Georgia Regains No. 1 in Coaches Poll After Beating Ole Miss

Georgia Regains No. 1 in Coaches Poll After Beating Ole Miss

by

Georgia regains No. 1 ranking

Georgia reclaimed the top spot in the Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 11 following a dominant 42-7 road victory over Ole Miss on Saturday.

This marks the second time the Bulldogs have held the top position this season, having previously reached the summit after a win against Alabama. Their previous stint at the top ended abruptly following a loss to Auburn.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels | Full Game Highlights | ESPN College Football

While the margin of victory was significant, the team’s internal reaction suggests a focus on perfection rather than the scoreboard. Georgia safety KJ Bolden noted that the team might have achieved a shutout had they not become slightly relaxed during the contest.

“We could’ve put up 60, I feel like,” Bolden said. “I feel like we kind of got a little relaxed with them, could’ve got a shutout. Our standard’s high at Georgia. Like, we don’t got the regular standards like everybody else.

I feel like our standard’s kind of high here. We’ve just got to keep getting better. Humility is one week away, so we’ve got to let this game go past, man. Next week we’ve got a big game.”

Clearing the debt in Oxford

The win in Mississippi carried weight beyond the current standings. The Bulldogs entered Vaught-Hemingway Stadium seeking to settle scores from previous seasons, specifically 2025 when Ole Miss ended Georgia’s season. The Rebels had also won the last meeting in Oxford, 28-10.

Georgia Regains No. 1 in Coaches Poll After Beating Ole Miss
Photo: ajc.com

Coach Kirby Smart addressed the significance of securing a win on that specific field, noting that the program had struggled in previous trips to Oxford.

Smart downplayed the idea of long-term motivation through spite, though he acknowledged the emotional drive of his players. “It was good to get that out of the way,” Smart said. “Because there’s been some whoopings in here, man. We got 0-2, 0-3, I don’t know what it is. But it’s good to get that one.

And there’s a little bit of us that wanted that for the CJ Allen’s and the Cash’s of the world. We had to walk off that field that night. And I don’t think revenge is a big factor in the game ever. Revenge lasts about five minutes, but it makes me proud for those guys.”

The victory builds momentum ahead of the postseason. While the Coaches Poll has crowned Georgia the leader this week, the College Football Playoff rankings are scheduled for release on Tuesday. Those rankings will provide a more definitive look at how the selection committee views the Bulldogs’ resume heading into the final stretch of the season.

The road ahead for the Bulldogs

Georgia’s schedule now shifts back to home turf at Sanford Stadium. They are set to face Missouri, a team coming off a 34-20 loss to Texas. The SEC has confirmed that the matchup will take place this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast on ABC.

The current top rankings show a highly competitive field at the top of the polls.

Rank Coaches Poll Top 25 (Week 11)
1 Georgia
2 Utah
3 Notre Dame

As the Bulldogs prepare for Missouri, the pressure remains on them to maintain the high standards mentioned by their players to avoid another slip in the rankings.

Worth a look

Read next