Ryan Day’s Ohio State Surpasses Kirby Smart’s Georgia as Nation’s Top Program Since 2021: Report

Whenever reports come out, it is always interesting to see who holds the top spot, and when it comes to the average score differential per game, Ryan Day’s program takes the crown. At the beginning of this decade, the Georgia Bulldogs were elite, winning two national championships back-to-back in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They established themselves as a dominant force, but the stats speak a different story now. They might have two natty titles, but the Beatdown Index has crowned another program at the top.

According to CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli, the Buckeyes have topped the Beatdown Index. Since 2021, Ohio has maintained an impressive 22.52-point rate while Georgia sits at 21.21. That 1.31-point gap isn’t just a number. It’s the difference between a program that consistently closes out title games and one that’s started stumbling at the finish. For Ohio State, every possession has played like a prescription for dominance. For Georgia, the same period reads more like a warning flag hung too late.

The Buckeyes have consistently entered the national title conversation, winning the championship in the 2024 season, while the Bulldogs have failed to register a win in the CFP since their consecutive national title wins. Ohio always trumps other programs, having maintained an explosive roster over the last few years.

Largest average per game point differential over the last 5 seasons pic.twitter.com/tlUtoDPv3B

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 14, 2026

The Buckeyes had a 47-8 record between the 2021 and 2024 seasons, and the Georgia Bulldogs were 53-5 between the 2021 and 2024 seasons. In February 2026, analyst Josh Pate crowned the Buckeyes as a premier program in the sport. “I think Ohio State’s the top program in the country,” Pate said. “Ohio State is 37-6 over the past three years. They’ve got a national championship mixed in here.”

While Ryan Day maintained a steady graph, Kirby Smart saw a decline last season, moving from No. 1 coach to No. 2 in 2026. Now, he’s behind Curt Cignetti, trying to claim his spot back again, but he is in second position in the stats department, too.

“He’s won two national titles, and every year his program is expected to compete for another. But last year ended on a sour note,” Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports wrote. “The Dawgs won the SEC again but failed to win a playoff game. They have not won a playoff game since winning the national title in 2022.”

Georgia and Ohio might be fighting against each other on slim margins for the first spot. Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame is also closing in on the gap at a third position with 18.52 points. Freeman works quietly away from the noise and has proved to be consistent in the playoffs picture, although they are yet to bag a championship since 2021.

Alabama made it into the top 5 with 16.64 points largely because of the efforts of Nick Saban, who departed from the program in 2024 after the 2023 season. The Tide has won a total of 56 games since 2021. Kalen DeBoer also contributed to that number of wins, but their ship has not been sailing steadily as it did under Saban. Meanwhile, Michigan stands with 15.96 points, and below them stands Oregon at 15.45.

Other teams on the analyst’s by Tom Fornelli

James Franklin’s Penn State has made a habit of handling business against the Big Ten’s middle and lower tiers, outscoring those opponents by an average of 15.59 points. The Nittany Lions may still be searching for that defining breakthrough against the conference’s heavyweights, but their ability to consistently separate themselves from the pack is a victory few programs can match.

Ole Miss presents a contrasting but equally effective formula under former head coach Lane Kiffin. Rather than relying on conference dominance alone, the Rebels have combined explosive offenses, aggressive transfer portal additions, and high-scoring performances to build a strong average scoring differential of 13.97 points per game since 2021. This was achievable after their first-ever CFP tournament appearance.

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