ATLANTA–UGA football might have merited a lower slot in Tuesday's initial release of the College Football Playoff rankings, compared to last year's No. 1 standing.
But make no mistake, the Dawgs still control their own fate with with this four-team Playoff; and in the grand scheme, nothing else matters.
Georgia opened this year at No. 6 overall, in the eyes of the Playoff committee, trailing only No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Michigan.
Rounding out the top 10: Oklahoma (7th), Washington State, Kentucky and Ohio State.
How does UGA control its own Playoff destiny?
There are three primary factors to consider:
a) There are only four undefeated teams left in the Associated Press Top 10 ... and two of the schools (LSU, Alabama) play Saturday night.
As such, there is zero chance of four perfect teams playing for the national title (Orange and Cotton bowls).
b) In the four-year history of the College Football Playoff, a one-loss SEC champion has never been denied entry into the semifinals.
Why is that? Generally speaking, the SEC often leads the country in overall strength of schedule; and covering a sizable chunk of the last 20 years, the SEC traditionally boasts the most ranked teams in the media and coaches polls.
c) With its top-five ranking, a 12-1 UGA squad would be a lead-pipe cinch for the Playoff, presuming it runs the table from this point forward.
The upcoming slate: Kentucky (Saturday's winner-take-all game for the SEC East crown), Auburn, UMass, Georgia Tech and either Alabama or LSU in the SEC title game.
Under this hypothetical, anything less than a 2-seed would be shocking for the Dawgs.
For the next five Tuesdays, the College Football Playoff committee will produce updated rankings; and as history demonstrates here, nothing can ever be written in stone during late October.
