Where we stand with three games to go

The second College Football Playoff rankings come out today and, with three quarters of the season gone (time flies, doesn’t it?), teams with championship aspirations want to be in the top six when they are released. The Dawgs were ranked sixth last week headed into Lexington for a battle with the Kentucky Wildcats who were ranked ninth.The Wildcats had changed the culture, they said. Mark Stoops is building a dynasty, they said. Josh Allen is a first round draft pick and will dominate Georgia’s young, battered offensive line, they said. Bennie Snell is the SEC’s best back, they said. Snell talked a lot, too. He runs his mouth too much. The Dawgs shut that mouth.Snell had 73 yards on 20 carries. Allen picked up two fumbles that were dropped at his feet but, otherwise, is not on the stat sheet. He was completely neutralized. He also got faked out of his jock strap by UGA’s De’Andre Swift on the prettiest 20-yard touchdown run you will ever see. Allen is still looking for Swift at this writing.Swift, who is returning to form after a groin injury, was awesome. He added another 83-yard scoring run and finished with 156 yards of 16 carries. His running mate, Elijah Holyfield, had another 115 yards on 18 carries against what the talking heads on ESPN said was the SEC’s best defense going into the game. That defense gave up 331 rushing yards and another 113 through the air as the Dogs rolled 34-17.Georgia (8-1) has won the SEC East and will face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game Dec. 1. If you’ve got an extra ticket, give me a ring. That is going to be a tough challenge. Georgia is the SEC’s youngest team. It lost badly at LSU a few weeks ago. Bama rolled into LSU Saturday night and dominated 29-0.LSU’s loss was good for UGA in that the Tigers were ranked fourth in the playoff rankings. They will likely drop five-or six spots or more with their second loss so the Dogs will move up to at least fifth. Ahead of them are Alabama (9-0), Clemson (9-0), Notre Dame (9-0) and Michigan (8-1).Bama closes the season with three home games against #18 Mississippi State, The Citadel and hapless Auburn so they win out. Clemson finishes with #22 Boston College on the road and Duke and South Carolina at home so they win out, too.Notre Dame has one quality win, a 24-17 squeaker over Michigan. They finish with a pitiful FSU squad, #19 Syracuse at home and then close out with a game against Southern Cal. The rose has faded for the Trojans who are 5-4 and sinking. Still, the Irish could lose a game but it is unlikely.Michigan goes to Rutgers, hosts Indiana and then has to battle #10 Ohio State on the road in the regular season finale. UGA may be forced to root for Urban Meyer and the annoying Kirk Herbstreit’s favorite team in that game.Meanwhile, Georgia faces Auburn this week at home in a nationally televised night game. Athens will be rocking. The Gus Bus has at least two wheels in the ditch at 6-3 with losses to LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State. They came from behind this past Saturday to beat Texas A&M. Jordan-Hare Stadium was nearly empty when the fourth quarter began. The Yellow Fellow and his cronies are trying to figure out how to buy out Malzahn’s $32 million contract.The Dogs will roll the Tigers big time. Auburn will beat Liberty (who?) then get killed by Bama to finish 7-5 after starting the season ranked #5 in the preseason polls.UGA will finish with wins over Massachusetts and Georgia Tech to finish 11-1. They may have to beat Bama in the SEC title game to make the CFP. I don’t like the odds there but I love that we will have the opportunity.Go Dogs!