The Georgia Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1 SEC) fell to the Auburn Tigers, 40-17, Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium and also fell in the SEC Country Power Poll for the first time this season.
The 2017 SEC Country Power Poll voters placed Georgia in the No. 3 spot behind No. 2 Auburn and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs had been ranked second for eight consecutive weeks after debuting in fourth place and moving to second following a Week 3 win over the Samford Bulldogs.
Georgia held the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, which determines the four teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff, for the last two weeks. It will cede first place, likely to Alabama, when the rankings are released Tuesday. The Bulldogs have already dropped from No. 2 to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll.
Auburn dominated Georgia on both lines of scrimmage Saturday night. Georgia’s defense could not stop the run, and the Tigers rushed for 237 yards, including 167 yards from tailback Kerryon Johnson. Defensively, Auburn held Georgia’s typically stellar ground game to 46 yards on 1.4 yards per rush. Quarterback Jake Fromm couldn’t make up for the lost production of the running backs, completing 18 of 28 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.
Penalties also hurt Georgia. The Bulldogs committed 7 for 75 yards. Two 15-yard personal fouls in particular stood out. D’Andre Walker drew one for leaping on a punt return, extending Auburn’s drive, and Sony Michel drew the other following a punt to give the Tigers a short field. Auburn scored touchdowns following both penalties.
“It was out of character,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of the penalties. “Almost [like], ‘I’m in a hostile environment, and I resort to things I don’t normally do.’ That’s the disappointing part. But that wasn’t what won or lost the game. It was the line of scrimmage. That won the game. But what made it so lopsided was the undisciplined penalties.”
Georgia finishes off its SEC schedule this Saturday when it welcomes Kentucky (7-3, 4-3 SEC) to Sanford Stadium. The Wildcats are ranked eighth in the SEC Country Power Poll.
Your Week 11 Power Poll rankings
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS | 1ST PLACEVOTES | PREV | HIGHVOTE | LOWVOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (13 - 1) | 337 | 25 | 112 | ||
| 2 | Auburn (10 - 4) | 311 | 1 | 313 | ||
| 3 | Georgia (13 - 2) | 288 | 0 | 223 | ||
| 4 | Mississippi State (9 - 4) | 255 | 0 | 445 | ||
| 5 | LSU (9 - 4) | 239 | 0 | 545 | ||
| 6 | South Carolina (9 - 4) | 187 | 0 | 6611 | ||
| 7 | Texas A&M (7 - 6) | 173 | 0 | 7612 | ||
| 8 | Kentucky (7 - 6) | 161 | 0 | 8610 | ||
| 9 | Missouri (7 - 6) | 124 | 0 | 10811 | ||
| 10 | Ole Miss (6 - 6) | 114 | 0 | 9813 | ||
| 11 | Florida (4 - 7) | 75 | 0 | 11713 | ||
| 12 | Arkansas (4 - 8) | 54 | 0 | 14614 | ||
| 13 | Vanderbilt (5 - 7) | 30 | 0 | 131014 | ||
| 14 | Tennessee (4 - 8) | 18 | 0 | 121214 |
This week's voters:Alex Hickey (SEC Country)Alex Martin Smith (SEC Country)Andrew Astleford (SEC Country)Ben Wolk (SEC Country)Blake MorganBrandon Walker (SEC Country)Chip Towers (DawgNation)Chris Kirschner (SEC Country)Christopher Walsh (SEC Country)Eric Bolin (SEC Country)Joe Mussatto (SEC Country)Jordan Mcpherson (SEC Country)Justin Ferguson (SEC Country)Ken Bradley (SEC Country)Lauren Shute (SEC Country)Marq Burnett (SEC Country)Mike BambachNick SussPete ScantleburyRyan YoungRyan YoungSam SpiegelmanSeth Emerson (DawgNation)Thomas Neumann (SEC Country)Trent Shadid (SEC Country)Zach Abolverdi (SEC Country)
