OK, everyone. Take a deep breath and together we’ll get through this highly volatile transitive property experience.

Or as they like to say in the SEC: We’re better than you because we beat each other.

LSU beat Clemson by 41 in the season opener, and was quickly anointed the best team in college football. A week later, Texas stormed back from a 20-point deficit and beat Ohio State in the best game of the season, and rocketed to the top of the USA TODAY Sports Playoff Predictor.

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A week after that, Ole Miss got a 4th-and-goal stop against LSU, and won the most anticipated regular season game in years — and quickly assumed the role as the best team in the nation.

A week after that, Florida beat the brakes off Ole Miss, and despite being in the early stages of a clear rebuild under first-year coach Jon Sumrall, became the team de jour.

A week after that, Missouri, which a week earlier lost to Mississippi State, beat Florida by 28. So now it’s time to come home to old reliable, the one program that would never get caught up in the uncertainty of parity in college football.

Georgia.

Because Georgia would never be in a situation where it can’t — take your pick ― deal with pressure, respond to adversity or success, or get caught up in the moment. Georgia doesn’t lose games it shouldn’t.

Unless Alabama is on the other side of the field.

While last year’s SEC championship game victory for Georgia stopped the bleeding and moved Georgia to 3-10 vs. Alabama since 2007, we’re not far removed from the Tide winning in Athens in September of 2025. And guess who arrives in Tuscaloosa on Saturday to deal with unbeaten and surging Alabama? That would be unbeaten Georgia.

What does it all mean? The SEC is running out of fallback candidates for the top spot in college football. And good luck ranking any conference team after Texas, Georgia and Alabama.

A look at this week’s Playoff Predictor:

The CFP field

  1. Georgia: Wins over two cupcakes, and three average-to-bad SEC teams. That’s Georgia’s resume. Time to see if the Dawgs are legit. Next: at Alabama.
  2. Alabama: It’s still clunky at times in the first half of every game — Mississippi State was worse Saturday afternoon, hence the relative ease — but Tide is clearly surging with difference-makers on both sides of the ball. Next: vs. Georgia.
  3. Texas: Out of sight, out of the carnage. For now, anyway. There’s this thing called the Red River Rivalry, and we’ve seen too much crazy in Dallas over the years to assume the Longhorns stroll through it. Next: vs. Oklahoma.
  4. Ohio State: There’s concern about the run game, and frankly about anything outside of star WR Jeremiah Smith as an offensive weapon. Next. Vs. Maryland.
  5. Miami: Canes are fast, athletic and a significant problem for anyone on the schedule. Including Notre Dame. Next: Bye.
  6. LSU: Humbling loss to Ole Miss may have been the best thing to happen to LSU. Can’t lose the focus now, with danger all over the SEC’s most difficult schedule. Next: at Kentucky.
  7. Indiana: For all the questions about new QB Josh Hoover and his previous turnover issues at TCU: He has thrown 107 passes without an interception — against an admittedly weak schedule. Next: at Nebraska.
  8. Notre Dame: It get it, there was rain and the Irish got an early lead and maybe just tried to get out of UNC with a win. A bad habit against a soft schedule. Next: vs. Stanford.
  9. Oklahoma State: It’s time we take a second look at the Pokes, who have steamrolled everyone since an unthinkable season opening loss to Tulsa. Next: UCF.
  10. Oregon: If the jolt of reality didn’t come from the ugly loss at Oklahoma State, it certainly did when star QB Dante Moore sustained a head injury against USC. Galvanizing moments, or delaying the inevitable? Next: vs. UCLA.
  11. Missouri: Welcome, Mizzou, to your turn in the fifth CFP team from the SEC spot. There’s nothing to worry about. Promise. Next: vs. Texas A&M.
  12. Boise State: No Group of 6 team is playing better than the Broncos, but there are still two unbeatens who could earn the spot from the wins-mean-more-than-anything CFP selection committee: North Dakota State and JMU. Next: at Fresno State.

First round byes

  • Georgia
  • Alabama
  • Texas
  • Ohio State

First round

  • Boise State (12) at Miami (5)
  • Missouri (11) at LSU (6)
  • Oregon (10) at indiana (7)
  • Oklahoma State (9) at Notre Dame (8)

Quarterfinals

  • Georgia (1) vs. Oklahoma State-Notre Dame winner
  • Alabama (2) vs. Missouri-LSU winner
  • Texas (3) vs. Oregon-Indiana winner
  • Ohio State (4) vs. Boise State-Miami winner

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff Predictor: SEC chaos arrives, and we're only getting started

Source: Yahoo Sports