Around CFB: Extending streak to 30 critical for Georgia's title defense

One loss stands between Georgia and a third straight football national championship.

That’s obvious. A loss in the College Football Playoff is cause for immediate elimination.

But one loss could keep the Bulldogs from getting that far.

No. 1 Georgia faces No. 8 Alabama on Saturday in the SEC Championship game. The winner gets in the College Football Playoff.

The loser? Maybe not.

Georgia has posted 29 consecutive victories dating back to 2021. Of course, that includes national championship wins over Alabama in 2021 and TCU last season.

But even the Bulldogs cannot count on getting into the playoff with a loss. Not with one-loss Ohio State, one-loss Texas and potentially one-loss Oregon or Washington in contention.

Ohio State could be a real problem. The Buckeyes have impressive victories over Penn State and Notre Dame. Their only loss is to No. 2 Michigan.

A strong argument could be made they would be more deserving than a one-loss Georgia.

Same for Texas. The Longhorns can argue they’re (potentially) a Power 5 conference champion and have beaten the opponent (Alabama) that would have beaten Georgia.

And then there’s the Washington-Oregon situation.

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Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are seeking to be the first program to win three straight national titles since Minnesota captured titles in 1934, 1935 and 1936.

If Oregon defeats Washington in the Pac-12 championship, both teams will be 11-1. But they would have beaten each other, which means they both have wins over a high-ranked opponent while their only loss was to a highly-ranked opponent.

Of course, some might contend that Georgia is still a better team and therefore should get in the playoff regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship game.

Except, that the Bulldogs have appeared vulnerable at times this season. Just last week, they had to hold off a rally by mediocre Georgia Tech to escape with a 31-23 victory.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said that close call was not a sign of weakness. Rather, he said it was a byproduct of playing a state rival.

“You see across the country in these rivalry games what happens,” Smart said. “I know better than anybody that it can go either way in these types of games. Very emotional, very different week.”

He has a point.

Alabama needed a miracle to escape Auburn. Michigan needed a late interception to beat Ohio State. Washington edged Washington State on a last-play field goal.

But a near-miss followed by a loss to Alabama could result in premature elimination for Georgia.

The Bulldogs don’t appear too concerned about how the playoff selection committee might view them, though.

“I’m not worried about slipping up,” safety Javon Bullard said. “I’m worried about trying to beat Bama.”

A streak of 29 wins in a row tends to give proper perspective.

Heisman Watch (If my ballot was due today)

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Daniels has been impressive enough to overcome LSU’s lackluster 8-4 record.

1. Jayden Daniels, LSU, QB: Daniels leads the nation in total offense with 4,946 yards. That’s 881 yards more than anyone else. He has passed for 3,812 yards and leads the nation with 40 touchdown passes. He has also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. In a 42-30 victory over Texas A&M last week, Daniels passed for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Three of the touchdown passes were in the fourth quarter. He also rushed for 120 yards on 11 attempts.

2. Bo Nix, Oregon, QB: The nation’s leading passer with 3,906 passing yards. He has also thrown 37 touchdown passes. Nix is second in the nation in total offense with 4,065 yards. Last week, he led Oregon to a 31-7 victory over arch-rival Oregon State. He passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 31 yards and a score.

3. Michael Penix Jr., Washington, QB: The Huskies’ quarterback is second in the nation in passing. He has thrown for 3,899 yards and 32 touchdowns. Last week, he passed for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over Washington State.

4. Malik Nabers, LSU, WR: The nation’s leader in receiving, Nabers has 86 catches for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has had more than 100 receiving yards in nine games. Last week in a 42-30 victory over Texas A&M, Nabers caught six passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fifth game with multiple touchdowns.

5. Jordan Travis, Florida State, QB: He suffered a season-ending injury two weeks ago but deserves recognition for leading the Seminoles to an unbeaten record. Travis passed for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for 176 yards and seven scores.

Predicted Playoff Participants

1. Georgia: The Bulldogs sometimes look vulnerable but always seem to respond when challenged. They’ll be challenged by Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

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After beating Ohio State last, Michigan is one win away from a third CFP berth.

2. Michigan: Undefeated and coming off a victory over Ohio State. A Big Ten Championship victory over Iowa will give the Wolverines a shot at the No. 1 seed.

3. Florida State: Even with a backup quarterback, the Seminoles cannot be snubbed if undefeated and ACC champions. Of course, that requires beating Louisville this weekend.

4. Oregon: A victory in the Pac-12 championship game should cement the Ducks in the title game. They will have a victory over No. 3 Washington, and their only loss would be to the Huskies.

Games to Watch

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (SEC Championship): The Bulldogs have posted 29 consecutive victories. The last team to beat them? Alabama, of course.

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 3 Washington (Pac-12 Championship): A rematch of a regular season game that Washington won, 36-33, when Oregon missed a 43-yard field goal on the final play.

No. 4  Florida State vs. No. 15 Louisville (ACC Championship): Seminoles need one more victory with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker to get into the CFP.

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 18 Iowa (Big Ten Championship): Iowa’s defense is among the best in the nation. Michigan’s is even better. Plus, the Wolverines are much more explosive.

No. 7 Texas vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State (Big 12 Championship): Texas has CFP aspirations, but Oklahoma State has won six of the last eight games against the Longhorns.

Editor’s note: This story was written and published before Tuesday night’s release of the fifth College Football Playoff rankings. Rankings in this story are from the latest AP Poll.