georgia football kirby smart college football playoff expanision

At some point in the near future, the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams. Whether it’s as soon as the 2024 season or as late as 2026 depends on what the college football commissioners ultimately decide to do.

As for what it all means for Georgia, much of it is still unknown. The Bulldogs haven’t had an issue making the College Football Playoff, doing so twice in the eight-year existence of the four-team format. Georgia also twice finished as the No. 5 under Kirby Smart and also would’ve made a 12-team playoff in 2020 as well.

But Smart was hesitant to call the expanded College Football Playoff an outright win for the Georgia program when he presented the opportunity to do so at Monday’s press conference.

“I don’t know how it affects Georgia personally,” Smart said. “I think there’s some good and bad to both. And I don’t think we know the repercussions of going 12 over 4. There’s been some good things about four. There’s probably some good things about 12. It’s just everybody loves change. It’s on a continuum.”

The format as currently constructed will have automatic bids for the six highest ranked conference champions as well as six at large spots. The first round of games will be played on campuses.

So for example, last season Georgia would’ve been the No. 5 seed in the playoff field as the Bulldogs did not win their conference. To earn a first-round bye, you must be a conference champion.

Georgia would’ve faced No. 12 Pitt in a game played in Sanford Stadium and taken on the No. 4 ranked Baylor Bears. Should Georgia have won both of those games, it would have pitted them against No. 1 Alabama in the semifinals.

Tate Ratledge noted specifically how the extra games may impact the sport from a players standpoint. Injuries always end up playing a factor in who wins a championship, as Georgia fans well know. Alabama wide receivers John Metchie and Jameson Williams couldn’t remain healthy through a 15-game season last year.

If a team were to lose in their conference championship game but then make it to the national championship game, a team could play in 17 games in a season.

“I think it’s going to be a long season, especially if you’re not winning your conference,” Ratledge said. “But I think it could be good for other teams.”

As for the current season, Georgia is still very much focused on the task at hand. A 49-3 Week 1 win over Oregon clearly established Georgia as one of the top teams in the spot. The College Football Playoff and a national championship are very much on the table once again this season for the Bulldogs.

Eventually, the details of the 12-team playoff and Georgia will adapt to them. As the Bulldogs always seem to do under Smart.

“There will be somebody complaining about something about 12,” Smart said. “I don’t really get into whether or not it’s going to be beneficial for us or not, because I think it’s year to year on what kind of team you have and how the other teams do in the country.”

Kirby Smart weighs in on 12-team College Football Playoff

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