After capping off an 11-1 regular season with a commanding 28-7 thrashing of Alabama in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Kirby Smart’s squad enters the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff as the No. 3 overall seed – and a first-round bye to boot.
It’s been a 2025 season that tested Georgia’s mettle early on, but the Bulldogs turned every challenge into a statement.
A gritty 16-9 victory over in-state rival Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 – the first neutral-site Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate since 1913, hosted right here in Atlanta – propelled them into the conference title clash with renewed fire.
That win, coupled with Texas A&M’s stumble against Texas the following weekend, vaulted Georgia from No. 5 to No. 4 in the penultimate CFP rankings released on Dec. 2.
Now, with the committee’s final reveal set for noon ET today on ESPN, projections from NCAA.com, The Athletic, USA TODAY, and CBS Sports all point to the Dawgs locking down the No. 2 spot behind a shocking Big Ten champion Indiana.
“Georgia is the team to be feared right now,” said ESPN analyst Scott Dochterman in a pre-selection breakdown. “They’ve got the resume, the eye test, and home-field advantage written all over them.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs’ only blemish – a narrow loss to Alabama back in September – feels like ancient history after dismantling the Crimson Tide.
Defensively, Georgia held Bama to just 210 total yards, a fitting exclamation point on a unit that’s allowed fewer than 15 points per game since mid-September.
For Atlanta fans, this isn’t just a Georgia story – it’s our story. Sanford Stadium will host a first-round playoff game if the Dawgs stay in the top four, turning Athens into a December madhouse just a stone’s throw from the Peach State capital.
“The energy in this city when Georgia’s rolling is unmatched,” Smart said post-championship, his voice echoing through a raucous Mercedes-Benz crowd. “We’ve got unfinished business, and we’re ready to chase that ring.”
A Bracket Shaped by Championship Chaos
The road to the Jan. 19 national championship in Miami Gardens, Fla., takes a new form this year with the 12-team format, blending automatic bids for conference champions, at-large selections, and byes for the top four seeds.
The weekend’s title games delivered drama and clarity in equal measure, setting the stage for today’s big unveil.
Indiana’s improbable 13-10 upset over defending champ Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship cements the Hoosiers as the projected No. 1 seed – a Cinderella run under second-year coach Curt Cignetti that’s being hailed as one of college football’s greatest turnarounds. “Believe it: Indiana is the Big Ten champ and the College Football Playoff’s No. 1,” crowed The Athletic’s pre-reveal projections.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, stormed the Big 12 with a 34-7 demolition of BYU, earning the conference’s auto-bid and a likely top-four seed.
The Red Raiders’ 12-1 mark and explosive offense have them slotted at No. 3 in most mocks.
Georgia’s SEC crown guarantees an auto-bid, but their body of work – including blowout wins over Tennessee, Auburn, and now Alabama – has experts tabbing them for the No. 2 bye. That positions the Bulldogs to host a quarterfinal clash in the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) or Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.), depending on bracketing.
The at-large battle is where things get spicy, particularly for bubble teams like Alabama (10-3 after their SEC title rout), Notre Dame (11-1 independents), Miami (10-2), and James Madison (11-1 Sun Belt champs).
Before the seedlings were finalized, CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford projected Alabama sneaking in at No. 9 despite three losses, including two by 21+ points, edging out Notre Dame and the Hurricanes.
“The committee would have to devalue the SEC Championship for the first time ever to leave Bama out,” Crawford noted. USA TODAY agrees, but warns JMU’s 11-game win streak – capped by a Sun Belt title – could steal a spot if the Dukes crack the top 12.
Projected 12-Team Bracket: How It Stacks Up
Based on consensus from NCAA.com, The Athletic, USA TODAY, and ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura, here’s a snapshot of the expected field entering today’s reveal:
| Seed | Team | Conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | Big Ten (Champ) | Undefeated; hosts first round |
| 2 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 11-1; dominant bye |
| 3 | Georgia | SEC (Champ) | 12-1; blowout over Bama; bye |
| 4 | Texas Tech | Big 12 (Champ) | 12-1; blowout win vs. BYU |
| 5 | Oregon | PAC 12 | 10-2; edged Virginia in OT |
| 6 | Ole Miss | At-Large | 10-2; SEC runner-up |
| 7 | Texas A&M | At-Large | 10-2; pre-title ranking holdover |
| 8 | Oklahoma | At-Large | 10-2; SEC runner-up |
| 9 | Alabama | At-Large | 10-3; SEC title loss hurts |
| 10 | Miami | ACC runner-up | 10-2; strong resume, in conference |
| 11 | Tulane | At-Large | 10-2; Big 12 runner-up |
| 12 | James Madison | Sun Belt (Champ) | 11-1; G5 auto-bid |
First-round matchups could include:
No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
Fri. Dec. 19, 8 ET | ESPN & ABC
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
Sat. Dec. 20, Noon ET | ESPN & ABC
No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
Sat. Dec. 20, 3:30 ET | TNT & HBO MAX
No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon
Sat. Dec. 20, 7:30 ET | TNT & HBO MAX
Eyes on the Prize: Georgia’s Path Forward
If the projections hold, Georgia’s journey begins in the quarterfinals, where they could face the winner of Texas A&M-Notre Dame.
The Irish, led by a balanced attack and elite defense, present a tough out, while the Aggies boast SEC pedigree. But don’t count out the Dawgs’ depth – a transfer portal haul in January 2025 reloaded the roster, and Beck’s leadership has this group believing.
For Atlanta, it’s more than brackets and byes. It’s the echo of “How ‘Bout Them Dawgs?” chants from last night’s watch parties at Midtown taverns to the tailgates already forming in Athens.
As the committee deliberates, one thing’s clear: Georgia isn’t just in the playoff – they’re built to win it.
Tune in at noon for the official reveal, and keep it locked to AtlantaFi.com for live updates, analysis, and what it means for our Bulldogs. Go Dawgs!
CJ Johnson covers Georgia Bulldogs football for AtlantaFi.com. Follow him on X @atlhaps for instant reactions.