Georgia Bulldogs to face Alabama in SEC Championship game
Roderick Robinson II #0 of the Georgia Bulldogs pushes off Daijahn Anthony #3 of the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Sanford Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATHENS, Ga. - The stage is set for another clash between the University of Georgia and Alabama in the SEC College Football Championship.
The undefeated Bulldogs, now ranked No. 1 on the Associated Press' Top 10 turned in its most thorough performance of the season on a cool, rainy Saturday night, seemingly peaking at just the right time to make a run at its third straight national title.
Georgia scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, building a 28-14 halftime lead against Ole Miss and cruising the rest of the way to its 27th consecutive victory.
Even before Saturday's kickoff, the Bulldogs knew they had clinched another SEC East title and a Dec. 2 showdown against Alabama when No. 16 Missouri blew away No. 14 Tennessee 36-7.
The team now heads to Rocky Top to face No. 14 Tennessee next weekend, but all eyes are on the upcoming championship game, where the two teams will face off for the fourth time in history and the third time in six years.
Georgia has extended its streak of weeks being top-ranked in the AP Top 25 to 22 on Sunday, giving the Bulldogs the second-longest run of being No. 1 in the 87-year history of the college football poll.
The Bulldogs received 54 first-place votes after they routed Mississippi in what was a top-10 matchup on Saturday night. Georgia broke a tie with Miami, which made 21 straight appearances at No. 1 from 2001-02.
The longest No. 1 streak belongs to Southern California. The Trojans spent 33 straight polls at No. 1 from 2003-2005
The Bulldogs are another step closer to a three-peat, which has never been done in the poll era. This group appears to be just as motivated as the two previous seasons, and is as close to full strength as it’s been all year. Good luck to anyone trying to knock off the Georgia juggernaut, though running back Kendall Milton issued a word of warning. "We haven’t peaked. We’re nowhere near the peak."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.