ATLANTA (AP) — When Kirby Smart returned to his alma mater as head coach, Alabama was the top dog. Now, the roles are reversed. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champions and haven't lost a game in nearly two years. Everyone is chasing them. Alabama included.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Justin Hill hit a jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining as Georgia rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Florida State 68-66 on Wednesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge. De’Ante Green split a pair of free throws for Florida State that tied the game 66-all with 27 seconds remaining.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Shakur Poteat's 31 points led Albany State (Ga.) over Florida A&M 92-85 in double overtime on Wednesday night. Poteat also had five assists for the Golden Rams. Reggie James scored 14 points while shooting 5 for 9 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line.

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Blackmon scored 32 points as Stetson beat Coastal Georgia 94-49 on Wednesday night. Blackmon was 11-of-20 shooting, including 6 for 12 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line for the Hatters (5-2).

Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe had to replace big-name quarterbacks at programs with national title-or-bust expectations. No sweat, right? Beck has kept No. 1 Georgia rolling after replacing two-time national champion quarterback Stetson Bennett.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mississippi State coach Chris Jans tried to warn his No. 21 Bulldogs that a Georgia Tech team coming off back-to-back losses and playing at home would provide a more difficult challenge than they had seen while winning their first six games. Jans says the message didn't get through.

The four-team College Football Playoff is going out with the most crowded field of contenders and the most consequential championship weekend in the 10-year history of the system. Eight teams have at least a glimmer of hope to make the field. Yes, that means you, too, Ohio State. The penultimate CFP rankings will be released Tuesday night. The field for the playoff will be announced Sunday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as its head coach on Tuesday, giving the Orange a highly regarded recruiter with roots in the Northeast. The 41-year-old Brown, a native of Camden, New Jersey, spent the past two seasons with Georgia and has never been a head coach. He was part of a national championship team last season, and the top-ranked Bulldogs are preparing for a third straight Southeastern Conference championship game appearance Saturday against No. 8 Alabama.

Alabama's national championship hopes came down to fourth-and-31 with a loss and some less dramatic close calls along the way. The Georgia Bulldogs, two-time defending champs, are still No. 1 and had a much less treacherous path to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game meeting of powerhouses Saturday in Atlanta despite some key injuries.

ATLANTA (AP) — The New Orleans Saints spent time during their bye week working on their red zone offense. That work did not pay off Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints managed to get inside the Falcons 40 on eight possessions, but those resulted in just five field goals, two turnovers and a missed field goal during a 24-15 loss.