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Dawgs Daily

Georgia Bulldogs Move Up In AP and Coaches Poll

Ryan Kerley|
Sep 5, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Talyn Taylor (1) runs for a touchdown against the Tennessee State Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Talyn Taylor (1) runs for a touchdown against the Tennessee State Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Georgia Bulldogs have moved up a spot in both major college football ranking polls ahead of Week 2 of the season.

Kirby Smart and the Dawgs are now the No. 2 team in the country according to both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. Georgia was the preseason No. 3 in both of those rankings, which came to the surprise of many, as betting odds essentially had Georgia as the fifth or sixth-best team in the nation. 

The rise happened for two reasons: 

  1. Georgia dominated FCS Tennessee State and passed the “eye-test” en route to a 63-3 victory. 
  2. Then second-ranked Oregon struggled to beat Boise State, having to come back from a halftime deficit. 

When all of the starters were in the game on offense, the-performance was borderline flawless for the Dawgs. Gunner Stockton led Georgia into the end zone on five-straight drives to start the game before being subbed out early in the second quarter. It wasn’t until deep into the second quarter that Tennessee State even produced yards in the box score. Georgia outgained the Tigers 228-0 from scrimmage in the first quarter. That first quarter was about as good as it gets from a performance on both sides of the ball. 

Stockton only threw one incomplete pass on 16 attempts, finishing the contest with 202 yards and three scores. Nate Frazier took his first-two touches of the season to the end zone. Georgia did not allow a single sack in the entire game.

Georgia got the quarterback on three occasions, which is a good statistical start considering the low sack numbers for the Dawgs a year ago.

Overall, Georgia gained 660 total net yards over the course of the game compared to holding Tennessee State to just 109 across four quarters. 

AP Top 12:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Georgia
  3. Notre Dame
  4. Texas
  5. Indiana
  6. Oregon
  7. Miami
  8. LSU
  9. Ole Miss
  10. Texas A&M
  11. Oklahoma
  12. Alabama
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Ryan Kerley
RYAN KERLEY

Ryan Kerley began his journalism career in the throws of COVID in 2020 - complicating the start of his career in the space. A year later Kerley reported from Athens to Miami to Indianapolis as the Bulldogs won the program's first national title since 1980. Kerley has covered SEC Championships, Peach Bowls, Orange Bowls, Sugar Bowls and College Football Playoff National Championship Games. In addition to his duties at Dawg Post, Kerley is an accomplished play-by-play voice for both football and basketball. Kerley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2024 with a degree in Journalism. Kerley is a native of Cleveland, Georgia.

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