear after Alabama’s dominating 41-24 win over the Bulldogs in the 2021 SEC Championship Game.
The loss is the first of the season for Georgia, dropping the Bulldogs to 12-1. Georgia also fell in this week’s AP Poll, with the Bulldogs now sitting at No. 3. The Bulldogs also sit at No. 3 in this week’s Coaches Poll.
The College Football Playoff rankings are set to drop at 12:15 p.m. ET. If Georgia is in the top four of those rankings, the Bulldogs will make the College Football Playoff. Michigan moved up to No. 2 after its win over Iowa in the Big Ten championship game while Alabama now sits at No. 1. Cincinnati comes in at No. 4 in the polls.
After the loss, Georgia players and coaches made it very clear they intended to move on quickly from the loss. The defense got torched, giving up a season-high in yards and points. At one point Alabama ripped off 31 points in five straight possessions. Georgia’s vaunted defense sacked Alabama’s Bryce Young a grand total of zero times. Coming into the game, Alabama had given up 35.0 sacks with only LSU and Tennessee surrendering more among SEC teams.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was also intercepted twice in the loss, with one of those being returned for a touchdown. He told reporters after the game that the entire team, himself included, had to be better going forward.
“Yeah, we just didn’t play our best game today,” Bennett said. “They did. Can’t turn the ball over. Just little mental lapses. That can’t happen. We’re going to work on starting tomorrow. Hopefully, get ready for whoever we play next.”
The College Football Playoff semifinals will be held on Dec. 31, with one semifinal in Dallas and the other in Miami. The Bulldogs last made the College Football Playoff in 2017. Georgia beat Oklahoma before falling to Alabama in the national championship game.
To see the full AP Poll for Week 15, see below.
AP Poll Top 25 rankings Week 15
- Alabama
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Cincinnati
- Notre Dame
- Baylor
- Ohio State
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma State
- Utah
- Michigan State
- BYU
- Pitt
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Louisiana
- Iowa
- NC State
- Clemson
- Wake Forest
- Houston
- Arkansas
- Texas A&M
- UTSA
- Kentucky
Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings Week 15
- Alabama
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Cincinnati
- Notre Dame
- Baylor
- Ohio State
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma State
- Michigan State
- Utah
- Pitt
- Oklahoma
- BYU
- Oregon
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- NC State
- Wake Forest
- Kentucky
- Houston
- Clemson
- Texas A&M
- Arkansas
- UTSA
More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation
- Dan Mullen second-guesses Kirby Smart’s fourth-down decision, ‘deflated Georgia sideline’
- Kirby Smart states case for Georgia football in College Football Playoff, points out obvious issues for Bulldogs
- Georgia report card: Bulldogs can’t find enough answers in SEC title game test against Alabama, 41-24
- ‘Wake-up call’ applies to conservative Kirby Smart, 41-24 SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama
- Kirby Smart sounds on Georgia football quarterback situation after SEC championship game defeat
- Georgia suffers complete team loss in 41-24 setback to Alabama in SEC Championship Game
- Georgia football instant observations, as Bulldogs once again fall to Alabama
