Georgia Coach 'Really Comfortable With Not Paying Attention' to CFP Ranking

University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart's calm response to his team being second in the initial College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking should cause unease throughout the sport.

The Bulldogs are 8-0 and have been No. 1 in the Associated Press and coaches top-25 polls since the start of the season as the reigning two-time national champions. However, when the first CFP ranking was released Tuesday, the top spot belonged to Ohio State. Committee officials rewarded the Buckeyes for victories against highly ranked opponents like Penn State and Notre Dame.

Georgia's best wins are against Florida and Kentucky, which are not in the CFP 25. Despite the Dawgs' 25-game current winning streak and previous accomplishments, Georgia was ranked second. Smart told reporters on Wednesday during the Southeastern Conference's weekly teleconference that he wasn't concerned with the perceived slight.

"Nah. Not slighted. It just is what it is," Smart said to reporters via 24/7 Sports. "We've gotten really comfortable with not paying attention to it over the last three, four years."

Smart and Georgia were No. 3 last season during the initial ranking, with Tennessee holding the No. 1 spot. The Bulldogs downed the Vols 27-13 in the same week the committee revealed the initial ranking. Georgia became the top team and stayed at the top into the playoffs en route to their second consecutive national championship.

UGA has a chance to dispel doubts about their schedule for the next few weeks. This week's opponent, No. 12 Missouri, kicks off a string of three consecutive ranked opponents for the Dawgs.

"It's always one game at a time," Smart said. "You know the answer to that. No coach is going to sit here and tell you he's worried about the future or the upcoming games. I'm worried about constant improvement. Getting players back healthy. Trying to get the guys that's aren't playing, back playing and the guys that are playing better. And you do that one week at a time."

Smart isn't sleeping on a Tigers team that gave Georgia one of its most challenging contests last season.

"They did a tremendous job. They kept us off-balanced offensively and kind of dominated the line of scrimmage defensively. So, what are you going to do to answer that," Smart told reporters during Tuesday's press conference. "You have to impose your will. You got to be able to run the ball, play-action. You have got to be efficient."

After the Missouri game, the Bulldogs will compete against No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 19 Tennessee before finishing the regular season against in-state rival Georgia Tech.

BetMGM Sportsbook has Georgia as a 15.5-point favorite against Missouri, with the over/under set at 54.5 points. Missouri is +525 on the money line, with Georgia at -750. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday ET on CBS.