New poll sets up Georgia for top-10 matchup against Texas

“I texted with Sark today about the drive we had over here,” Smart said. “I was like, ‘this drive is an hour and five minutes.’ I couldn’t believe it. I mean, they had the same thing.”

With the win, Georgia remains No. 5 in the Week 12 AP Poll Top 25 rankings. The Bulldogs are now 8-1 on the season and 6-1 in SEC play.

Georgia will close out SEC play this week against No. 10 Texas in a game that will have major implications for both the SEC and the College Football Playoff.

Georgia is No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings while Texas came in at No. 11. The Longhorns are 7-2 on the season, with losses to Florida and Ohio State.

It is worth noting that both of those defeats were on the road.

Texas did get the benefit of not having to play this past weekend, as the Longhorns will enjoy a rest advantage.

But for once, Georgia dominated an SEC foe, as the Bulldogs held a 38-7 lead not even six minutes into the third quarter.

That gave Georgia the chance to play a lot of younger players while also keeping some of its starters fresh.

Because of the big looming home game, some had circled the Mississippi State contest as a trap game. But Georgia made sure it handled its business.

“The key to that is consistency in practice,” Smart said. “Never high, never low. We’re not a roller coaster program. We’re very — we have a program. We have a process we believe in. We don’t get caught up in the moments of wins and losses. I mean, we just keep chopping wood. That’s all we do all week. It’s only a trap game if you don’t get ready.

“It’s no trap game if you prepare. So, I think our kids handled the preparation well.”

Georgia’s game against Texas is set for a 7:30 p.m. start on ABC.

Below you can see the full Coaches Poll Top 25 for Week 12.

AP Poll Top 25 for Week 12