Based on CFP chairman’s comments, Georgia’s decision to schedule Notre Dame continues to pay off
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After beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, it was no surprise to see LSU jump up a spot and earn the No. 1 ranking in the new College Football Playoff rankings but one move that was a surprise to many was seeing the Crimson Tide fall behind Georgia in the updated poll.
Georgia currently ranks No. 4, while Alabama is ranked just behind the Bulldogs at No. 5.
Both teams have a home loss but Georgia’s stands out from Alabama’s, as the Bulldogs’ loss was against a South Carolina team with a losing record.
Following the latest College Football Playoff reveal, the committee chairman Rob Mullens was asked how much each loss for Georgia and Alabama weigh on their total resumes.
“It’s certainly a part of the discussion, no doubt,” Mullen answered. “We’re aware of the South Carolina loss for Georgia and that Alabama’s loss was against a team that was ranked No. 1, so that’s clearly on the board when we’re comparing them. But we’re also looking at Georgia’s wins against top-20 teams Florida and Notre Dame.”
It should be noted that Mullens is also Oregon’s AD, so when the Ducks are being discussed by the Playoff committee, he is forced to leave the room and cannot vote on where the Ducks should rank.
Here’s what Mullen had to say when asked how big of a dropoff there is with the committee’s rankings between No. 5 (Alabama) and No. 6 (Oregon).
“Again, I’m not in the room, but when I came back and just for those of you that know how the system works, you rank one through three, then you work from a pool of teams and rank four through six,” Mullens said. “There’s a lot of discussion about all the teams in that pool, and the separator for Georgia in that pool was their two wins against top-20 teams.”
Based on that comment, Georgia’s decision to play Notre Dame this season continues to pay off for Kirby Smart’s program. While Dawg Nation was treated to one of the best atmospheres of the season when Georgia hosted the Fighting Irish, that win is also serving the program when it comes to its Playoff ranking.
Coming off a season in which Georgia missed the College Football Playoff after playing Austin Peay, MTSU, UMass and Georgia Tech in the non-conference, it’s clear the committee continues to favor teams willing to play tougher competition when possible.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
