CFP Odds: Will Rankings Matter Headed Into Georgia-Tennessee?

Should Georgia be ranked higher than Tennessee?

by

Nov 1, 2022

It's officially that time of year, folks. The first College Football Playoff rankings have been revealed.

College football fans got their first glimpse of the teams they can expect to be playing when the calendar turns over Tuesday, with the CFP committee getting together to release their initial rankings for the 2022 season.

Here are the Top 10 ranked teams for Week 10:
1. Tennessee (8-0)
2. Ohio State (8-0)
3. Georgia (8-0)
4. Clemson (8-0)
5. Michigan (8-0)
6. Alabama (7-1)
7. TCU (8-0)
8. Oregon (7-1)
9. USC (7-1)
10. LSU (6-2)

It won't take long for those rankings to change, however, as the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers will travel to Athens to take on the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in Week 10. While Tennessee has earned their mark as the top-ranked team, boasting the best scoring offense (49.4 points per game) behind Heisman-favorite Hendon Hooker and the 26th-best scoring defense (21 ppg) in the country, some handicappers believe they're no match for Georgia.

Sports Analyst CEO Kenny White, a veteran college football handicapper, believes the Bulldogs are a much better team based off his legendary power ratings. In his Week 10 update, White ranks Georgia as a 133 and Tennessee as a 125.5, meaning he would handicap their Saturday matchup at -7.5 in favor of the Bulldogs.

It's not an absurd thought to believe Georgia is the better team. They are coming off a National Championship after all, but given the way Tennessee is playing there's an argument to be made for the Volunteers. On thing is for certain, however. The winner of Saturday's matchup will find themselves in control of the No. 1 spot in the Week 11 rankings, making for another great start for the SEC in the CFP rankings.

Thumbnail photo via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel/USA TODAY Sports Images

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