The Georgia Bulldogs are the highest-ranked team in the SEC, according to the US LBM Coaches Poll, and they seem all but a lock to clinch a playoff spot. However, there’s still a chance they will not make the SEC championship.
The SEC title game is based on conference record. The Texas A&M Aggies are ahead of Georgia, so if they win out, they’d automatically take the first spot. Georgia is second, but it is tied with Texas, Tennessee and LSU. Georgia has already won against Texas, so it owns the tiebreaker with Texas right now. If UGA beats Tennessee, then it will have that tiebreaker, too.
However, even if Georgia wins the rest of its games, LSU could overtake it by winning out. That’s because LSU would have the common games tiebreaker, meaning between Georgia and LSU, the Tigers have a better record than Georgia against teams both of them have played.
Both LSU and Georgia face Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss this season. Georgia lost to Alabama, meaning it can go, at best, 2-1 against the three. If LSU wins out, it would finish 3-0 against those teams. In this scenario, the Georgia Bulldogs would miss a first-round bye and could only place as high as fifth in the College Football Playoff.
Safe to say, there’s more on the line for the Georgia Bulldogs in their matchup against Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET.