Kirby Smart ranks his Top 25 teams for 2025 in final Coaches Poll ballot

To no surprise, Smart had Indiana at No. 1 and Miami at No. 2. Smart ranked Ole Miss, the team that ended Georgia’s season, as the No. 3 team in the final poll.

“It was a back-and-forth game,” Smart said following the 39-34 loss. “It was an incredible college football game. It’s what the CFP was built for, to have battles like that. And that was basically every conference game we had this year. I felt like every game was like that one: back, forth, back, forth. Plays being made all over.”

Even with the season-ending in a loss, Georgia still went 12-2 this past season, winning the SEC. Georgia did beat every team it faced in 2025, with the Bulldogs going 2-2 in games against Ole Miss and Alabama.

Smart ranked the Crimson Tide as the No. 8 team on his final ballot.

The highest Georgia was ranked by a coach was No. 2, as Troy Calhoun of Air Force had the Bulldogs at that spot. Luke Fickell of Wisconsin meanwhile left Georgia off his ballot completely. Joey McGuire of Texas Tech had Georgia at No. 7, behind his Texas Tech team at No. 6. Pat Narduzzi was the only other coach who did not have Georgia in the top 6, as he had the Bulldogs at No. 7.

Of Georgia’s 2025 foes, Smart had Texas at No. 11 and Tennessee at No. 24. Smart did not rank Georgia Tech, who came in ranked as the No. 24 team in the final Coaches Poll rankings.

Georgia does have some key pieces to replace following the 2025 season but Smart has the Bulldogs positioned to be a contender once again in 2026.

The Bulldogs have a number of contributors set to return, led by quarterback Gunner Stockton and cornerback Ellis Robinson.

Georgia opens the 2026 season against Tennessee State on Sept. 5.

You can see Smart’s full top 25 rankings for the final Coaches Poll Top 25 below.

Kirby Smart Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings for 2025