Georgia is the runaway preseason No. 1 team, and it doesn’t matter who’s voting.
The AP Poll matched the US LBM Coaches Poll in putting the Bulldogs atop the rankings, by a wide margin.
But, Georgia isn’t the only team with a loaded depth chart. No. 2 Ohio State bursts with All-America talent, too.
On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine Georgia’s credentials as preseason No. 1, and they also engage with the idea of the SEC pushing for more than five playoff bids. Yes, more than five.
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So, why is Georgia No. 1 and not Ohio State?
Let’s unpack the argument:
Two words: Kirby Smart
Georgia’s coach is one of three active coaches who have won a national championship, and he’s got two. That inspires confidence and expectations.
Smart won his head-to-head matchup against Ryan Day when Georgia rallied to beat the Buckeyes in a 2022 CFP semifinal game. Until Day wins the big game, his team will face more preseason skepticism than Georgia.
Two more words: Carson Beck
Georgia returned Beck, its starting quarterback, while Ohio State will rely on a transfer, Will Howard.
Howard was a solid Big 12 quarterback at Kansas State, but Beck is a cut above. He’s a star and a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Quarterbacks wield outsized influence during a national championship quest.
TOPPMEYER: One fan says I horribly snubbed Auburn’s Hugh Freeze in my SEC coach rankings. I respond.
ADAMS: How my preseason top 25 differs from the coaches poll
OPINION: After reviewing preseason polls, the SEC might need SIX playoff bids. Yes, SIX. | Toppmeyer
Memories of Georgia’s past three seasons linger
Preseason polls are supposed to be a look ahead to the upcoming season, but previous seasons can’t help but weigh on voters’ minds. Georgia went 42-2 the past three seasons, compared to Ohio State’s 33-6.
Georgia lost to Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship and therefore did not make the playoff, but the Bulldogs’ runaway seizure of the No. 1 ranking suggests that voters believe Georgia was one of the nation’s four-best teams last season, despite not being selected for the playoff.
Later in the episode
∎ The hosts highlight a couple of SEC teams that might leave themselves on the playoff bubble even if they finish 10-2. And they outline an argument for the SEC to qualify more than five playoff teams.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Why is Georgia football No. 1 and not Ohio State? Answer: Kirby Smart
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Publish date : 2024-08-14 23:30:00
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