First College Football Rankings Released - Georgia Bulldogs Top Five Again

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ATHENS - Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs come into the 2021 season as the No. 5 team in the country according to USA Today’s Coaches Poll. 

The Bulldogs will take on Clemson in the season opener. The Tigers open the season as the No. 2 team in the nation in the poll. This is the lowest the Bulldogs have been ranked to open a season since 2017. Georgia has never faced a team ranked No. 2 in any poll to start a season. 

Meanwhile, No. 1 Alabama topped the poll. The defending national champs open their season in Atlanta against No. 16 Miami. Oklahoma was voted No. 3 to start the season with Ohio State at No. 4. 

Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Iowa State, North Carolina and Cincinnati round out the top ten in that order. The Gators check in at No. 11. They are the only foe on the Bulldogs’ schedule that is ranked to start the season besides Clemson. LSU is ranked No. 13 while Ole Miss is No. 25. 

Georgia now awaits the AP Poll, which will come out later this month. Last year was the seventh time in history Georgia started a season ranked in the top five. The Bulldogs have finished in the top five 12 times in school history. 

Georgia Bulldogs teams with top five starts.

1942 - No. 2 in AP Poll
2004 - No. 3 in AP Poll; No. 4 in Coaches' Poll
2008 - No. 1 in AP Poll; No. 1 in Coaches' Poll
2013 - No. 5 in AP Poll; No. 5 in Coaches' Poll
2018 - No. 3 in AP Poll; No. 4 in Coaches' Poll
2019 - No. 3 in AP Poll; No. 3 in Coaches' Poll
2020 - No. 4 in AP Poll; No. 4 in Coaches' Poll
2021 - No. 5 in Coaches' Poll

Georgia Bulldogs teams with top five finishes.

1942 - No. 2 in AP Poll - Named national champions
1946 - No. 3 in AP Poll - Named national champions
1959 - No. 5 in AP Poll
1966 - No. 4 in AP Poll
1980 - No. 1 in AP Poll - Named national champions
1982 - No. 4 in AP Poll
1983 - No. 4 in AP Poll
2002 - No. 3 in AP Poll; No. 3 in Coaches' Poll
2007 - No. 2 in AP Poll; No. 3 in Coaches' Poll
2012 - No. 5 in AP Poll; No. 4 in Coaches' Poll
2017 - No. 2 in AP Poll; No. 2 in Coaches' Poll
2019 - No. 3 in AP Poll; No. 3 in Coaches' Poll

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