The preseason AP Top 25 college football rankings were released on Monday with Georgia at No. 1. But is that bad news for the Dawgs' 3-peat hopes?
The Georgia Bulldogs are the No. 1-ranked team in the 2023 preseason AP Top 25 college football rankings. That's no surprise given that Kirby Smart's Dawgs have won a national championship in each of the past two seasons.
However, it might be a hindrance to their hopes of a magical three-peat — you know, because of the curse.
No, it's not the infamous "Madden curse," that has long been rumored to plague NFL players the year after glistening the cover of the famous EA Sports video game.
Instead, it actually might be something worse: The AP Top 25 No. 1 curse.
How many No. 1 teams in AP Top 25 preseason rankings have won the national championship?
Of the last 19 teams who were ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, only two teams have gone on to win the national championship: the 2004 USC Trojans and 2017 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Historically, it's been difficult to win the college football national championship after being ranked the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25. For all intents and purposes, let's just go ahead and call it the preseason "No. 1 curse."
Georgia is looking to become the third team ever to get over the jinx, following Alabama in 2017, and USC in 2004. Can they do it?
Honestly, they have a good case for it.
Carson Beck has big shoes to fill in Stetson Bennett IV but has looked quite good in practice thus far. Yes, losing Adonai Mitchell to Texas stings, but then again, the Bulldogs came through with talented receivers in the transfer portal, which will hopefully make up for the loss.
Then, of course, we have to think about the defense, which is still one of the best defenses in all of college football.
So for these reasons, while 17 of the last 19 preseason No. 1 teams in the AP Top 25 have tried and failed to win the national title, I'm not so sure I can put this SEC powerhouse with them. None of them are quite like Georgia, a team looking to win their third straight title, and become the first team since Minnesota (1934-1936) to do so.
For now, watch out for these Dawgs as they look to reverse the curse.
