Kirby Smart’s coaches poll ballot: Georgia ranked ahead of which two CFP semifinal teams?

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart put his team in the final ballot of the US LBM Coaches Poll ahead of two teams that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Smart placed Georgia at No. 4 on his ballot, ahead of No. 5 Texas and No. 6 Penn State, according to ballots released Tuesday by USA TODAY Sports.  Texas finished No. 3 overall in the poll and Penn State No. 5.

SEC champion Georgia beat Texas twice this season, including in the conference championship game in December. Smart spoke in the postgame trophy ceremony about the Bulldogs having to play a rugged SEC schedule that included games at Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss.

The Longhorns lost to Ohio State in the CFP semifinals 28-14 and Penn State lost in the other semifinal to Notre Dame 27-24.

Georgia finished 11-3 and Texas and Penn State ended 13-3.

The Bulldogs lost 23-10 in the CFP quarterfinals to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

Smart voted Oregon No. 3. The Ducks, under former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, went 13-1 with their lone loss to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals. Oregon finished No. 4 in the poll.

Georgia was voted as high as No. 4 by Air Force’s Troy Calhoun, East Carolina’s Mike Houston, Maryland’s Mike Locksley, Army’s Jeff Monken and Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi and as low as No. 8 by Eastern Michigan’s Chris Creighton and Washington’s Jedd Fisch.

Among SEC coaches, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz had Georgia at No. 5, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops had UGA at No. 6. Georgia Tech’s Brent Key put Georgia at No. 5.

Kirby Smart’s ballot

Ohio State

Notre Dame

Oregon

Georgia

Texas

Penn State

Tennessee

Ole Miss

Boise State

Indiana

Arizona State

Alabama

South Carolina

Clemson

SMU

Miami (Fla.)

BYU

Army

Iowa State

Missouri

Illinois

Colorado

Memphis

UNLV

Syracuse

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kirby-smarts-coaches-poll-ballot-222524405.html

Author : Athens Banner-Herald

Publish date : 2025-01-21 22:25:00

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