Rece Davis predicts Georgia as No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff

Back in June, Rece Davis picked Georgia at No. 1 overall in a preview of a Preseason AP Poll. Two months later, he has gone with the Bulldogs again as a pick at No. 1 for the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Davis and Pete Thamel made their dozen playoff selections during an episode of the ‘College GameDay Podcast’ on Wednesday. For reference, Thamel’s top seed was the Texas Longhorns. Still, for Davis’ choice, he went with Georgia atop the bracket after they win the SEC Championship.

“My number one seed? SEC Champion – University of Georgia,” Davis stated.

To be clear, though, this won’t be easy for Georgia according to Davis. He’s actually picking them despite his thoughts on their schedule where he thinks they could lose games even at their best. He just thinks their best will overcome it for the most part, though, over the fall.

“Georgia has a much, much more difficult schedule than Texas. They have to go to Texas to play,” said Davis. “Their schedule is difficult enough, especially the road schedule, that they can play well and lose. They don’t have to show up flat necessarily because they have some challenges but a lot of confidence in this team.”

“Georgia is the anti-schedule pick. This is the belief that, if you are good enough, you’ll win the games anyway. If you are powerful enough, you’ll win the games anyway,” Davis said. “Georgia has to go to Alabama, to Texas, to Ole Miss, and they’ve got Tennessee at home. Yet I’m still defaulting to who I think the best team is.”

Not only are they obviously great enough but Davis also likes that Georgia is motivated again. For all they’ve done over the last three seasons, they weren’t able to complete the three-peat as they lost the conference title game and therefore missed the playoff.

That edge within that program could make all the difference going into this season for Davis.

“With sort of the institutional success that Georgia has had as a football program, knowing how to win? Probably a bit of frustration from last year because Michigan proved to be the best team because Georgia wasn’t in the field,” said Davis. “For most of the season, if not all of it, you could easily make the argument that Georgia was the best team.”

Davis realized it was a chalk pick to go with Georgia at No. 1 with them having accomplished what they have the past three years. Even so, they remained his pick as he once again views them as the best in the country coming in.

“I think the best team is Georgia and so that’s who I’ll say No. 1 is,” said Davis.