By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The first College Football Playoff rankings was only slightly more relevant than the salad bar at a reunion of offensive linemen.

          Those who still don’t seem to get the process – re-explained  to the point of headaches each year – still wrung their hands and huffed and puffed, or told people it didn’t matter before babbling on for 45 minutes like, well, like it mattered.

          One team maintained its spot, Ohio State at No. 2. And the first 10 remained the second 10, but very shuffled up.

          Last year, one team dropped and one moved in from the first to second polls, with only three teams staying the same: Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma.

Thanks to Brentwood, Dublin, FPD, GMC, John Milledge, Jones County, Lamar County, Northside, and Westfield for game night information, and Houston County on Saturday. Coaches, please have somebody email game information – general is fine – or a picture of stat sheets to @centralgasports@gmail.com by 2 a.m. after games.

          And the first top four are never the last top four. Already, we’ve had a slew of changes, and we’ll have more.

          Except in one spot. Georgia will, at a minimum, enter the SEC Championship game at No. 1. The only reason for Dawg Nation to pay much attention the rest of the way is to see the shuffling for the next three spots.

          And contrary to the absurd hyperventilating from those near mics, the only remotely safe guess is that Ohio State or Michigan will be in the next three. The other safe bet is the handwringing if TCU beats Texas and Baylor (and isn’t then stunned by Iowa State).

          The ranking for the first three weeks is like gambling, and how those near mics thinks it’s hysterrrrical to throw in “for entertainment purposes only” when they talk about gambling.

          The poll, until the final two, is that way, to just watch and observed.

          And if you’re Georgia, wonder who you might play.

Last week’s upsets

          Crawford County was a 40-point underdog (Maxwell Ratings) and popped Temple by nine for one of the state’s top upsets.

          Central was a 13-point dog to Southwest and handled the Patriots to get third.

          After that, everybody took care of business.

Last week’s surprises

          Spencer beating ACE wasn’t necessarily a surprise – except here - but ACE scoring only six was a shocker.

          Baldwin beating Griffin wasn’t a surprise – except here - but hammering them and then stunningly getting enough points to make the postseason was an eyebrow raiser.

Loughdmouthings

          Stetson Bennett is in the top 30 nationally in passing yards, yards per game, completion percentage, passing efficiency, and yards per attempt.

          The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is in the top 30 in passing TDs, yards per game, and points responsible for.

          Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud: completion percentage, passing efficiency (first), passing TDs, passing yards, yards per game, yards per completion, points responsible for.

The Heisman race is as open as it was, but doesn’t seem that way because dingbats on teevee and clickbaity national websites push a weekly narrative, and people eat it up or scream about it, because people like false triggers.

           Bennett could get an invite to New York, and still probably 15 percent of the barking constituents will continue to whine.

          Unlike anything I’ve seen. …

          Bracket watching, GHSA version, starting with 6A: Good news for Northside and Houston County that No. 1 Hughes is in another bracket, with a potential semifinal with Northside. Houston County is ranked higher than six of the seven teams in its bracket.

          5A: The Ware County drive is not a fun one, worse coming home. But if Jones County is healthy and amped, watch this first-round meeting. And Warner Robins is ranked higher than six of the seven teams in its bracket. There is a semifinal path for the Demons.

          4A: Perry doesn’t have a cruise to the semifinals, but the Panthers have advantages. Odds are against Westside at Cairo.

          3A: It’s not too favorable for Region 2 to do a whole lot. Peach County’s quarter has three other ranked teams among the eight, and fourth seed Crisp County is a familiar and tough out.

          AA: Northeast gets a big “ouch” draw with Worth County. ACE can get a first-round win. A Putnam County-Fitzgerald second-round matchup is a little juicy. Watch Washington County vs. third-ranked Appling County

          A/I: The bracket is tough for Dublin, tougher for Bleckley County. Jasper County and Crawford County have a chance to make for an interesting game.

          A/II: Macon County is hot, and a second-round visit to Lincoln County will be notable. Only Wilkinson County of the area teams, though, has a winning records. …

          Funny thing Saturday in Athens: The refs, even after a replay, chose the least arguable decision on that Tennessee safety that wasn’t. Incomplete pass was more defendable. …

          Can’t spell “Clemson” without an O. Can’t play with Notre Dame without an O, either. Put Clemson and Alabama in the “Enjoy your time away from the playoff” Bowl. …

          Nobody loves the teevee people more than the teevee people. Dozens upon dozens of games going on, and ESPN shoves one of theirs involved in another “look at meeeee” exercise into our faces, including among plays of the day on a loaded football Saturday?

          The show is supposed to be – supposed to be – the people involved in the competition, supposedly the reason to cover something. And they show us, over and over, a talking head playing cornhole at a game. …

          “Mariota sucks.”

          Yeah, his pass defense against LA before the fumble was bad, as was it a minute later after the lineman’s fumble and the Chargers were right back in the red zone.

          Justin Herbert was 30 of 43 for 245 yards, and should’ve lost Sunday, so, about the stats. 

          Aaron Rodgers was worse against a worse team. Matthew Stafford looks like an XFL QB at times.

          Atlanta is sixth in completion percentage, is in the top half in the league in 40-yard passes, and Mariota – who is not in charge of the playbook – has a higher efficiency than Cousins, Rodgers, Carr, Lawrence, Murray, Fields, Stafford (8-8 TDs/INTs), and Wilson, among others. …

          Will take Lane Kiffin over Mike Leach all day. Both like attention, but Leach seems more forced. And Kiffin’s matured as a coach, which more people are seeing. Hope he stays in Oxford. …

          An issue: The Colts fire a coach, and the new interim coach was a part-time high school head coach – in Georgia – and a part-time weekend NFL cable teevee guy.

          Smart guy, no doubt, but, um, the resume is substantially leaner than he is. Nobody on the staff to boot up, keep some continuity? …

          Cringe: AP headlines us with “ND is back; Who else can return?”

          Notre Dame, like Miami, isn’t back. No. 20 and 6-3 with one nice – not earth-shattering, but nice – home win don’t define “back.”

          Folks like big ol’ concrete statements from one game, only to be proven wrong soon enough.

Polls

Division 1 (6A-5A-4A-3A, 13 teams)

1. Perry

          Let the run to Atlanta begin.

2. Warner Robins

          Suddenly, it feels more like last year, and the year before, and the year before, on Davis Drive.

3. Northside

          Four losses, to ranked-at-the-time teams, by 6, 7, 4 and 10 is pretty sporty.

4. Houston County

          A near-consensus top-10 team is a four seed? But the stage changes drastically now.

5. Peach County

          Ah, the Trojans’ favorite time of year is here, the week after making room in the trophy case.

Division II (AA-A-GISA, 34 teams)

1. John Milledge

          Efficient, consistent, steady, solid. A joy to watch, especially in close games, which are probably done for the year for the Trojans.

2. Lamar County

          The time for more playmakers to emerge has arrived, but goodness, CJ Allen is good. More impressively, he’s versatile and durable.

3. Dublin

          Swainsboro is clearly pretty good. Not the Dublin needed any wakeup calls, but …

4. Bleckley County

          The Royals had a week off, and every bit helps when prepping for a Brooks County

5. Northeast

          After the Spencer hiccup, the Raiders are back in form.

6. Putnam County

          All three non-region opponents are in the playoffs. The War Eagles’ defense has been tested a lot the past three weeks.

7. Dodge County

          The Indians are done, but that doesn’t change how good they were, and in a balanced region. Five of six losses were to playoff teams, and three of those were by less than 10 points.

8. Tattnall

          The Trojans have to get over just missing knocking off John Milledge, and get back on track.

9. Stratford

          The Eagles have some quality momentum from their Friday of just missing against John Milledge, and two weeks afterward.

10. Dooly County

          The Bobcats get in at No. 10, but there’s competition breathing down their neck.