The 2023 season has come to a close, with Michigan taking down Washington in the national championship game.

The Wolverines finish the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the final AP Poll of the 2023 season. Georgia, which ended the season with a 13-1 record, came in at No. 4 in the final AP Poll.

Behind Michigan was Washington at No. 2, Texas at No. 3 and Alabama at No. 5.

Georgia did not make the College Football Playoff after its 27-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game. That result snapped Georgia’s 29-game winning streak. The Bulldogs had won back-to-back national championships prior to this season.

The Bulldogs, unlike some of the other top teams, took their bowl game very seriously. Georgia hammered No. 6 Florida State 63-3. It was the most-lopsided bowl win in the history of bowl games.

While Florida State was missing many players due to opt-outs, Georgia was nearly at full strength. Aside from those out with injury, the Bulldogs were able to show their best version of themselves.

“I sort of think we get better as the year goes,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “There’s a culture at our place of work ethic and the job is not done. I think a lot of coaches relax at the end of the year and say this game doesn’t matter or this game is not important.

“There’s nothing that’s not going to be important at our place. There’s not going to be a day we walk out on that field that Kamari Lassiter is not walking through, that’s not important. I think that standard has translated into success, and I think that’s a big part of the culture that’s been created.”

Georgia was one of six SEC teams ranked in the final AP Poll of the season. The Bulldogs picked up wins over No. 8 Missouri, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 17 Tennessee. All three of those teams had double-digit bowl wins over Big Ten teams.

The Bulldogs will open the 2024 season against the No. 20 Clemson Tigers, who beat Kentucky 38-35 in the Gator Bowl. The two teams will play in Atlanta on Aug. 31. Georgia will also face Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee next season.

AP Poll Top 25 rankings or 2023 season