How Georgia football’s win, other Saturday results impact final College Football Playoff picture

ATLANTA — TCU, Alabama, Ohio State and USC all enter Sunday wondering about where things stand with regard to their College Football Playoff hopes. Alabama head coach Nick Saban went on Fox during the Michigan-Purdue game to try and pitch Alabama’s case, bringing up hypothetical gambling lines and team talent, and not his team’s losses to Tennessee and LSU.

Georgia has no such politicking to do. The Bulldogs made their statement on the field once again, as Georgia walked to a 50-30 win over LSU.

The same LSU team that beat Alabama earlier this season.

“Our team kind of played this game like they played the whole season: unbelievably well in spurts and unbelievably poor in spurts, and answered the bell when they had to,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I’m proud of ‘em. They’ve handled that all year. I want to give a lot of credit to Brian Kelly and the LSU team that never went away, never quit fighting. .”

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The only drama for Georgia on selection Sunday comes with who the Bulldogs will be facing. Some think it could be TCU, with the Horned Frogs losing 31-28 in overtime to Kansas State on Saturday. Others have suggested Ohio State, who fell 45-23 to Michigan in its last game. There are those out there still clinging to the idea that Alabama could squeeze into the playoff, but those people are all wearing crimson.

The Bulldogs are one of just two 13-0 teams this season, with Michigan being the other. Georgia became the first SEC team to go 13-0 heading into the College Football Playoff since LSU did back in 2019. Those Tigers won the national championship that season, something Georgia will now try to replicate.

The Wolverines seem likely to head to Glendale, Az. as the No. 2 seed. The winner of the two semifinal games will play in Los Angeles on Jan. 9. The semifinal games will be played on Dec. 31, but a game time for either game has not yet been announced.

All questions and mysteries surrounding the College Football Playoff will be answered on Sunday, with ESPN broadcasting the announcement starting at 12 p.m. ET.

For Georgia, it will find out which team it gets to take on next. As it has in every game this season, expect the Bulldogs to welcome that challenge with open arms and a hunger to dominate the opposition.

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