The Georgia Bulldogs (10-1, 7-1 SEC) defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 42-13 to finish their home slate with a perfect record at Sanford Stadium as well as a perfect record in the SEC East. But the blowout win over the ‘Cats wasn’t enough to move Georgia up in the SEC Country Power Poll.
The 2017 SEC Country Power Poll voters placed Georgia in the No. 3 spot behind the No. 2 Auburn Tigers and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. This is the second consecutive week Georgia has been ranked third in the SEC Country Power Poll.
Georgia dropped to No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings, which determines the four participants in the College Football Playoff, last week following its loss to Auburn. No teams ahead of them in the rankings lost in Week 12, so Georgia is likely to remain at No. 7. Georgia also remained seventh in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.
Georgia started slow against Kentucky, leading just 7-6 after the first quarter. But the Bulldogs sprung to life in the second quarter, scoring two touchdowns to lead 21-6 at halftime. Kentucky scored first on the other side of halftime, but senior tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel closed out the game with three combined touchdowns in the second half.
It was senior night in Athens, and the seniors showed out, especially Chubb and Michel. Chubb ran for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries, while Michel carried the ball 12 times for 87 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior cornerback Aaron Davis got his first interception of the season, and senior wideout Javon Wims caught his fifth touchdown.
“What a great way for these seniors to go out — winning the SEC East by going undefeated against the East,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Our seniors have given us tremendous leadership, and I’m happy and proud of them. Our seniors have set the standard, and our young players have bought in. It helps to have such great leadership.”
Georgia will finish the regular season Nov. 25 with a trip to Atlanta to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-5) in the annual showdown between the in-state rivals.
Your Week 12 Power Poll rankings
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS | 1ST PLACEVOTES | PREV | HIGHVOTE | LOWVOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (13 - 1) | 312 | 24 | 111 | ||
| 2 | Auburn (10 - 4) | 287 | 0 | 223 | ||
| 3 | Georgia (13 - 2) | 265 | 0 | 323 | ||
| 4 | Mississippi State (9 - 4) | 235 | 0 | 445 | ||
| 5 | LSU (9 - 4) | 220 | 0 | 546 | ||
| 6 | South Carolina (9 - 4) | 180 | 0 | 6510 | ||
| 7 | Texas A&M (7 - 6) | 154 | 0 | 7613 | ||
| 8 | Missouri (7 - 6) | 138 | 0 | 9610 | ||
| 9 | Kentucky (7 - 6) | 132 | 0 | 8611 | ||
| 10 | Florida (4 - 7) | 87 | 0 | 11813 | ||
| 11 | Ole Miss (6 - 6) | 83 | 0 | 10912 | ||
| 12 | Arkansas (4 - 8) | 53 | 0 | 12714 | ||
| 13 | Tennessee (4 - 8) | 30 | 0 | 141014 | ||
| 14 | Vanderbilt (5 - 7) | 8 | 0 | 131314 |
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)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 Griffith (SEC Country)Nick SussPete ScantleburyRyan YoungSam SpiegelmanSeth Emerson (DawgNation)Thomas Neumann (SEC Country)Trent Shadid (SEC Country)Zach Abolverdi (SEC Country)