Last week, in the days leading up to his team’s season-opener vs. Georgia Southern, Georgia head football coach Mark Richt commented that his then No. 1-ranked Bulldogs could win their first two games but still find themselves ranked No. 4 in the country afterwards. It appears that they are well on their way there.
Georgia dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in both the AP and USA Today coaches’ polls, as they were jumped by USC in both instances. Was the Trojans’ 52-7 victory over Virginia, a team predicted to finish just ahead of Duke in the ACC Coastal Division, that impressive? Or did Georgia and Ohio State do something wrong? Did the Buckeyes’ “Best Damn Band In The Land” cost them points with a shaky first “dotting of the i” in their 43-0 victory over Youngstown State? Or was it Uga VII’s inability to stay awake in the third quarter of the Bulldogs’ 45-21 win over the Eagles that sealed Georgia’s fate?
Now, Ohio State and Georgia did suffer key injuries last week. Star running back Chris Wells left the game for the Buckeyes due to an injured right foot, while the Bulldogs lost starting defensive tackle Jeff Owens for the season with a torn ACL. But, there is a possibility Wells will be fully recovered by the time Ohio State plays the Trojans on Sept. 13 and Owens, while a key piece to Georgia’s defense, was not the reason why Georgia was ranked No. 1 in the preseason.
It appears that this shift in the polls is a continuation from the tail end of last season when, coincidentally enough, LSU jumped Georgia, among others, to take over the No. 2 spot in the USA Today coaches’ poll after the Bulldogs had been in line to take the spot. If voters can reevaluate how good they think teams are at the end and beginning of the season, they should do it throughout the season. Let us assume that USC beats Ohio State in two weeks, but afterwards struggles to get by Oregon State. If that happens, they should drop. Conversely, if Georgia blows out South Carolina in two weeks and hammers Arizona State the following week, they should move up. No matter if the voters prefer to reevaluate their votes after each week or drop a team only after losing, they should use their preferred strategy throughout the entire season.
The bottom line is, Georgia controls its own destiny. If the Bulldogs go undefeated with their schedule they will play for a national title. But if they lose one game, it is looking as if a berth in the national title game will be hard to come by, as they have already been penalized after winning.
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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