While the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings were a hot topic across the country, they weren’t inside the Georgia and Tennessee locker rooms entering the teams’ massive game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Athens.
“It just doesn’t matter. It matters how you play,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We try to put our focus on things we can control, and all we can control is how we play. That’s the ultimate goal this week, for us to play our best.”
kAm|2<6 ?@ >:DE2<6i E96 C6DF=E @7 $2EFC52J’D 82>6 H:== 492?86 E96 4@==686 7@@E32== =2?5D42A6 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmv6@C8:2 Wg\_[ d\_ $trX :D C2?<65 }@] ` :? E96 p! A@== 2?5 }@] b :? E96 r@==686 u@@E32== !=2J@77 C2?<:?8D[ H9:=6 %6??6DD66 Wg\_[ c\_X :D E:65 H:E9 ~9:@ $E2E6 7@C }@] a :? E96 p! A@== 2?5 }@] ` :? E96 ru!]k^Am
kAm%96 H:??6C >@G6D :?E@ 7:CDE A=246 :? E96 $tr t2DE s:G:D:@?[ H:E9 E96 :?D:56 EC24< E@ C6249 E96 $tr E:E=6 82>6]k^Am
kAm%96 =@D6C[ H9:=6 ?@E 6=:>:?2E65 7C@> E96 ru![ H:== ?665 $2EFC52J’D H:??6C E@ =@D6 2E =62DE EH:46 E@ 6G6? 92G6 2 492?46 2E 25G2?4:?8 E@ E96 $tr E:E=6 82>6[ H9:49 v6@C8:2 92D >256 :? 7@FC @7 E96 A2DE 7:G6 J62CD] %6??6DD66 92D?’E A=2J65 7@C 2? $tr E:E=6 D:?46 a__f]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5?’E <?@H H96C6 H6 H@F=5 36 C2?<65[ 3FE H6 7:8FC65 :E H@F=5 36 D@>6H96C6 ?62C E96 E@A[” %6??6DD66 4@249 y@D9 w6FA6= D2:5] “pE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D @FC A=2J6CD 92G6 5@?6 96C6 :D ECJ E@ 6?;@J E96 ;@FC?6J 2?5 E2<6 >@>6?ED @7 A2FD6 E@ C67=64E 2?5 6?;@J H92E @FC A=2J6CD 92G6 3F:=E 96C6]”k^Am
kAm$2EFC52J’D 82>6 >2C<D ;FDE E96 7:7E9 E:>6 :? E96 A2DE `e D62D@?D E92E E96 }@] ` 2?5 }@] a E62>D 92G6 >6E :? E96 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am
kAmx? a__e[ }@] ` ~9:@ $E2E6 <?@4<65 @77 }@] a %6I2D 62C=J :? E96 D62D@? 2?5 E96 qF4<6J6D H6C6 2=D@ }@] ` H96? E96J 4=@D65 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? H:E9 2 H:? @G6C }@] a |:49:82? E92E J62C] x? a_``[ }@] ` {$& 362E }@] a p=232>2 :? @G6CE:>6[ H:E9 }@] ` {$& 2=D@ 56762E:?8 }@] a p=232>2 :? a_`h 369:?5 w6:D>2? %C@A9J H:??6C y@6 qFCC@H]k^Am
kAm%96 }@] ` E62> H@? 2== 7@FC 82>6D 2?5 H6?E @? E@ A=2J 7@C E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 E96 E62> AC6EEJ >F49 <?@HD H92E H6’C6 23@FE E@ 86E :?E@[” v6@C8:2 C646:G6C z62C:D y24<D@? D2:5] “(6’G6 2== 366? 962C:?8 23@FE E96 9JA6[ H92E H6’C6 23@FE E@ D66] r@249 $>2CE 92D 366? 6>A92D:K:?8 9@H D6C:@FD E9:D 82>6 :D]”k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ E96 9:896DE\C2?<65 82>6 6G6C E@ 36 A=2J65 :?D:56 $2?7@C5 $E25:F>[ E@AA:?8 }@] b pF3FC? GD] }@] c v6@C8:2 :? }@G6>36C `hgb] xE’D 2=D@ ;FDE E96 D64@?5 E:>6 v6@C8:2 92D 6G6C 366? :?G@=G65 :? ` GD] a 82>6 :? AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ] %96 E@A\C2?<65 qF==5@8D 76== E@ }@] a !6?? $E2E6 af\ab :? E96 $F82C q@H= @? y2?] `[ `hgb[ 4@DE:?8 v6@C8:2 2 ?2E:@?2= E:E=6]k^Am
kAmv6@C8:2 92D 5@>:?2E65 E96 '@=F?E66CD C646?E=J[ H:??:?8 E96 E62>D’ A2DE 7:G6 >66E:?8 3J 2? 2G6C286 @7 ag A@:?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 2 c`\`f 362E5@H? :? z?@IG:==6 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 r@==686 u@@E32== !=2J@77 $6=64E:@? 4@>>:EE66 566>65 %6??6DD66 E96 4@F?ECJ’D E@A E62> C:89E ?@H[ 29625 @7 }@] a ~9:@ $E2E6 Wg\_X 2?5 }@] c r=6>D@? Wg\_X]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F 4@>6 E@ v6@C8:2[ J@F 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ A=2J :? 3:8\E:>6 82>6D[” D2:5 y24<D@?[ H9@ 92D `a C646AE:@?D 7@C `fc J2C5D] “%92E’D ?@ DFCAC:D6 E@ FD] pD 2 E62>[ H6 2C6 6I4:E65 E@ A=2J :? 2?@E96C 3:8 82>6]Qk^Am
kAmv6@C8:2’D 5676?D6 :D C2?<65 D64@?5 :? A@:?ED 2==@H65 W`_]dX[ 7:7E9 :? CFD9:?8 Wgd]d JA8X[ E9:C5 :? 7:CDE 5@H?D 2==@H65 W`_dX 2?5 `bE9 :? A2DD:?8 J2C5D 2==@H65 W`ff]` JA8X] qFE E96 qF==5@8D DF776C65 2 3:8 =@DD :? E96:C ca\a_ H:? @G6C u=@C:52 H96? =:?6324<6C }@=2? $>:E9[ E96 E62>’D 36DE A2DD CFD96C[ E@C6 9:D A64E@C2= >FD4=6[ 6?5:?8 9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm$>:E9 H:== 36 C6A=2465 3J r92K r92>3=:DD H96? v6@C8:2 7246D %6??6DD66’D 9:89\D4@C:?8 2EE24<]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 C6=6?E=6DD :? E96 H2J E96J A=2J[” w6FA6= D2:5 @7 v6@C8:2’D 5676?D6] “%96J 2C6 6IEC6>6=J H6== 4@24965 2?5 92G6 8@@5 D496>6[ E@@] $@ E96C6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =@E @7 @?6\@?\@?6D H6 92G6 E@ H:?]”k^Am
kAmq69:?5 w6?5@? w@@<6C[ H9@ 92D 4@>A=6E65 f`]a A6C46?E @7 9:D A2DD6D 7@C a[bbg J2C5D H:E9 a` E@F495@H?D 2?5 2? :?E6C46AE:@?[ E96 '@=F?E66CD 2C6 7:CDE ?2E:@?2==J :? E@E2= @776?D6[ 2G6C28:?8 ddb J2C5D A6C 82>6[ ;FDE 29625 @7 v6@C8:2’D db_] v6@C8:2 :D E:65 7@C D:IE9 2E c`]g]k^Am
kAm#646:G6CD y2=:? wJ2EE Wcd 42E496D[ h_f J2C5D[ D49@@=\C64@C5 `c %sDX 2?5 qCF |4r@J Wb_ 42E496D[ cd` J2C5D[ a %sDX 92G6 2=D@ A@H6C65 2? @776?D6 E92E 2G6C286D 2? uq$\9:89 ch]c A@:?ED A6C 82>6] y2J=6? (C:89E Wcfg J2C5D[ d %sDX 2?5 y232C: $>2== Wcfd J2C5D[ g %sDX A@H6C E96 8C@F?5 82>6]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 2 CF??:?8 E62> E92E 49F?<D :E 566A[” $>2CE D2:5] “%96J 5@ 2 C62==J 8@@5 ;@3 H:E9 6IA=@D:G6 A2DD A=2JD]”k^Am
kAmv6@C8:2’D @776?D6 2=D@ 42?’E 36 @G6C=@@<65]k^Am
kAm$E6ED@? q6??6EE 92D 4@>A=6E65 ef]g A6C46?E @7 9:D A2DD6D 7@C a[bch J2C5D H:E9 ?:?6 E@F495@H?D 2?5 E9C66 :?E6C46AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%:89E 6?5 qC@4< q@H6CD 92D b` C646AE:@?D 7@C dcf J2C5D H:E9 E9C66 E@F495@H?D[ H9:=6 {255 |4r@?<6J 92D bb 42E496D 7@C c`b J2C5D 2?5 EH@ D4@C6D] z6??J |4x?E@D9 92D 366? 2 E9C62E @FE @7 E96 324<7:6=5 H:E9 ah C646AE:@?D 7@C aed J2C5D[ :? 255:E:@? E@ CFD9:?8 7@C bba J2C5D 2?5 D:I D4@C6D @? eh 42CC:6D]k^Am
kAms2:;F? t5H2C5D :D 2G6C28:?8 e]a J2C5D A6C 42CCJ[ 92G:?8 CFD965 7@C cc_ J2C5D 2?5 D6G6? E@F495@H?D @? f` 42CC:6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 3:8 82>6[ 3FE H6 42?’E EC62E :E =:<6 :E’D E96 =2DE 82>6 @7 E96 D62D@?[” v6@C8:2 5676?D:G6 =:?6>2? +:@? {@8F6 D2:5] “(6’G6 8@E E@ EC62E :E =:<6 2?J @E96C 82>6[ AC6A2C6 =:<6 2?J @E96C H66<[ ?@E DEC6DD 2?JE9:?8 @C @G6CC:56 2?JE9:?8[ ;FDE 8@ @FE 2?5 A=2J 7@@E32==] qFE H6 <?@H E96 2E>@DA96C6 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 4C2KJ]”k^Am
Recommended for you
Backstage compiled a list of movies and TV shows casting across the US. Click for more.Movies and TV shows casting across the US
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.