Georgia nostalgia meets a changing SEC postseason

Georgia holds the top spot in the CFP rankings, but Lugnut Dawg of Dawg Sports used Wednesday’s ranking news to look back at the Bulldogs’ SEC Championship history and ahead to the event’s final edition next month.

The expanded 24-team College Football Playoff will bring an end to the SEC Championship after this season. Georgia’s regular appearances in the game have become familiar, though the program had not reached the event before 2002.

That breakthrough against Arkansas remains Georgia’s most memorable SEC title game in Lugnut Dawg’s view. He described the week as a celebration for Bulldogs fans, with the crowd around the Georgia Dome heavily tilted toward red and black.

Georgia has since added satisfying championship victories against Alabama, Texas, Auburn and LSU. The 2002 win ended Georgia’s long wait to take its turn on the conference’s December stage.

The current Bulldogs also have an immediate special-teams concern. At Ole Miss, Peyton Woodring missed a field goal for the fourth game in a row. Kirby Smart continues to show confidence in his kicker.

Georgia tops the CFP rankings. The repeated field-goal misses offer a more specific issue for Smart and Georgia to address as the postseason approaches.

Why it matters

Georgia sits atop the CFP rankings as the sport moves toward a 24-team playoff. Woodring’s missed field goals have become a recurring concern, while the approaching final SEC Championship closes an event that has defined several Georgia seasons.

What to watch next

The final SEC Championship is scheduled for next month as college football prepares for the expanded 24-team playoff.