Breaking Down Georgia’s Path to a College Football Playoff National Title

The Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed and face a loaded bracket.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is looking for his third national championship this season. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia just wrapped up an outstanding regular season and now the program is looking for more in the College Football Playoff.

The Bulldogs went 12–1 in 2025 and 7–1 in the SEC. They advanced to the SEC title game and avenged their only loss of the season, thoroughly dominating Alabama 28–7 to secure conference supremacy. That paid back a 24–21 home defeat to the Crimson Tide on September 27.

Kirby Smart is looking for his third national championship, after taking Georgia to the crown in 2021 and ‘22, but his team has been eliminated in the quarterfinal round in each of the past two seasons.

This year, Georgia’s path will be as difficult as ever, as the bracket features a loaded 12-team field. As the No. 3 seed, the Bulldogs earned a bye to the quarterfinals. What follows is a look at their potential path to a championship.

Quarterfinals: Sugar Bowl, January 1

Georgia is in line to face Ole Miss for the second time this season, after a one-score win in October. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia will start its title chase at the Sugar Bowl on January 1, where it will face the winner of Ole Miss and Tulane.

The Bulldogs faced Ole Miss on October 18 and handed the Rebels their only loss of the season. In a thrilling, 43–35 home victory, Georgia outscored Lane Kiffin’s squad 17–0 in the fourth quarter to secure a victory.

Kiffin has moved on to LSU, but Ole Miss still presents a challenge under new coach Pete Golding. The Rebels finished the regular season third in the country in total offense (498.1 yards per game), and 11th in scoring offense (37.3 points per game). In their regular-season battle, Georgia held Ole Miss to 351 yards of total offense and only 88 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs will need a repeat performance to win again.

Tulane will travel to Oxford to battle Ole Miss after a phenomenal 11–2 season. The Green Wave beat North Texas 34-21 in the American Conference championship game to secure a spot in the CFP. They actually faced Ole Miss this season on September 20, and were blown out 45–10. Still, it was an excellent campaign for Tulane, and coach Jon Sumrall was hired by Florida as a result of his work. He’ll continue coaching his team through the playoff.

Georgia should be favored over either team they face in the quarterfinals.

Semifinals: Fiesta Bowl, January 8

This is where things will get interesting. If Georgia reaches the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl, it will face a fellow heavyweight, no matter which team makes it through. The Bulldogs will face Ohio State, Texas A&M, or Miami, depending on the results of the second round.

Ohio State is the defending national champion and, after beating Texas on August 30, was ranked No. 1 all season, until Indiana took down the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game. Now they are the No. 2 seed in the bracket. Despite the loss to Indiana, Ohio State still has the No. 1 defense in the country, allowing a paltry 213.5 yards per game. The Buckeyes also own the top scoring offense as well, averaging 10.8 points per contest. Offensively, they’re led by quarterback Julian Sayin and the best wide receiver tandem in the country in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. It would be an incredible matchup for Georgia.

Texas A&M was firmly in the top five for most of the season, as the Aggies blitzed through the SEC before being upset by Texas 27–17 in the final week of the season. Mike Elko has done a fantastic job with the program, going 11–1 in his second season as coach. Texas A&M only allows 309.8 yards per game, while averaging 454.4 per game on offense. It is a balanced team with a ton of NFL talent.

Miami snuck into the CFP over Notre Dame, which caused a ton of drama. The Hurricanes finished the year 10–2 and 6–2 in the ACC, with a big win over the Fighting Irish to open the season, but losses to Louisville and SMU that nearly derailed the season. Miami is led by quarterback Carson Beck, who won two national titles with Georgia as a backup quarterback before transferring. It would be a heck of a reunion if Beck led his team that far.

College Football Playoff National Championship, January 19

If the Bulldogs make it this far, there are six possible opponents.

No. 1 Indiana leads the way, as the Hoosiers will play the winner of No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on January 1.

No. 4 Texas Tech will face the winner of No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison in the Orange Bowl, also on January 1.

The winners of those games will then play each other in the Peach Bowl on January 9, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

While both sides of the bracket are loaded, Georgia will avoid several stacked teams, each of which could legitimately take home the championship.

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