What’s next for Georgia after SEC title game win: Bulldogs likely headed to Sugar Bowl

ATLANTA — Georgia will receive a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff and is likely headed to play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 after beating Alabama 28-7 in the SEC championship game.

The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (12-1) will likely be seeded No. 2 or No. 3 when the CFP rankings come out at noon Sunday and set the 12-team bracket.

The future of the No. 9-ranked Crimson Tide carries some doubt, as they dropped to 10-3 with the loss and will be measured against No. 10 Notre Dame (10-2) and No. 12 Miami (10-2) by the committee, with two at-large bids available between the three teams.

The Irish, who were idle, had occupied the final at-large spot in the projected bracket entering the weekend.

Two championship game automatic qualifiers — out of the ACC (Virginia, with a win over Duke in ACC title game), American (Tulane) or Sun Belt (James Madison) — are expected to secure the final two slots in the playoff with the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds

Georgia, meanwhile, will head to Sugar Bowl if they are ranked higher than Big 12 champion Texas Tech (12-1), which defeated No. 11 BYU 34-7 on Saturday.

The New Orleans bowl site is contracted to take the higher-ranked conference champion of the SEC or Big 12.

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Georgia has been ahead of the No. 4-ranked Red Raiders throughout the CFP’s weekly rankings.

Selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said Tuesday that UGA’s advantage over Texas Tech was the Bulldogs’ schedule strength (25th, to Texas Tech’s 59th) — a metric that got stronger with UGA’s win over the No. 9 Crimson Tide on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Georgia’s seeding is more in question, as No. 1 Ohio State (12-0) plays No. 2 Indiana (12-0) in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday night.

If the Bulldogs are elevated over the Big Ten title game loser to No. 2 in the rankings — and thus, the No. 2 seed — they will play the winner of the first-round game hosted by the yet-to-be-determined No. 7-seed team against the No. 10 seed.

If the Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed, they will play the winner of the first-round game hosted by the No. 6 seed against the No. 11 seed.

No. 20-ranked Tulane (11-2) is projected to be the No. 11 or No. 12 seed after winning the AAC championship game over No. 24 North Texas (11-2) on Friday, 34-21.

The Green Wave’s seed will depend on the outcome of the ACC championship game on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, between Duke (7-5) and No. 17-ranked Virginia (10-2).

If the No. 17-ranked Cavaliers defeat the Blue Devils, they are projected to be the No. 11 seed, and that would relegate Tulane to the No. 12 seed.

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If the Blue Devils defeat the Cavaliers, the Green Wave is projected to be the No. 11 seed and No. 25-ranked James Madison (12-1) could be the No. 12 seed, if it ends up ranked higher than Duke.

James Madison defeated Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt championship game on Friday night.

CFP first-round games

(At campus sites)

Teams TBD

Dec. 19 (8 p.m.), Dec. 20 (Noon, 3:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.)
No. 12-seed at No. 5-seed
No. 11-seed at No. 6-seed
No. 10-seed at No. 7 seed
No. 9-seed at No. 8

CFP quarterfinal games

Dec. 31-Jan. 1

Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Jan. 1 Orange Bowl, Noon, Thursday

Jan. 1 Rose Bowl, 4 p.m., Thursday

• Big Ten champion

Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, 8 p.m., Thursday

• Highest-ranked champ of SEC or Big 12

CFP semifinal games

(Highest-ranked team goes to closest (geographical) semifinal bowl site)

Jan. 8 Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 p.m., Thursday

Jan. 9 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, 7:30 p.m. Friday

CFP championship game

Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium, 7:30 p.m., Monday

CFP rankings

(Entering championship week)

1. Ohio State (12-0)

Vs. No. 2 Indiana in Big Ten title game (late)

2. Indiana (12-0)

Vs. No. 1 Ohio State in Big Ten title game (late

3. Georgia (11-1)

Defeated No. 9 Alabama in SEC title game, 28-7

4. Texas Tech (11-1)

Defeated No. 11 BYU in Big 12 title game, 34-7

5. Oregon (11-1)

Idle

6. Ole Miss (11-1)

Idle

7. Texas A&M (11-1)

Idle

8. Oklahoma (10-2)

Idle

9. Alabama (10-2)

Lost to No. 3 Georgia in SEC title game, 28-7

10. Notre Dame (10-2)

Idle

11. BYU (11-1)

Lost to No. 4 Texas Tech in Big 12 title game, 34-7

12. Miami (10-2)

Idle

13. Texas (9-3)

Idle

14. Vanderbilt (10-2)

Idle

15. Utah (10-2)

Idle

16. USC (9-3)

Idle

17. Virginia (10-2)

Vs. Duke (7-5) in ACC title game, late

18. Arizona (9-3)

Idle

19. Michigan (9-3)

Idle

20. Tulane (10-2)

Defeated No. 24 North Texas in American title game, 34-21

21. Houston (9-3)

Idle

22. Georgia Tech (9-3)

Idle

23. Iowa (8-4)

Idle

24. North Texas (11-1)

Lost to No. 20 Tulane in American title game, 34-21

25. James Madison (11-1)

Defeated Troy in Sun Belt title game, 31-14

Georgia players enter the field to face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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Southeastern Conference legends are recognized before Georgia faces Alabama in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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The U.S. flag is unfurled for the national anthem before Georgia faces Alabama in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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The Georgia marching band performs during the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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The Georgia marching band performs during the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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The Georgia marching band performs during the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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The Georgia and Alabama marching bands perform during the national anthem at the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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Georgia and Alabama marching bands line up to perform the national anthem to begin the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Photographer: Jason Getz

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Members of Georgia’s Spirit Squad entertain fans during pep-rallies at The Dr Pepper SEC FanFare ahead of the SEC Championship football game between Georgia and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)