Georgia will carry a Top 5 preseason rank for an unprecedented seventh-straight time

[Top Row Dawg]

An incredible feat when one considers none of Vince Dooley’s UGA teams were in the preseason AP Top 5.

In fact, prior to Smart assuming head coaching duties in 2016, the Bulldogs had only three teams ranked in the Top-5 of the AP preseason polls in school history.

[Concourse E]

what were we ranked in 1981 and 1982? Its hard to believe we would be out of the top 5 as the defending NC with the best college football player of all time. I guess that was back when there was a bias to teams from the north like Pitt and teams from the west like USC.

[Walnut River]

10th in 1981 preseason.
7th in 1982 preseason.

[Concourse E]

10th in 1981 preseason.
7th in 1982 preseason.
[/quote]

Interesting.  Clemson, the NC winner, didn't get ranked until the beat us in week three.  And then only debuted at 19.  Michigan, who had been ranked number 1, also lost that week and only dropped two spots (and inexplicably still got 1 first place vote).

[Dawgalways]

Should have been pre-season top 5 in 81, 82, and 83. That the Dawgs weren't is a reflection of extreme regional bias and general ignorance of sportswriters in those days voting in the poll. They had very little exposure to the national stage. Ubiquitous cable TV, destruction of the NCAA broadcast rationing, and internet changed all of that.

[Concourse E]

maybe so, but I suppose a lot of that perception may have been warranted.  I mean our late 70s performance against Wake, Virginia, Pitt and South Carolina did little to make the SEC look like the preeminent conference.  We weren't the only ones either - Florida had never done jack squat, Tennessee really hadn't done anything in a generation, LSU also hadn't done anything in a generation, Auburn had really only had one great season and they were on probation due to rampant cheating.  I think there was a shift beginning in 1990 to where the power base in the SEC was more distributed rather than being all Alabama.  Some of the bias was due to performance.

[ugafan49]

Kirby Right ON Smart!!!