Kirby Smart sent clear edict on Mississippi State, Texas, Georgia Tech after escaping Florida with 24-20 win

Georgia Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart narrowly avoided catastrophe during the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party on Saturday, leaving Jacksonville with a slim 24-20 victory over the Florida Gators.

Had Smart’s Dawgs lost, any chances of going to the College Football Playoff might’ve been canned. But a key Eugene Wilson III catch from a downfield DJ Lagway bomb was ruled incomplete. The call was upheld, leading to a turnover on downs on the next play and sealing the deal in the fourth quarter.

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah made it clear that a win against the Texas Longhorns and at least a 3-1 finish is the only way this team makes the CFP. UGA plays the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, Charlotte 49ers, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to close out their schedule.

“Georgia has found itself in some difficult spots during a competitive 2025 campaign, including a 24-21 loss to Alabama, overtime win over Tennessee and a late two-score deficit against Ole Miss. However, the late win against Florida was one of the most consequential on the board,” Jeyarajah wrote.

“Had the Bulldogs lost against Georgia, their place in the College Football Playoff picture would have shifted significantly. UGA still has games against No. 20 Texas and No. 8 Georgia Tech left on the schedule, and would have flirted with falling out of the top 10 in the first CFP Rankings.

“Now, Georgia has some leeway heading into the home stretch at 7-1. They likely need to beat Texas to earn a trip to the SEC Championship Game, but a 3-1 finish is enough to get into the CFP.”

Georgia can get away with losses to Texas or Georgia Tech and the Alabama Crimson Tide. If anything, those teams might all be CFP-bound if the Longhorns can also beat the TAMU Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks, if the Yellow Jackets can close strong in the ACC, and if the Tide could finish the job themselves against the LSU Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Eastern Illinois Panthers, and Auburn Tigers.

Surviving Florida in the fashion they did wasn’t overly impressive, but UGA has high-quality wins over the Tennessee Volunteers and Ole Miss Rebels. Beat Georgia Tech and/or Texas, and that resume will get Smart’s Dawgs back into the CFP for the second straight year.