Major SEC program drops in ESPN's updated college football rankings

Georgia closed Rivalry Week with a 16-9 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday, lifting the Bulldogs to 11-1 on the year.

This season, Georgia's defense is allowing just 16.7 points per game (12th-fewest), while its offense is averaging 32.3 points per game, a +15 point differential that ranks near the top nationally.

Junior QB Gunner Stockton has thrown for 2,535 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and five picks, while sophomore RB Nate Frazier has rushed for 809 yards and five TDs, and junior WR Zachariah Branch leads all receivers with 691 receiving yards and four TDs.

Despite the win and Georgia's strong team metrics, ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) moved the Dawgs down in its latest update, placing them at No. 8 overall — a drop of two spots from the previous FPI release.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates after a touchdown catch with quarterback Gunner Stockton. — Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates after a touchdown catch with quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The FPI is ESPN’s predictive rating: a simulation-based metric that measures team strength and forecasts the rest of the season using 20,000 simulations, current results, and remaining schedules.

Its drivers include point differential, efficiency metrics, and schedule strength, so a narrow rivalry-game win and comparative shifts elsewhere in the country can move a team’s FPI even after a victory.

Despite ESPN's FPI drop, the Associated Press and Coaches polls continue to list Georgia among the top teams — it is ranked No. 4 in the human polls this week.

More importantly, the College Football Playoff selection committee’s most recent in-season top-25 (from November 25) already had Georgia slotted at No. 4 in the committee picture, a seed that, if it holds, would give the Dawgs a first-round bye and a QF matchup against the winner of the No. 12-No. 5 pairing.

Georgia’s immediate focus is the SEC Championship on December 6 against Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

A strong win would quiet skeptics and statistical models, while a loss would force the committee to reconsider Georgia’s resume alongside other one‑loss programs and possibly shift the Playoff bracket.

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