Wednesday Non-Gurley 'Dawg Bites.

Whether you are headed down to the beaches of the Golden Isles or stuck in a cubicle in downtown Atlanta, it's Wednesday all over the place.  We finally have some finality on Todd Gurley's suspension (Vineyarddawg has the scoop on that in an article that is a marvel of restraint), and the college football playoff committee has thrown most of the Internet into a tizzy. Nevertheless you have places to go and people to see, so here's a quick and dirty recap of what's going on this morning in Bulldog Nation.

SEC dominates rankings now, but it might all change come December - CBSSports.com
I try not to make a habit of agreeing with Dennis Dodd, but he's right about this one. These rankings are almost useless except to the extent that they frame subsequent lists. Georgia is #11 in the initial balloting. Auburn was #11 at this point in the BCS rankings last season.

Ranking Reaction: One-loss teams defined by opponents
Paul Myberberg of USA Today notes that the committee seems to have privileged teams who played tough schedules, though I still think "#19 LSU" is a bit of a misnomer. I've watched at least some of every LSU game this year, and using that squad as some sort of gold standard vis-a-vis Ole Miss or Auburn is folly. They're improving, but Ole Miss's loss Saturday was bad enough to knock them out of my top 4. 7 points of offense, whether home or away, on a boat or with a goat, is a big problem.

PR firm hired to help Marshall make College Football Playoff case
It won't matter. Marshall won't play a single Power Five team all season and it's going to doom them in these rankings. That being said, if The Eastern Carolina University stumbles (the Pirates are ranked #23 in the initial balloting), Marshall may be in line for the guaranteed "Top Six" bowl invite reserved for the top non-Power Five team.

Richt deserves credit for keeping Dogs together | www.myajc.com
Jeff Schultz said something nice. I don't know how to process this, but there it is in digital black and white.

Ramik Wilson, Jordan Jenkins named Butkus Award semifinalists - The Red and Black : Sports
Georgia linebackers Ramik Wilson and Jordan Jenkins were both named semifinalists for the 2014 Butkus Award, awarded annually to the nation's top linebacker. Good for them, especially Jenkins, who has gotten his mojo back this season after losing some weight and finding the quickness he was missing as a sophomore.

Amarlo Herrera was not, despite leading the team in tackles. I have no idea why Herrera has been snubbed for every major award he was eligible for in the past few months, but I suspect most NFL scouts won't care. Herrera looks like a 3rd to 5th round selection in this year's draft to me. He's also never been in any trouble and is as impressive in the interview room as he is on the field. Truly a Damn Good 'Dawg.

As usual, if any more news breaks we'll be right here to let you know. Otherwise we'll just be Gator hatin' till the sun goes down.