If Georgia is to play huge non-conference video games, CFP committee might want to do its job

Under Kirby Smart, the Georgia Bulldogs have at all times been aggressive relating to non-conference scheduling.

Whether or not it’s video games towards Clemson, Oregon or Notre Dame, Georgia has usually opted to offer itself an out-of-conference take a look at.

But that philosophy might be altering.

In December, Georgia referred to as off their scheduled home-and-homes with Louisville and NC State. The Bulldogs had been set to go to Louisville this coming season, with Jeff Brohm’s journey making the return journey to Athens in 2027. The video games towards NC State had been set for 2033 and 2034.

But with the SEC and ACC each altering their convention codecs, these video games turned a casualty. Georgia will play 9 SEC video games subsequent season along with going through Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky and Tennessee State.

The annual rivalry towards the Yellow Jackets retains the Bulldogs compliant with the SEC’s scheduling system, which requires groups to play 9 convention video games and at the very least one recreation towards a Power 4 non-conference opponent.

“We play nine plus one, and we’ve got Georgia Tech,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks mentioned following Georgia’s current athletic board conferences. “So we’ve already got ten baked in. So we’ve got to take a hard look at what are we going to do with those other two games.”

Georgia does have future video games scheduled towards Florida State, Clemson and Ohio State.

Whether or not these video games get performed will doubtless fall on the College Football Playoff committee and the way it elects to worth power of schedule.

The SEC moved to 9 convention video games following assurances from the College Football Playoff committee that power of schedule could be a better consider figuring out who makes the ultimate 12-team area.

Not each convention performs by the identical scheduling guidelines. The Big Ten, for instance, doesn’t require its groups to play a non-conference Power 4 program. The league has produced the final three nationwide champions with these three faculties — Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025 — taking part in zero video games towards Power 4 non-conference opponents within the yr they gained the nationwide championship.

The Hoosiers have only a 2030-2031 home-and-home towards Notre Dame on their schedule so far as future marquee non-conference video games go. There are additionally video games towards Kennesaw State, Howard and Ball State lined up.

If the College Football Playoff committee doesn’t reward groups for enjoying troublesome non-conference schedules, you’ll doubtless see extra groups undertake what Indiana and Curt Cignetti have executed.

“We’re having a lot of discussions with the CFP about metrics,” Brooks mentioned. “And metrics they’re going to look at about strength of schedule, right? And we need to see that be rewarded if we’re going to continue to play this 11th game of the P4. Otherwise, because you’ve got to look at the – it’s all data, right? You look at the teams that are higher ranked that play maybe eight conference games or nine. And then only play three G5s. In order for that to keep going, the teams need to be rewarded for stepping up and playing stronger schedules.”

Texas, for instance, misplaced a marquee non-conference recreation final season to go 9-3. Had Texas performed Ohio as an alternative of Ohio State, possibly the Longhorns discover their method into the College Football Playoff, as an alternative of on the skin trying in. Of course, Texas might’ve additionally overwhelmed Florida final season and the complete level of non-conference scheduling would’ve been moot.

Since Kirby Smart took over forward of the 2016 season, Georgia has misplaced only one non-conference recreation, because the Bulldogs fell to Georgia Tech in 2016. The Bulldogs have gained eight consecutive video games towards the rival Yellow Jackets.

Whether that in-state rivalry recreation continues to be the most important non-conference recreation performed is determined by how the College Football Playoff continues to affect the game at giant.