It’s Georgia, then everyone else

The ballot was submitted to the Associated Press on Monday night …

The No. 1 problem was the No. 2 position.

Georgia was the easiest call possible after poleaxing TCU 65-7 in the championship game to claim its second consecutive national title.

But while filling out my final ballot of the 2022 season, I was stuck on No. 2. Really stuck.

There were no good options:

— Despite its presence in the title game, TCU (13-1) wasn’t worthy of the position. The Horned Frogs weren’t remotely competitive in the championship and, oh-by-the-way, didn’t win their conference.

(Kansas State was the Big 12 champion.)

— But Michigan (13-1) wasn’t deserving of the No. 2 position, not after losing to TCU a week ago in the semifinals. Head-to-head results have to count for something, right?

— Ohio State (11-2) played the Bulldogs better than anyone, taking them to the wire in the semifinals. But the Buckeyes lost decisively to Michigan and didn’t win their division in the Big Ten.

— What about Alabama? The Crimson Tide (11-2) lost close games on the road against first-rate opponents (Tennessee and LSU). But Alabama lacked the array of quality wins that seem vital for No. 2 status.

So I went with Tennessee for the second spot — the best of all the flawed options.

Sure, the loss to South Carolina was decisive, but it was on the road and the Gamecocks ended up winning eight games.

And sure, the Volunteers (11-2) failed to win their division. But that’s because — unlike every other team in this discussion — they had the misfortune of being in Georgia’s division.

Nor did the Vols embarrass themselves in the head-to-head collision with the Bulldogs, losing 27-13 in Athens.

But what sets Tennessee apart from the other flawed options for No. 2 is their lineup of quality wins.

Nobody can match it.

Tennessee beat three teams with at least 10 wins (Alabama, LSU and Clemson), plus Pittsburgh, which won nine games.

Unlike Michigan, the Vols don’t carry a stain from losing to the team that lost the championship game by 58 points.

Unlike Ohio State, they don’t carry a stain from losing to the team that lost to the team that lost the championship game by 58 points.

And they beat the only other team under consideration (Alabama) head-to-head.

In the search for No. 2 in my final AP ballot, the Vols were the one-eyed team in the kingdom of the blind.

The ballot …

1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. TCU
4. Michigan
5. Ohio State
6. Penn State
7. Alabama
8. Washington
9. Clemson
10. LSU
11. Utah
12. Tulane
13. USC
14. Kansas State
15. Oregon
16. Notre Dame
17. Oregon State
18. Florida State
19. Troy
20. Mississippi State
21. Texas
22. Pittsburgh
23. UCLA
24. Fresno State
25. South Carolina