Georgia football moves up in College Football Playoff rankings

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is indifferent to the College Football Playoff rankings at this stage of the process.

Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Posted 1 week ago

ATHENS — Georgia football moved up a spot to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings released on ESPN late Tuesday night.

Three undefeated teams sit atop the CFB Playoff rankings: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame. Michigan (8-1) is the only one-loss team ranked ahead of the Bulldogs.

LSU, previously No. 3, fell to No. 7 after losing at home to the Crimson Tide last Saturday, 29-0.

Georgia clinched the SEC East Division and a trip to the SEC Championship Game with last Saturday’s 34-17 victory at No. 11 Kentucky.

The Bulldogs will play Alabama on Dec. 1 in the SEC title game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the sight of the teams’ College Football Playoff Championship Game in January. The Tide won that game 26-23, in overtime.

Smart said last week that he didn’t put much stock in the rankings at this point in the process, and his feelings clearly haven’t changed, as he didn’t even address the topic at his Tuesday night press conference.

“I’m not curious at all, because we all know the end is what matters,” Smart said last week. “Bottom line is pretty much every team that’s in there, if they win, they are in, because a lot of them are going to play each other.”

Smart made it clear on Tuesday night that Georgia is focused on its 7 p.m. Saturday game against No. 24 Auburn in Sanford Stadium.

“The guys are fired up,” Smart said. “Definitely more pep in their step when they’re playing Auburn.”

The CFB Playoff rankings will be released each Tuesday from now until Sunday, Dec. 2, which is when the final rankings will be released and set the CFB Playoffs and New Year’s Six Bowl games.

The top four teams in the final rankings participate in the College Football Playoff Semifinals at 4. p.m. and 8 p.m. on Dec. 29 at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas, and the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The College Football Playoff Championship Game takes place at 8 p.m. on Jan. 7 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

College Football Playoff rankings, week 10

1. Alabama 9-0
2. Clemson 9-0
3. Notre Dame 9-0
4. Michigan 8-1
5. Georgia 8-1
6. Oklahoma 8-1
7 LSU 7-2
8. Washington State 8-1
9. West Virginia 7-1
10. Ohio State, 8-1
11. Kentucky, 7-2
12. UCF, 8-0
13. Syracuse, 7-2
14. N.C. State, 6-2
15. Florida, 6-3
16. Mississippi State, 6-3
17. Boston College, 7-2
18. Michigan State, 6-3
19. Texas, 6-3
20. Penn State, 6-3
21. Iowa, 6-3
22. Iowa State, 5-3
23. Fresno State, 8-1
24. Auburn, 6-3
25. Washington, 7-3