Georgia Keeps College Football Playoff Hopes Alive With Win Over Florida; Nat’l Title Odds Improve From +1500 to +1000

  • No. 8 Georgia moved to 7-1 with a 24-17 win over No. 6 Florida
  • Wins by Notre Dame and Auburn on Saturday help the Bulldogs' cause
  • Read below as we map Georgia's path to the conference championship game

The latest edition of the “World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” a rivalry game between Georgia and Florida, pushed one team deep into the College Football Playoff conversation and ousted the other team from the discussion altogether.

As it stands, Georgia led from start to finish in a 24-17 win over Florida. With the win, Georgia took a commanding lead on the SEC West division, which is key — playing in the SEC championship game is a must if the Bulldogs hope to reach the playoff.

Here are their current 2020 National Championship odds, along with other playoff contenders, entering Week 11:

2020 College Football Playoff Odds

TeamRecordOdds at BetOnline
Alabama8-0+275
Clemson8-0+275
Ohio State8-0+300
LSU8-0+450
Georgia7-1+1000
Oregon8-1+1600
Oklahoma7-1+2000
Penn State8-0+2000

*Odds taken Nov. 3

The Cocktail Party

No style points are required in a game like this, where two highly-ranked teams are fighting to stay in the hunt. But Georgia made a statement by never trailing and by dominating in the trenches.

The Bulldogs outgained the Gators by 120 yards, thanks to stout run defense. Florida managed just 21 rushing yards on 19 carries. That has been a major factor this season for Georgia, which has the fourth-ranked run defense in the country (77.6 yards allowed/game).

Florida finished strong, with 14 points in the final quarter, but now sits at 7-2. The Gators are only a half-game back in the SEC West, but now Georgia holds the tiebreaker. In other words, Florida's CFP hopes are gone.

What Helped Georgia on Saturday?

Two teams can help ensure Georgia has the best possible playoff resume: Notre Dame and Auburn.

Georgia beat the Fighting Irish back in September when they were No. 6 in the country. Since then, Notre Dame has dropped to No. 16. The more they lose, the less valuable that win is for Georgia. On Saturday, Notre Dame escaped with a one-point win after trailing in the game's final minute.

No. 12 Auburn also won a close one, against unranked Ole Miss. Georgia hasn't played Auburn yet, but they will meet Nov. 16. Georgia will need to win that game, of course, but they also need Auburn to have a good record so that game appears as an “impressive win.”

What Didn't Help Georgia on Saturday?

Many of the nation's top teams were idle this weekend, including Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Penn State. As a result, Georgia wasn't able to leapfrog any of them on its way up to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press rankings.

Clemson, with a win over FCS Wofford, also stayed ahead of Georgia. But there's a silver lining: Georgia is the highest ranked one-loss team, which shows that voters respect their schedule and performance to this point.

LSU and Alabama still have to play each other, as do Ohio State and Penn State. That will help thin the herd and clear a path for Georgia.

Decision Time

As always, the top of the college football leaderboard is crowded. Georgia's loss to an unranked opponent (South Carolina) will really sting when it's time to decide who's in and who's out.

But, thanks to a tough schedule, there is a way. Georgia must run the table, including an SEC championship win over LSU/Alabama. If that happens, they definitely get in. If it doesn't happen, they are definitely out.

The post Georgia Keeps College Football Playoff Hopes Alive With Win Over Florida; Nat'l Title Odds Improve From +1500 to +1000 appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.

Original source: https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/news/ncaaf/georgia-playoff-hopes-alive-title-odds-1000/

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