College Football Rankings: Projected Top 25, Week 10 – Big 12 gets wild
By Zach Bigalke
Pick Analysis. 7. Scouting Report. idle in Week 9. 11/2 vs. Florida (in Jacksonville). Georgia Bulldogs. player. 814
Things haven’t been pretty for Georgia in the past few weeks. First there was the shocking loss in triple overtime against South Carolina on their home turf. Then, in Week 8, the Bulldogs went to Knoxville and looked ordinary at the start in the rain before pulling away in the second half for a 21-0 win at Kentucky. They took a bye in Week 9 to regroup before the annual date with Florida in Jacksonville for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
No knock against Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs offense, but the journey to reaching November at 6-1 has been fueled in large part by their defense. Georgia was the top defense in the SEC entering Week 9 in both points and yards allowed, conceding only 10.6 points and 266.7 yards per game. They have held opponents scoreless on more than 45 percent of their trips to the red zone, and keep teams from moving the chains on nearly 70 percent of third-down opportunities.
Even after the loss to the Gamecocks, Georgia can retake the driver’s seat in the SEC East race with a top-10 win over Florida. Missouri, Auburn, and Texas A&M still loom in conference play, though, so the work wouldn’t stop with a win over the Gators. Kirby Smart’s team still has an outside shot at the College Football Playoff if they win out and claim the SEC title.