Georgia’s Kirby Smart on CFP selection committee’s ‘unfair’ process: ‘I don’t know what they want’
The third edition of the College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night.
The Oregon Ducks took the top spot. Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Indiana rounded out the top five. Georgia, which lifted the College Football Playoff national trophy in 2021 and 2022, was ranked No. 10.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart seemed to disagree with the Bulldogs’ current position. Smart expressed his obvious frustration during his recent press session and suggested that the selection committee lacks transparency as it relates to its process.
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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart on the sideline against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., Nov. 16, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Photos)
“It’s hard because I don’t know what they want,” Smart said, via On3 Sports. “They’re not going to explain that. It’s not easy, either. I mean, anybody can be on that committee and say, ‘This is what we want. This is our approach. And there’s so much going on and everybody’s arguing about it, and I don’t have time to waste energy on it.’
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Georgia played one of the most challenging schedules in the country this season. The Bulldogs went on the road to play Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss. The Longhorns were the No. 1 team. 1 in the nation when it takes the field against Georgia.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts on the sideline during the second half of the game against Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Smart said the team’s opponents should be seriously considered when the committee makes its analysis. He also described the selection committee’s benchmarks as “wrong.”
“So, I think it’s more about your non-conference games and who you play,” Smart said. “It seems unfair to me if you’re looking at whether someone has a third-ranked defense or a fifth-ranked defense.
“Well, don’t you think their defense is determined by who they play on offense? And how many top offenses do they play? Because the last time I checked, our offense and our defense played the top offenses and defenses in the country. Well, you’re not going to be ranked as high if you play top than if you play bottom, and that’s what gets me.
The 2024 CFP logo on the field before the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium in Houston Jan. 8, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
“They talk about the eye test. How do you play in the game? Yes, the way you play in the game is guided by where you play – home or away – and who you play. That’s the two No. indicators of how you play who you play. we look at the whole picture of how you play and that is determined by who are you kidding.”
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Georgia finishes the regular season with two home games against UMass and rival Georgia Tech.
The 12-team playoff bracket entering Week 13 has Georgia in the 11th seed. If the playoffs begin today, Georgia will play the sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round.
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