ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia is back near the top of the college football rankings. The Bulldogs rose to No. 2 in the weekly Top 25 media poll released Sunday, one spot behind No. 1 Miami, after a 27-8 rout of Florida in Atlanta.
Defense drove the jump. Georgia forced four turnovers against the Gators and turned one into a touchdown, while Florida fell to No. 25 after its third loss of the year.
The Bulldogs moved up partly because of a shakeup above them. Ohio State dropped out of the top 10 after a loss at USC, and Utah slid into the No. 3 spot. Notre Dame climbed to No. 4 after pulling away from Navy in the second half, setting up a top-four meeting with Miami in South Bend on Saturday night. Miami held the top spot despite a Halloween scare from North Carolina, and USC returned to the rankings at No. 18 after beating the Buckeyes.
History suggests the new ranking comes with a target. The team ranked second has lost three weeks in a row, with Notre Dame, BYU and Ohio State each falling while holding the spot. The last No. 2 team to win was Georgia itself on Oct. 10.
The next test is on the road. Georgia plays at Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday, Nov. 7, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Georgia passing game is still a question mark even after the lopsided win over Florida. To win in Oxford, the Bulldogs likely need either a defense that keeps Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in check or a handful of big downfield throws from Gunner Stockton.
The College Football Playoff selection committee releases its own rankings Tuesday night.
Section: More Atlanta GA sports news
Atlanta sports business profiles
Filed under: Atlanta GA Sports News
