Kirby Smart is frustrated with how the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have been treating his Georgia Bulldogs. Last week, Georgia was ranked No. 12 by the CFP committee and would have missed out on the 12-team playoff if it had started at that time. However, after defeating SEC East opponent Tennessee, the Bulldogs moved up to No. 10 in this week’s rankings.
Despite this improvement, Smart doesn’t understand why his 8-2 team isn’t ranked higher and is questioning the criteria used in the rankings.
“It’s a tough situation because I don’t know what they’re looking for,” Smart said on Wednesday. “They can’t define it. It’s not straightforward. Anyone could be on that committee and say, ‘This is what we want, here’s our criteria,’ but there’s so much overlap and debate, and I don’t have time to waste on it.”
Smart also believes Georgia’s strength of schedule is being overlooked. The Bulldogs have the third-toughest schedule in the country, according to College Football Reference. He argues that the challenging schedule affects Georgia’s record, point differential, and both offensive and defensive stats, which is a valid point.
Georgia’s two losses this season came against Alabama and Ole Miss, and they are ranked below both teams in the CFP rankings. With two games remaining against UMass and Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs could finish 10-2. Having completed their conference schedule with a 6-2 record, Georgia is unlikely to reach the SEC Championship, which could help them avoid a third loss that might hurt their playoff chances.
Although Smart is upset about the current ranking, Georgia has a good chance of making the playoff if they win their final two games.
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