With both the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and the AP Top-25 now released ahead of the 2022 season, we are officially in the final chapter until the return of college football.
The Georgia Bulldogs will start the season ranked No. 3 in the nation in both polls.
Georgia’s Week 1 opponent, Oregon, opens the season ranked No. 11 in the AP Top-25 and No. 12 in the Coaches Poll.
Taking the higher of the two rankings for Oregon, it will be a No. 3 vs. No. 11 battle when the Bulldogs and the Ducks play on Saturday, September 3 in the 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.
The game will take place in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
This will be Dan Lanning’s first game as head coach of the Oregon Ducks. Lanning, who served under Kirby Smart as UGA’s defensive coordinator for three years, accepted the Oregon job in mid-December but coached with the Bulldogs through the national title.
The lines, courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook
- Point spread: Georgia -17.5
- Money line: Georgia -900 / Oregon +570
- Over-under: 51
Click here to place your bets at Tipico Sportsbook.
Kirby Smart briefly discussed the season-opener during last month’s SEC Media Days.
“I get to open against Oregon, go against a longtime friend, a guy that meant so much in our program in Dan Lanning,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said at SEC media days. “We open against Oregon right here in Atlanta. We’re excited for that opportunity. We get a chance to represent the SEC right off the jump.”
During his first press conference of fall camp, Smart spoke about it again, but this time was focused on his team rather than looking ahead to the battle in Atlanta.
“The last thing I’m worried about right now is Dan Lanning,” Smart said at his first press conference of fall camp. “We’ve got a million battles to face before that, I’m not even thinking about Oregon. Our concern is our roster. How do we build depth? We’re not even thinking about that, we’re so far away from that right now. We’re focused on us, our team, our connection, and getting the right players in the right spots.”
Regarding the College Football Playoff rankings, the selection committee gathered last week to prepare for the upcoming 2022 season.
The 13 member committee discussed protocol and finalized its list of members who will be recused from voting or discussions regarding selected teams.
It also released the schedule for its weekly ranking announcements. The first rankings will be released on Tuesday, November 1, following Week 8 of the regular season. For UGA fans, that will come the Tuesday following the Georgia–Florida game.
The full schedule for the release of the weekly rankings is as follows:
- Tuesday, Nov. 1: 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 8: 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 15: 9-9:30 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 22: 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 29: 7-7:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, Dec. 4: Noon-4 p.m. ET
The four teams that will be included in the College Football Playoff semifinals will be announced on Sunday, December 4. This year’s semifinal games will be the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia) and the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona). The College Football Playoff National Championship will be hosted in Los Angeles on January 9.
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
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