Mr. CFB: Final Score Doesn't Show How Georgia Dominated Tennessee

The defending national champions need only one more win to guarantee a spot in the SEC title game

Athens, GA---Tennessee’s reign as the College Football Playoff’s No. 1 team was short-lived.

Georgia’s, which will begin when the new CFP rankings are released on Tuesday, might last a while.

Challenged by Georgia Coach Kirby Smart—“If you have a voice after this game then you didn’t cheer hard enough—"an overflow crowd at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, certainly did their part. Tennessee, one of the most mistake-free teams in the SEC, had nine penalties for 55 yards. Eight of those were motion penalties as Tennessee could not find its rhythm in the cauldron of noise.

The rain-soaked crowd was deafening from the opening kick while their team was very much looking the part of the defending national champions. Georgia held the SEC’s highest scoring team (49.4 points per game) to only one touchdown and two field goals in a 27-13 victory. Tennessee did not score its touchdown until there was only 4:15 left in the game.

The final score doesn’t not tell the story of how Georgia dominated this game.

With Tennessee at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 3 in the first CFP rankings that were released on Tuesday, this game represented the two highest-ranked teams that had ever played each other in this iconic stadium, which was dedicated in 1929.

The game was played just eight days after Vince Dooley, Georgia Hall of Fame Coach and athletics director, passed away at the age of 90. Dooley, who won 201 games and six SEC championships at Georgia, was honored in pre-game ceremonies.

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, the most accurate passer in the SEC (71.2 percent) was held only 188 yards passing. Hooker was averaging 292.3 yards passing coming into this game.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV had another solid outing completing 17 of 25 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

Georgia dominated first half 24-6 as the Bulldogs had 306 total yards to Tennessee’ 138. Georgia opened the second half with a 15-play drive that consumed 8:47 on the clock.

And that was that.

So what does this all mean?

For Georgia, it means the Bulldogs would have to lose both of their  final two SEC games against Mississippi State and Kentucky to be denied the SEC East title and a spot in the SEC championship game. More simply put, Georgia can lock up a spot in Atlanta by beating Mississippi State next Saturday in Starkville.

But all is not lost for Tennessee. The Volunteers will be heavily favored to win their final three games against Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Win all those and finish 11-1 and there is a chance for Tennessee to go to the College Football playoff as an at-large team which did not reach its conference championship game.

There is precedent here. In 2017 Alabama lost its last regular-season game to Auburn, knocking the Crimson Tide out of the SEC championship game. But Alabama still earned the No. 4 spot in the playoffs. Alabama won its CFP semifinal game over Clemson and then beat Georgia in overtime for the national championship.

Stated another way: Tennessee needs to rack up some style points in the next three weeks and hope undefeated contenders like Clemson, TCU, and Michigan stumble down the stretch.

Now who will Georgia play for the SEC championship on Dec. 3? That will likely be the winner of Saturday night’s late game between No. 6 Alabama and No. 10 LSU in Baton Rouge. If Alabama wins that game the Crimson Tide would still have to beat Ole Miss (8-1) next week in Oxford. LSU has already beaten Ole Miss.