Smart: Georgia still among ‘the best four teams’

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterDec 2, 2023, 09:40 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

ATLANTA– After No. 8 Alabama ended two-time protecting nationwide champion Georgia’s 29-game winning streak 27-24 in Saturday’s SEC championship game, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart had a strong message for the College Football Playoff selection committee.Smart has no doubt

his No. 1-ranked Bulldogs are one of the four finest groups in college football. “Look, Bill Hancock stated,’It

‘s not the most deserving, ‘”Smart said.” He stated, merely,’ It’s the best 4 groups. ‘So you’re going to inform me somebody’s being in the committee room and doesn’t believe that Georgia team is not one of the very best 4 teams? I’m unsure they’re in the ideal profession, due to the fact that it’s a truly good football team, it’s a truly gifted football group, it’s a really well balanced football team. They have to make that decision. However it’s the very best four teams, which’s critical.”Smart was referring to the CFP executive director’s comments to reporters Tuesday, when Hancock dismissed the concept that the choice committee’s job is to select the 4 most deserving teams rather than the four best.”Most deserving is nothing in the committee’s

lexicon,”Hancock stated.” They are to rank the best teams in order, and that’s what they do. Just keep that word in mind: finest groups.”For Smart, there’s no concern the Bulldogs are amongst the 4 finest squads. Georgia completed unbeaten in each of the past two regular seasons. It has actually won 45 of its past 47 games. This season, it defeated No. 9 Missouri 30-21 and No. 11 Ole Miss 52-17 in your home and No. 21 Tennessee 38-10 on the roadway. “I think it’s the eye test,” Smart said.”When you look at what we have actually done this season, to go on the road and the teams we beat and the teams that were in the leading 20 that we were able to beat. I do not know if this is right or not, however in the CFP age, the group that goes in as [No. 1] I do not believe has fallen out of that.” Editor’s Picks 2 Related Smart is appropriate in that no No. 1 team in the penultimate CFP rankings fell out of the top

4 after losing in Champion Week.”

Not that history states anything, however when you talk about the four best teams, view the game,”Smart stated.”Go ask NFL skill evaluators.

Go ask NFL scouts. It’s about the very best teams, and I have no question that it’s not one of the 4 finest groups, like 100 %.” Undoubtedly, Georgia will need aid if it’s going to be selected by the CFP selection committee on Sunday.No. 3 Washington most likely punched its playoff ticket by concluding a 13-0 season with a 34-31 success versus No. 5 Oregon in Friday night’s Pac-12 championship game. No. 2 Michigan ended up unbeaten by defeating No. 16 Iowa in Saturday night’s Big 10 championship contest, as did No. 4 Florida State, which topped No. 14 Louisville in the ACC title match.An unbeaten champ from a Power 5 league has actually never been left out of the CFP.Georgia has an argument as one of the best one-loss squads, as do Alabama and Texas, which upset the Crimson Tide 34-24 on the road Sept. 9 and took down No. 18 Oklahoma State 49-21 in the Huge 12 championship game. The Crimson Tide and Longhorns recorded championship game, which is something the Bulldogs didn’t achieve.”I do not understand the history of the other years, “Smart said. “It seems like this is the year that it ought to be the 4 finest groups, due to the fact that you can make a case for ‘deserving ‘for everybody. It’s regrettable that these kids who give a lot and play

so hard– and not just at Georgia, all these schools– they don’t get to choose it actually on the field. It’s relaxing with a committee who is going to determine who the four finest teams are. If it’s really the 4 best groups, then let’s put the four best groups in.”The SEC has actually never ever been overlooked of the CFP. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide have both made the playoff in two previous seasons, in 2017 and 2021. Alabama beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime in the CFP National Championship game after the 2017 season. The Bulldogs defeated the Tide 33-18 following the 2021 season to end a 41-year dry spell without a national title. “Take a look at our groups in the playoffs and look at what they have actually done,”Smart said. “Y’ all inform me the record of the SEC teams in the playoffs. It’s pretty spectacular. I understand twice that two of them ended up playing each other. Who are the best teams? “Obviously, Georgia might have ended the argument Saturday by beating Alabama on the field. The Bulldogs made too many mistakes, blowing a defensive project on Alabama’s first goal, missing out on a 49-yard basket after a false-start charge and losing a fumble at their 11-yard line, which resulted in a Crimson Tide basket.”You go through an SEC schedule, 12 games, and to win each and every one, this is not something simple to do,”Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck said.” It’s challenging, however I’m proud of these guys.

Clearly, to come into this game and not complete the way that we wished to and sort of leave the destiny of our group in somebody else’s hands rather than us managing it ourselves, that’s tough. I believed throughout the season we revealed we were an actually dominant team.”However Georgia’s first loss in 728 days– it hadn’t fallen given that losing to Alabama 41-24 in the 2021 SEC championship game– may end up pressing the Bulldogs out of the playoff. “We didn’t win, so I imply that’s the bottom line,”Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran stated. “We had our opportunity to make our case, and we didn’t. We didn’t win the game. Whether or not they put us in is up to them.

We’ll appreciate their decision in any case.”