For the second straight year, the College Football Playoff selection committee must consider the health of a starting quarterback when making the field.

But the circumstances of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck’s injury in Saturday’s SEC title game are different than Florida State’s Jordan Travis’ injury last year.

The Bulldogs finished fifth in the selection committee’s rankings over the weekend before defeating the No. 2 Longhorns 19-16 in overtime on Saturday. Although the CFP does not guarantee a spot to any particular conference champion, there are five participants in the field in the expanded 12-team format. It’s impossible to imagine Georgia winning the SEC and falling short of the expected first conference champion – No. 24 Army, which beat Tulane on Friday to win the AAC.

In fact, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Georgia sitting at No. 2 when the final field is announced, likely behind the winner of No. 1 Oregon against No. 3 Penn State in Saturday night’s Big Ten title game ahead of Boise State and the ACC -Champion.

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A year ago, the committee dropped Florida State just one spot from fourth to fifth in the final rankings after beating No. 14 Louisville for the ACC title. Alabama rose from eighth to fourth place after defeating Georgia for the SEC Championship. That left the Crimson Tide in last place in the four-team field.

Although the situations have some similarities, there are key differences in how they fit into one of the committee’s criteria: “Other relevant factors such as the unavailability of key players and coaches that may have impacted or affected a team’s performance during the season.” will likely impact postseason performance.”

With Travis sidelined for months due to his serious leg injury, FSU’s postseason performance would obviously be affected. The details and severity of Beck’s injury are not immediately clear. Georgia coach Kirby Smart told reporters after the game that Beck had an “upper extremity injury” and would undergo an MRI, adding, “It looked fine, but he had no grip strength and couldn’t throw.”

That means the committee will likely set the pitch on Sunday without any certainty about the possible absence of a key player. Would the committee want to penalize the Bulldogs for an injury that might not affect Beck’s status for Georgia’s first game? With a bye, Georgia won’t play again until the quarterfinals on January 1st.

Another key difference is the performance of their replacements. After the committee let the Seminoles off the field last year, then-chairman Boo Corrigan said Travis’ injury was a factor that “changed them as a team in the eyes of the committee.”

The results confirmed him. In Travis’ 10 full games, the Seminoles averaged 6.8 yards per play, 444.8 yards per game and 38.3 points. In the two full games without him – against Florida and Louisville in the ACC Championship – Florida State averaged 3.6 yards per game, 222 yards per game and 20 points. The Seminoles’ 16 points in the ACC title game were their fewest of the season.

Neither of Travis’ backups, veteran Tate Rodemaker and three-star freshman Brock Glenn, threw a touchdown pass in his two starts before the playoff field was set. Travis completed 64 percent of his passes in his 10 complete games; Rodemaker and Glenn were 20 of 47 against the Gators and Cardinals.

The sample size is smaller but more encouraging with Georgia and its replacement, Gunner Stockton, a former four-star recruit.

The Bulldogs averaged nearly twice as many yards per game Saturday with Stockton at quarterback (4.9) as they did with Beck (2.6). Georgia scored on three of Stockton’s five second-half drives, including its first (a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Trevor Etienne touchdown rush). Stockton also led overtime until he had to miss a game because he lost his helmet; Beck came in and handed the ball to Etienne for the winning goal.

Stockton finished the game 12 of 16 for 71 yards and one interception. Beck was 7 of 13 for 56 yards.

Florida State would have made the playoffs last year if the bracket had consisted of 12 teams back then. Georgia has no such concerns about being excluded.

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(Photo by Carson Beck and Kirby Smart: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)