Georgia projected at No. 2 ahead of first CFP rankings, then heads to No. 12 Ole Miss

Georgia goes into Tuesday's first College Football Playoff rankings looking like the strongest one-loss team in the country. At least two national projections expect the selection committee to agree. The committee releases its top 25 at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 3 during a one-hour ESPN show, the first of six reveals this season.

UGA Wire, writing on Yahoo Sports, noted that the coaches already have the Bulldogs at No. 2 in their poll. It also pointed to USA TODAY's projection, which puts Georgia second behind unbeaten Miami and ahead of Utah, Indiana and Kentucky. Stan Becton of NCAA.com also projects Georgia at No. 2. He credits the win at Alabama and the way the Bulldogs answered their loss to Auburn by handling Florida. He slots Kentucky, whose only loss came against Alabama, behind Georgia because the Bulldogs beat that common opponent.

A No. 2 ranking is not guaranteed. UGA Wire noted that the committee could put Georgia behind unbeaten teams such as Miami, Utah and UCLA. USA TODAY's board shows the alternative: it has 8-0 UCLA at No. 8. Where Georgia starts matters less than where it finishes, but an opening spot near the top gives the Bulldogs some room to absorb another loss.

The case for Georgia rests on its results. The Bulldogs are 7-1 and have scored 328 points while allowing 119, an average of about 41 to 15. They won 20-17 at No. 6 Alabama, beat No. 17 Florida 27-8 and earlier rolled past Oklahoma 41-13 and Arkansas 45-17 on the road. The one blemish is a 27-24 loss to Auburn, and the committee will weigh it against those wins. Becton still lists Florida at No. 21 in his projection, so the win over the Gators may keep its value.

What it means for Ole Miss

Whatever number Georgia gets on Tuesday will be tested four days later. The Bulldogs play at No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 7, on ABC. It is their third game in four weeks against a ranked opponent, and their first true road game against one since the trip to Tuscaloosa. A win would back up a top-two ranking. A second loss would put Georgia in the crowded group of two-loss contenders that the projections already have bunched around the edge of the bracket.

The defense comes in sharp after holding Florida to eight points. The Bulldogs have allowed 17 or fewer in five of their eight games. The Auburn game is the exception: the 27 points Georgia gave up there are its most against an FBS opponent this season.

The board for Georgia at Ole Miss has the Bulldogs favored at 12 venues. On Novig, Georgia is -163 to win outright, a $61.35 profit on $100, and Ole Miss is +156. The spread on Novig has Georgia favored by 3.5 at -100, with Ole Miss +3.5 at -104. The total there is 56.5, priced at -104 on the over and -106 on the under. The best over price anywhere is BetRivers at 56 and -115. The sportsbooks' hold ranges from 3.5% to 6.3% on the moneyline and from 3.8% to 7.0% on the spread, so the venues roughly agree on Georgia but charge different amounts for that view.

More on the Bulldogs' season is on the Georgia team page.