Joel Klatt makes his pick for No. 1 team in college football after Week 12; it's not Michigan or Ohio State

It's that time of the year when college football teams are jockeying for positions in the College Football Playoff reckoning as the regular season draws to a close.

2023 has been wildly competitive, and with five unbeaten teams still in the race, there will likely be a mad scramble for the playoff spots.

One team that does not have to worry about the jockeying is Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs, who have negotiated the season flawlessly and are No. 1 on the College Football Playoff ranking

After the raft of games during week 12 action, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt released his CFP rankings, and he did not pick the unbeaten Michigan Wolverines or the Ohio State Buckeyes as his No. 1 team.

He opted for Georgia over his previous No. 1, the Michigan Wolverines, after the Bulldogs put on a show in a 38-10 demolition win over the Tennessee Volunteers at the Neyland Stadium.

Michigan ranked second and Ohio State third in Klatt's rankings, while Pac-12 teams Washington and Oregon rounded off the top 5.

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The Georgia machine continues to dominate college football

The Georgia Bulldogs tied the longest Southeastern Conference winning streak (28) of all time, previously held by the Alabama Crimson Tide teams of 1978 to 1980 and 1991 to 1993.

Even the beaten coach, Tennessee's Josh Heupel, sounded as if he was in awe of the Bulldogs after the Week 12 matchup.

"This team has continued to get better throughout the course of this season," said Josh Heupel. "I don't know how many first-round draft picks they will have. They're so big, long, athletic and physical, play with great fundamentals and technique. It's good football. To do what they've done, you have to be a good team."

Next up for Georgia is a meeting with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, for which the Bulldogs are massive favorites. If they win that game, they will be the sole holders of a record that has survived for over 40 years.

Speaking in his news conference after the game, Kirby Smart is not distracted by the records his team is breaking.

"I've got to go play [Georgia] Tech next week. That's the perspective that I've got," Smart said. "I mean, there will be a time to look back on that, and there will be a time to celebrate that, but it's not right now."

There's still the small matter of the SEC championship game against the resurgent Alabama Crimson Tide and College Football Playoff to negotiate.

The excellent season is even more fraught with danger now for Georgia and Kirby Smart, with everything on the line in a few short weeks.