Kirby Smart gave nod to SEC champ Alabama over Georgia football in his final coaches poll
Georgia football broke its own record by hammering Florida State with the largest margin of victory by any team ever in a bowl game, but Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart ranked the four teams that reached the College Football Playoff ahead of his own team.
Smart’s ballot in the final US LBM Football Coaches Poll released Wednesday morning listed Georgia at No. 5, one spot behind Alabama.
Georgia finished No. 3 in that final poll and was No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll released on Tuesday. Alabama was behind Georgia in both at No. 5 in the coaches and AP polls.
Smart’s top three: Michigan, Washington and Texas.
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The Crimson Tide dealt Georgia its only loss of the season, 27-24, in the SEC championship game.
The Bulldogs crushed a depleted Florida State team 63-3 in the Orange Bowl Dec. 30. Smart placed the 13-1 Seminoles at No. 6.
Georgia was rated as high as No. 2 by Florida’s Billy Napier, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Temple’s Stan Drayton.
Among other SEC coaches, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops put Georgia at No. 3 and Alabama’s Nick Saban and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze had the Bulldogs at No. 5. Georgia Tech’s Brent Key had Georgia at No. 4.
None of the 63 coaches had Georgia lower than 5.
Kirby Smart’s final coaches poll ballot
Michigan
Washington
Texas
Alabama
Georgia
Florida State
Oregon
Missouri
Ohio State
Ole Miss
LSU
Penn State
Arizona
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Oklahoma State
Louisville
Tennessee
Liberty
Iowa
Oregon State
SMU
Kansas State
North Carolina State
Clemson
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Where Georgia football coach Kirby Smart ranked Bulldogs in top 25 vote
