CFP committee did Georgia a favor with its draw

The best thing that happened to Georgia on Sunday was not moving up to No. 2. As the third-overall seed, the Bulldogs drew a more favorable second-round matchup with the winner of No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 11 Tulane. 

The Bulldogs faced the Rebels earlier this season, rallying to a thrilling 43-35 win in Oxford. This was also back when Georgia’s defense was still figuring itself out. When you look at both programs now, one looks markedly different when it comes to growth and execution. Ole Miss also endured the biggest distraction of the season and lost head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. Pete Golding is now leading the program, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will call plays during the Rebels’ playoff run before joining Kiffin at LSU. 

The Green Wave also played Ole Miss earlier this year, losing 45-10. Tulane struggled mightily on offense in that first meeting, totaling only 282 yards. A lot has changed and the Rebels are in the midst of a horribly-timed transition. While Ole Miss should win, never say never with Tulane. The Green Wave are well-coached under Jon Sumrall, who will take over full-time as Florida’s head coach once Tulane’s postseason run concludes.

Compare this with what No. 2 Ohio State is dealing with. The Buckeyes drew the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami. The Aggies were unbeaten until a rivalry loss to Texas. Miami is plenty talented and playing some of its best football after a midseason slump that saw it lose to Louisville and SMU. 

The College Football Playoff committee’s process was strange, with seemingly certain criteria specific to individual teams. But it did Georgia a favor with the No. 3 seed given the first-round matchups it paired together.

Granted, with how it’s playing of late, I don’t think Georgia is worried one bit about its future opponent.  

Next man up

One of my biggest pet peeves in football analysis is assuming a team is done when a significant injury occurs. When the sport calls for 200-to-300-pound bodies to crash into each other, players will get hurt. It’s a part of the game and something coaches prepare for.

Georgia experienced this in its win over Georgia Tech, when center Drew Bobo suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the lineup. 

Enter Malachi Toliver, who stepped up against the Yellow Jackets and drew his first start in Georgia’s 28-7 demolition derby over Alabama. Losing Bobo obviously hurts. But way too many folks — including former players who should know better! — acted like Toliver was some bum who couldn’t hold his own. To some folks, it was as if Toliver would be the weakest link and prevent Georgia from producing rushing gains while simultaneously getting Gunner Stockton killed. 

Guess what? Toliver was the next man up and produced well in unison with a stellar Georgia offensive line. The line limited the Crimson Tide to one sack and helped the offense possess the ball for 36:52 of the game. 

If your roster is deep and your coaches are sound, you can withstand injuries. Toliver and other Georgia backups are on the roster for a reason. Toliver’s performance shows Georgia is still plenty deep at each position. There’s a reason the phrase “next man up” applies in football. And there’s a reason coaches prepare these next men up for moments like this because, more likely than not, they will be needed through the course of a long season.  

ICYMI

Has this best Kirby Smart’s best coaching job over the past 10 years?

Smart has concerns about the SEC’s decision to add a ninth conference game.

Smart doesn’t think the long layoff until the Sugar Bowl will be that big of a deal.

All of the important stats from the SEC Championship.

Georgia’s player grades from the SEC Championship win over Alabama.