Georgia (8-0, 5-0 SEC) routed Florida 42-7 Saturday in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Despite the blowout, the Bulldogs stayed put in the SEC Country Power Poll.
The 2017 SEC Country Power Poll, consisting of voters from around the SEC, placed Georgia in the No. 2 spot behind the Alabama Crimson Tide. This is the seventh consecutive week Georgia has been ranked second.
Georgia moved up a spot in both the traditional top 25 polls. The Bulldogs are ranked second in both the AP Poll and Amway Coaches Poll, behind No. 1 Alabama. The first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings, which determines the four teams that qualify for the College Football Playoff, will be on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs got out to an early lead and never looked back. Less than eight minutes into the first quarter, they led the Gators 21-0 and had the game well in hand. Georgia’s defense was less than three minutes away from a shutout — which would have been the first for any team against Florida in an FBS record 367 games — before allowing a consolation touchdown. The 35-point victory is Georgia’s most decisive against Florida since 1982.
This was Georgia’s fist win against Florida since 2013, making it the first, and only win, over the Gators for the members of the Bulldogs’ senior class.
“I think it’s special for all the seniors,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “It’s special for our entire university. It’s special for our fan base, who is starving for some success against Florida. The past does not affect the present. And we know that. The most important thing for our team is to keep chopping wood and keep moving ahead, and as long as the seniors buy into that they’ll keep us leading into the right direction.”
Georgia has a chance to clinch the SEC East title in Week 10, but it will need some help. The Bulldogs will punch their ticket to the SEC Championship Game with a win against South Carolina (6-2, 4-2 SEC) plus a Kentucky (6-2, 3-2 SEC) loss to Ole Miss.
The Gamecocks are ranked seventh in the SEC Country Power Poll.
Your Week 9 Power Poll rankings
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS | 1ST PLACEVOTES | PREV | HIGHVOTE | LOWVOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (13 - 1) | 334 | 22 | 112 | ||
| 2 | Georgia (13 - 2) | 316 | 4 | 212 | ||
| 3 | Auburn (10 - 4) | 280 | 0 | 334 | ||
| 4 | LSU (9 - 4) | 250 | 0 | 436 | ||
| 5 | Mississippi State (9 - 4) | 247 | 0 | 646 | ||
| 6 | Texas A&M (7 - 6) | 198 | 0 | 558 | ||
| 7 | South Carolina (9 - 4) | 175 | 0 | 859 | ||
| 8 | Kentucky (7 - 6) | 162 | 0 | 9610 | ||
| 9 | Florida (4 - 7) | 127 | 0 | 7711 | ||
| 10 | Arkansas (4 - 8) | 98 | 0 | 12713 | ||
| 11 | Ole Miss (6 - 6) | 63 | 0 | 111014 | ||
| 12 | Tennessee (4 - 8) | 54 | 0 | 101014 | ||
| 13 | Vanderbilt (5 - 7) | 38 | 0 | 13914 | ||
| 14 | Missouri (7 - 6) | 24 | 0 | 14914 |
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)Hale McGranahan (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 YoungSam SpiegelmanSeth Emerson (DawgNation)Thomas Neumann (SEC Country)Trent Shadid (SEC Country)Zach Abolverdi (SEC Country)
