Bulldogs finish with Top 5 rankings in both polls
The Georgia Bulldogs finished with a Top 5 ranking in both The Associated Press and coaches’ final polls released early Tuesday. But the Bulldogs remained behind Notre Dame, which lost to Alabama 42-14 in the BCS national championship game Monday night.
Georgia (12-2) finished in a tie for fifth with Texas A&M in the AP poll, which is a compilation of media votes. Notre Dame (12-1) was fourth. The Bulldogs were fourth in the USA Today coaches’ poll, one spot behind the Fighting Irish.
This represents the third time under coach Mark Richt the Bulldogs’ have closed out a season with a Top 5 ranking. They were No. 2 in 2007 and No. 3 in 2002. It’s Georgia’s sixth Top 10 final ranking under Richt, including 2003 (7), 2004 (7), 2005 (10) and 2008 (10). It’s the 18th time overall UGA has finished ranked among the AP top 10.
Alabama secured its third BCS title in the last four years Monday night in Miami to finish No. 1. Oregon (12-1) was second in both polls and Ohio State was ranked third in the AP, despite being on NCAA probation and ineligible for postseason play or conference championships.
Following are the complete polls:
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Record Pts Pv
1. Alabama (59) 13-1 1,475 2
2. Oregon 12-1 1,358 5
3. Ohio St. 12-0 1,302 3
4. Notre Dame 12-1 1,288 1
5. Georgia 12-2 1,230 6
5. Texas A&M 11-2 1,230 10
7. Stanford 12-2 1,169 8
8. South Carolina 11-2 1,038 11
9. Florida 11-2 933 4
10. Florida St. 12-2 922 13
11. Clemson 11-2 889 14
12. Kansas St. 11-2 871 7
13. Louisville 11-2 781 22
14. LSU 10-3 756 9
15. Oklahoma 10-3 615 12
16. Utah St. 11-2 456 18
17. Northwestern 10-3 443 21
18. Boise St. 11-2 419 20
19. Texas 9-4 358 NR
20. Oregon St. 9-4 303 15
21. San Jose St. 11-2 243 24
22. N. Illinois 12-2 227 16
23. Vanderbilt 9-4 180 NR
24. Michigan 8-5 147 19
25. Nebraska 10-4 119 23
Others receiving votes: Baylor 95, Penn St. 90, Cincinnati 78, Oklahoma St. 42, Tulsa 34, UCLA 31, Arkansas St. 28, TCU 9, UCF 9, Wisconsin 6, N. Dakota St. 1.
USA TODAY COACHES’ POLL
Record Pts Pvs
1. Alabama (56) 13-1 1,400 2
2. Oregon 12-1 1,322 3
3. Notre Dame 12-1 1,253 1
4. Georgia 12-2 1,213 5
5. Texas A&M 11-2 1,171 9
6. Stanford 12-2 1,167 8
7. South Carolina 11-2 1,064 10
8. Florida State 12-2 942 12
9. Clemson 11-2 916 13
10. Florida 11-2 886 4
11. Kansas State 11-2 841 6
12. LSU 10-3 775 7
13. Louisville 11-2 772 18
14. Boise State 11-2 633 15
15. Oklahoma 10-3 600 11
16. Northwestern 10-3 580 17
17. Utah State 11-2 444 20
18. Texas 9-4 398 25
19. Oregon State 9-4 366 14
20. Vanderbilt 9-4 248 NR
21. San Jose State 11-2 244 24
22. Cincinnati 10-3 186 NR
23. Nebraska 10-4 175 21
24. Northern Illinois 12-2 156 16
25. Tulsa 11-3 110 NR
Others receiving votes: Michigan 101; UCLA 75; Baylor 52; Oklahoma State 36; Wisconsin 18; Central Florida 15; Arkansas State 13; Arizona State 10; Rutgers 9; Kent State 5; Louisiana Tech 2; Arizona 1; Ohio 1.
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368 comments Add your comment
anonymous
January 8th, 2013
10:47 am
You left out the final 2002 ranking. UGA finished #3.
dap01
January 8th, 2013
10:49 am
Notre Dame is not a top 10 team. What a joke the polls are. Notre Dame could not beat Georgia Tech.
Basspro2150
January 8th, 2013
10:49 am
As a true Dawg fan this is going to be very hard for me to say. Roll Tide. There I said it. Now I have to go wash my mouth out with soap. At this point its all about the SEC winning the game though and proving once again that no one in the country can hang with the SEC football programs. Congratulations Alabama and Coach Sabin. You guys played one heck of a game. After what Coach Sabin said after the SEC championship about the Bulldogs should be in a BCS bowl you got a little more respect from me.
Top Recruit
January 8th, 2013
10:49 am
So Lou Holtz and Urban Meyer raved about ND’s D. ESPN’s acclaimed football gurus and top flight analyst. More like their paid cheerleaders for the Big 10 and ND. All season Holtz bragged about ND and its D.
23 minutes into the game, 3 possessions and 3 drives over 70 yards and the Tide had rolled ND’s defense. Just maybe ESPN could be honest and fair in coverage of the college football.
Let us Dawgs and SEC alums be honest. ND could beat two SEC teams…Auburn and Kentucky.
Here are your top 3 teams…Bama, Georgia, and A&M.
Even a female talk radio show host said on a cable network said the game was over in the first quarter and that ND looked and played like a Washington DC prep school.
And even a Pat Forde understands what is happening in D1 football. Pittsburg take ND to 3 overtimes and Ole Miss drills them.
Sportswriters and voters have to be honest with readers, the players, the coaches, and the conferences. Otherwise they should get forever from covering D1 football. First to go should be Holtz, Meyer, and Musburger…all have something in common other than their self indulgence and bias…football has passed them by and they never saw it…very similar to ND’s defense against Bama’s “grown man football”.
Tucker
January 8th, 2013
10:53 am
This poll reflects the idiotic process that will make the 4-team playoff a bigger mess than the current BCS. Georgia and Texas A&M belong in the top 4, not Notre Dame.
BMOC
January 8th, 2013
10:53 am
……And the REAL pole should be:
1 – ALABAMA
2 – GEORGIA
3 – A&M
4 – OREGON
5 – STANFORD
6 – SOUTH CAROLINA
You can shake the others up in a can & place them wherever.
WALDY BUTTS
January 8th, 2013
10:54 am
The worm will turn in 2013. Congra
HutsonMasonAdvisor
January 8th, 2013
10:55 am
A simple spike of the ball…..would have won Ga the Natl Championship.
As such, it is apparent the brain trust in Athens is not capable of winning it all.
GingoBulldog
January 8th, 2013
10:56 am
I am proud to be a graduate of the University of Georgia.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop it
January 8th, 2013
10:56 am
Hold your heads high Doggies…
Any mid-tier porgram should be uber proud of your season…
You can continue to scream SEC, SEC while the big boys take care of championships.
Dawg Patrol
January 8th, 2013
11:00 am
ND had the film. Bama didn’t do much of anything different against ND than they did with the Dawgs. It wouldn’t have made any difference what ND did. They were just overpowered. You can’t stop a tornado…………
McDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:01 am
Teo looked like he lost 15lbs
ND was was not ready
wow
January 8th, 2013
11:02 am
NOtre Dame gets blown out, completely dominated in every aspect of each play and they only drop to 4th. The dawgs played what is argued as the best SECCG in history and according to Chris Fowler and Desmond Howard was the faux NC and Notre Dame is ranked ahead of them? TexA&M beats Bama and they are ranked behind a team that was just embarassed on national t.v.???
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
January 8th, 2013
11:03 am
The Poll God’s are always kind to ugly dawgs. You gotta be kidding. #5 playing that weak schedule? Gotta love Bama and Saban 3 national champtionships in 4 years. Dawgs have had how many in Richt’s 12 years with Top 5 classes? Oh….that’s why they’re ranked #5. I’ve got it.
DeezNutz
January 8th, 2013
11:03 am
Buckeye some more food for thought. The Big East and ACC has the same number of BCS Championships as the BIG10, ONE. The MAC has as good a shot at winning a BCS NC in the next 5 years as the BIG10 does.
wow
January 8th, 2013
11:04 am
What was even greater was that TEo who is highly overrated played terribly. Don’t worry that Jarvis Jones had better stats than Teo in every defensive category other than tackles and ints. yet the national media can’t stop giving Teo a hand job.
joeschmo
January 8th, 2013
11:04 am
If Alabama had a month to prepare for UGA, you would have seen the same result as last night. All you idiots that pull for a “conference” instead of A team, are nuts. Why would you complain about the system when the SEC has won 7 straight? I know, because you’re dumb enough to think it will be SEC vs SEC every year in the NC. Playoffs will help all of the other teams be more competitive. With a playoff right now, you’d still only have Bama left in it, but without a month to prepare.
Discount DoubleDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:08 am
If the rankings are not accurate then all you haters can stop talking about Georgia’s record against teams who finish the year ranked.
If the rankings are accurate then we can enjoy a nice finish to the year. Either way, this will shut up reasonable and intelligent haters. Oh wait, there is no such thing.
MurfDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:14 am
Based on the AP poll, UGA played 5 ranked teams and defeated 3. South Carolina played 4 and defeated 2. So my question for SOS is, who had the tougher schedule?
Next Year
January 8th, 2013
11:15 am
Saban is wired differently than 99% of college coaches. He is a respected leader and expects excellence from himself and everyone he works with. Players know if they do what he asks that he’ll take them to the promised land and in the process, he’ll work harder than they do to ensure success. When asked what he’s most proud of after last night’s game, Saban said the way his team represents the school and football program both on and off the field.
Other coaches- including Richt- don’t have the same drive and passion to win NCs that Saban has. Saban showed more passion and moxy last night in the 4th qtr up 30 points than Richt showed all year.
Additionally, you rarely hear about off-field problems with Saban’s players yet Richt’s players find trouble at every turn. This shows that Saban’s players respect him while Richt’s players like him. Big difference.
In the end, Nick Saban is in a league that Richt and most other coaches will never know. While Saban seeks his 5th title, Richt still trying to connect the dots on his first. I’d be willing to bet that Saban could have won multiple titles with the talent Richt has had at UGA. Richt’s mismanagement of UGA’s talent is very similar to Cox’s mismanagement of the Braves in the 90’s. Difference being Cox lucked into one title.
4th and Long Gone
January 8th, 2013
11:16 am
Either one of two things: Either UGA should not have dropped after losing in the SEC Championship game, or Notre Dame should have dropped after losing the National Championship game. Personally, I could argue both ways, especially after how bad ND looked last night. But in general, I say that if you are good enough to make it to a championship game, whether conference or national championship, the worst you should come out is #2 in the conference or in the nation. I certainly didn’t think UGA should have dropped below FL (and out of the Sugar Bowl) after losing to Alabama, so I guess I have to stick with the same philosophy and stick with ND as #2. The same would apply if we go to a playoff. 1 vs 2 will yield #1 and #2, losers of the semi finals would be 3 and 4.
On a separate note, I think UGA would have defeated ND, but it it had been a rematch, Alabama would have rolled over UGA, not close like the SEC Championship game. UGA’s run defense would have done them in.
Lastly, I am really glad Tao didn’t win the Heisman. Johnny Football starred in his game, Teo was almost a non-factor. Jarvis should send him something, because he just insured that Jarvis will be the first LB taken.
Shep
January 8th, 2013
11:17 am
A&M is the best. Ga would have beaten Dame the same as AL.
Top 5 in country X 3 under Richt. Eliminate ONE C.J. PLAY and the dawgs get the champeenship. GET OFF HIS CASE SHEEPLE. I wdn’t trade Richt for anyone in the world. HA!!
danny
January 8th, 2013
11:18 am
The only time I heard Te’o’s name was when they pointed out another missed tackle. He should return all his awards. He is proof of the powerful ND hype machine. There are at least 7 or 8 players on the UGA defense that are better than him. An he seems to be very whiny.
GT Alum '83
January 8th, 2013
11:18 am
Even as a Tech fan, I don’t see how ND can be ranked ahead of UGA after the Dogs went toe-to-toe with ‘Bama while the Irish simply got bent.
The Bear
January 8th, 2013
11:18 am
Brent Musburger is a tool.Good thing Bama shot out of the blocks before the refs could get involved. The white hat looked like a cyborg.
Roll Tide
ARdawg
January 8th, 2013
11:22 am
All you jackwagons are PO’d about where ND finished in the polls, you should be PO’d about ND even being in that game. That was the worst NC game I have ever seen More proof positive the BCS formula doesn’t work. Crying about ND finishing ahead of UGA in a poll that doesn’t mean dic? This is the same BCS system that gave you ND in the NC game. All a farce. I’m mad that is what college football game us for a title game
Doug
January 8th, 2013
11:22 am
Notre Dame will always win a popularity contest even if they’re the ugliest contestant in the pageant. For them to finish ahead of Georgia, A & M, and Stanford is an insult to people’s intelligence.
Dawg Home
January 8th, 2013
11:22 am
I never saw a game where the Offense was constantly on the field. I swear, after Alabama was up by 35- 0, they looked deflated and bored after another ND 3 and out. ND had no business being around such powerhouse for a high stake game. Glad I got to watched the thrill of the SEC championship game.
BigDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:26 am
Just further points up the travesty in the current system and the SEC in particular where they allowed uneven officiating to decide the SEC Championship game and thus the BCS MNC game as well. Norte Dame was proven on the field and exposed by Bama as not deserving to be in the game in the first place. Oregon should have been there and would have provided better competition for the SEC representative. But until games are officiated evenly with the officials not deciding outcomes it is what it is. Dawgs still had a great season.
To Steve Spurrier: I would take your bet because if the SEC Championship game had been called evenly Alabama would not have been in the game. Terrible officiating decided the outcome of the game and nothing you can say or anybody else may say can change that. Anyways the Dawgs had a great season.
air of mendacity
January 8th, 2013
11:26 am
N.Dame in top 5 is joke – they were slow slow slow – as has been pointed out, the NC game was clearly the SEC championship game. Get over it the rest of the football world.
Buckeye
January 8th, 2013
11:29 am
dogs,
I am first to admit that Bama is the class of college football and has been the last 4 years. I’ve said they should join the AFC Central.
Yes, Bama would have beaten this year’s Buckeyes just as Alabama did (and would) beat everything but Johnny Football.
Saban has first dibs on the best players and he has demonstrated he is the best coach. Nice combo.
dogs recruit “special admits” who underachieve – at least according the the hype that precedes them ( See King, Ealey (the spitter) and Isaiah, The Anointed One who is facing felony weapon charges, Crowell.
The dogs gave up 350 rush yards to Bama, Who was the last team to give up 350 on the ground and win?
Except got my soft spot for Vandy, the SEC! SEC! chant is nothing but SEC! SEC! parasites invading the accomplishments of one team – Alabama. Not FL, not LSU, not USC, certainly not the dog – none contributed this year for the right to chant.
dogs beat FL. FL loses to Louisville. dogs beat Nebraska. Wisc beat Nebraska. Stanford beat Wisconsin. So what.
It’d be nice that of the dogs chanted ALABAMA! ALABAMA! instead of the coat tail riding
SEC! SEC! (That’s for you, discount)
air of mendacity
January 8th, 2013
11:29 am
T’eo stock dropped to late 1st or even as low as middle second round – depending on his combine – the guy just disappeared totally.
Dawg
January 8th, 2013
11:31 am
Notre Dame is a bag of wind ………………. they should be rated w/ Boise State and other “undefeated” team that never play anyone.
ND please join the SEC and find out if you win a single game next year. Vanderbilt would make it to the Championship playing Navy and the other football powerhouses that you sweated your way thru this past year.
flo-ri-duh
January 8th, 2013
11:31 am
Ohio State #3 – really? Similar to Notre Dame . weak schedule, over hyped by ESPN and over rated. Couldn’t beat Bama, UGA, LSU, Florida, S.C. or Teas A & M and don’t let me leave out Vandy and Missou.
Ace
January 8th, 2013
11:32 am
If you ain’t 1st, you are last.
Buckeye
January 8th, 2013
11:33 am
Lady Gym dog update:
0-1 Gym dogs at Arkansas Friday, 8PM
flo-ri-duh
January 8th, 2013
11:34 am
ESPN is already trying to change the subject – when asked what did this game say about Notre Dame they just try to change the subject. Notre Dame has deep pockets and influence and will be HYPED by ESPN again next year.
Buckeye
January 8th, 2013
11:35 am
dogs,
Enjoy your off-season rein at #1
flo-ri-duh
January 8th, 2013
11:37 am
Speed beat Notre Dame .. them Yankees are just big fat slow …… Golson scrambled, broke out and dashed through a wide open hole towards the 1st down – only to be smacked down three yards short.
SoGaDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:37 am
Now that ND has proven they don’t have a football team, maybe they can get back to training future choir boys and pedophil priest.
flo-ri-duh
January 8th, 2013
11:38 am
Buck teeth – you is butt ugly son…. go on back to mama now and this time don’t wet your bed.
Rambo Dog
January 8th, 2013
11:39 am
4th and Long Gone
January 8th, 2013
11:16 am
You are delusional. Bama ran for 350 yards in the SEC CG….I guess you think they would have gotten 100 more with time to “practice”? They ran same offense on ND that they did against UGA, with the month to practice. Get off of here and quit showing your football ignorance.
2013
January 8th, 2013
11:40 am
funny how ga fans have amnesia when it comes to the SC game. 35-7, a disgrace and even the announcers talked about how ga quit that night. So ND loses by the same margin to THE NATIONAL CHAMPS that ga lost by to a team that did not even win their division, but somehow they don’t deserve their ranking. You also think you are better than Texas A&M who ended with only 2 losses just like ga but was the only team that beat THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, and did it at THE NATIONAL CHAMPS own house while ga “looked good in defeat” while losing to to the champs.
You gotta love dog fans.
LarryW
January 8th, 2013
11:42 am
Two comments ….
Florida is not that good. Now if they could throw and catch a football they might have won their game and finished #2 in the polls.
Why do all the Dawg fans assume that that the offense would have covered those last few yards? Pie in the sky thinking.
air of mendacity
January 8th, 2013
11:42 am
buckeye – you are so full of it – when do you guys come off probation – then we will see what you are made of when you have to play real football – meaning speed – maybe Urban can work his gator magic with the yankees, but I don’t think he will be able to recruit same caliber of player as when he was at Florida.
'94 UGA Alumni
January 8th, 2013
11:47 am
Here’s what the whole BCS system boils down to……..
SEC Championship = National Championship
BCS Championship = just a boring formality game with SEC Champion winning
2013
January 8th, 2013
11:48 am
oh and i see the “refs cost ga the NC” crowd has already arrived today.
danny
January 8th, 2013
11:49 am
Enter your comments here
air of mendacity
January 8th, 2013
11:49 am
Rambo – you are right – UGA basically shut down bama passing game except for the one bad play – bama receivers on N Dame running free all night – the ND d-backs slow and pitiful
Dawg Tired
January 8th, 2013
11:52 am
I think Buckeye has taken the test to be considered a person qualified to vote in the polls ranking college football teams . BTW, he clearly meets the criteria.