Georgia earns bump in USA TODAY Coaches Poll after beating Auburn
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The Georgia Bulldogs fought off Auburn last Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum to win their SEC opener, and are being rewarded for the win in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
The then-No. 24-ranked Bulldogs could not stop Auburn's Kevin Overton from getting a shot off as time expired in the second half, and watched the ball go in the basket to tie the game at 92-92, forcing overtime. A pair of three-point buckets from Jeremiah Wilkinson in the extra stanza erased Auburn's momentum, which led to the 104-100 victory.
The win moves Georgia to 13-1 overall, and up four spots to No. 20 in this week's poll. The Bulldogs are one of five SEC teams in this week's top 25, with Vanderbilt leading the way at No. 10, followed by Alabama (No. 12), Arkansas (No. 15), Georgia (No. 20), and Tennessee (No. 22).
Auburn failed to receive votes in this week's poll. However, their gauntlet will get slightly easier this week as Tuesday's opponent, Texas A&M, is also unranked. The game will be a great chance for the Tigers to bounce back before hosting No. 15 Arkansas on Saturday.
Here is a look at the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the week of Jan. 5, 2026.
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 13-0 | 768 | 24 | 1 | – | 1/7 |
| 2 | Arizona | 14-0 | 749 | 7 | 2 | – | 2/13 |
| 3 | Iowa State | 14-0 | 703 | 0 | 3 | – | 3/18 |
| 4 | UConn | 14-1 | 666 | 0 | 4 | – | 3/7 |
| 5 | Purdue | 13-1 | 624 | 0 | 6 | +1 | 1/6 |
| 6 | Duke | 13-1 | 616 | 0 | 5 | -1 | 3/6 |
| 7 | Houston | 13-1 | 584 | 0 | 8 | +1 | 2/8 |
| 8 | Gonzaga | 16-1 | 565 | 0 | 7 | -1 | 7/20 |
| 9 | BYU | 13-1 | 527 | 0 | 10 | +1 | 7/11 |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 14-0 | 488 | 0 | 11 | +1 | 10/NR |
| 11 | Nebraska | 14-0 | 473 | 0 | 13 | +2 | 11/NR |
| 12 | Alabama | 11-3 | 403 | 0 | 15 | +3 | 9/16 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 12-2 | 400 | 0 | 9 | -4 | 8/21 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 11-3 | 345 | 0 | 16 | +2 | 11/20 |
| 15 | Arkansas | 11-3 | 334 | 0 | 18 | +3 | 14/23 |
| 16 | Illinois | 11-3 | 294 | 0 | 19 | +3 | 8/19 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 13-2 | 250 | 0 | 12 | -5 | 12/25 |
| 18 | Louisville | 11-3 | 232 | 0 | 13 | -5 | 5/18 |
| 19 | Iowa | 12-2 | 211 | 0 | 23 | +4 | 19/NR |
| 20 | Georgia | 13-1 | 164 | 0 | 24 | +4 | 20/NR |
| 21 | Kansas | 10-4 | 131 | 0 | 17 | -4 | 17/NR |
| 22 | Tennessee | 10-4 | 123 | 0 | 20 | -2 | 13/23 |
| 23 | Virginia | 12-2 | 120 | 0 | 21 | -2 | 21/NR |
| 24 | Villanova | 12-2 | 70 | 0 | NR | +15 | 24/NR |
| 25 | SMU | 12-2 | 42 | 0 | NR | – | 25/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 22 Florida; No. 25 St. John's;
Others Receiving Votes
UCF 41; Utah State 34; Clemson 29; Florida 21; Saint Mary's 17; Seton Hall 13; Saint Louis 11; Indiana 10; St. John's 4; Missouri 3; Miami (OH) 3; Kentucky 3; California 2; USC 1; Oklahoma State 1;
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Georgia rises in USA TODAY Coaches Poll after beating Auburn
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