During Georgia's win over Georgia Tech on Friday night, TV cameras captured offensive lineman Tate Ratledge having a fairly animated conversation with quarterback Carson Beck after Georgia's first drive of the second half.

"I can kind of approach him the way other people can't, I feel like, and get a better reaction out of him," Ratledge said. "I kind of know how I can talk to Carson, things like that, certain situations. But that I remember was just telling him to control what he can control. And we need him in games to win them. So just keeping his head level and just try to keep him pushing through.”

Ratledge and Carson both came to Georgia as part of the Class of 2020. All these years in Athens have formed a tight bond that now carries over to the field on Saturdays.

"I can tell when Carson's not having a good day and he can tell when I'm not having a good day," Ratledge said. "So when we go out to practice, just kind of bouncing energy off each other, just trying to pick up the other one and just helping each other push through the days because days aren't easy, obviously, in a long season. So everybody's going to have their days, but just trying to get each other out of that rut when we when we are in one.”

To the Bulldogs, it still means quite a lot despite seemingly having a College Football Playoff berth secured.

"This game means everything," Ratledge said. "I mean, SEC championship is something you strive after every year, and it's hard to win one. And I think that shows here. We've been in the past couple of years and we have, what, one win? And it's hard to win one of these. To be in it's huge.”

Linebacker CJ Allen feels the experience of last year's loss to Alabama can help this Saturday against Texas.

“I think just remembering the feeling that we felt when we walked off the field, knowing that it wasn't in our favor, the outcome wasn't what we wanted. I think just that feeling alone," Allen said.

Wednesday marks the beginning of the early signing period for the Class of 2025.

Allen, a member of the 2023 class, said he didn't remember too much about his Signing Day because it feels like a lifetime ago. He did recall how ready he felt to sign and get to Athens to participate in bowl practices before the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.

Ratledge, meanwhile, had a more vivid memory of his Signing Day.

“I remember there was a lot of emotions before I signed, just because that was right after Pittman (Sam Pittman, former Georgia offensive line coach) left," Ratledge said. "Trying to decide where I was going to go. And then this ended up being where I wanted to go and this was the place for me. So I ended up coming here and it's been the best decision I ever made.”

- Ratledge said the energy in practice has been great not just this week, but the past few weeks.

- The Bulldogs are driving home the point of this game being different from the October win over the Longhorns.

"These are two separate events," Allen said. "Game one was game one, and this is a different game. So we can't bring what we did last time. It don't matter in this game right here, in that sense. So I'd say it's a new game."

- Georgia played the first game against Texas without senior linebacker Smael Mondon, who will be on the field this weekend.

"He’s just an overall great linebacker, communicator, speed, strong, fast," Allen said. "He just does it all. So just him being back on the field, that's kind of just bringing us back closer. So he's a great asset to the defense for sure. So having him in the middle definitely helps a lot."

- Allen also reflected on the importance of last week's win over Georgia Tech.

"Just seeing the look on the seniors' face, knowing they won their last game at Sanford Stadium kind of means a lot to me," Allen said. "Smael, he's in there with me at linebacker Just seeing the smile on their face, knowing they got that game. But also, like you said, state championship is something I really wanted to accomplish. So I feel like I finally got a state championship.”