SEC Championship: No. 7 Georgia vs No. 3 Texas

WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, 4 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia 10-2, Texas 11-1

TV/RADIO: ABC (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge); Westwood One (Nate Gatter, Derek Rackley, Alyssa Lang); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Eric Zeier, DJ Shockey).

It certainly comes as no surprise that Texas and Georgia will face off for a second time this season, this time to determine the SEC Championship.

The stakes are about as high as they can get.

To the winner, a first-round bye and a spot in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the Sugar Bowl.

The loser will also receive a spot in the 12-team field, likely as a host, although perhaps not depending on how close the final score is.

However, neither Georgia coach Kirby Smart nor Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is worried about that. Winning the SEC Championship is a big deal to both.

Smart has made that point very clear in interviews this week, as has Sarkisian, who would love to say his Longhorns won the conference crown in their first year as a member of the SEC.

It certainly sets up to be an intriguing game.

Georgia’s defense gave arguably its best showing of the season when the Bulldogs traveled to Austin back in October, creating all sorts of havoc for quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was sacked seven times for losses of 59 yards.

But Texas has rolled since that loss.

Ewers is back to looking like the quarterback everyone thought he would be before the start of the season, while the offensive line has re-asserted itself and is running the football stronger and more efficiently.

Compare that to Georgia, which since that memorable win, dropped a 28-10 decision at Ole Miss, and in the last two games against UMass and Georgia Tech has allowed an average of 243 yards rushing.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, hope quarterback Carson Beck can continue his recent string of solid play.

After throwing three interceptions in the first meeting in Austin, Beck has not thrown in interception in three straight games for the Bulldogs and is playing his best ball of the season.

Georgia: QB Carson Beck, RB Trevor Etienne, RB Nate Frazier, WR Dom Lovett, WR Dillon Bell, WR Arian Smith, DE Mykel Williams, LB Jalon Walker, S Malaki Starks, N Nazir Stackhouse, LB Chaz Chambliss.

Texas: QB Quinn Ewers, QB Arch Manning, RB Jayden Blue, RB Quinton Wisner, WR Isaiah Bond, OL Kelvin Banks, TE Gunnar Helm, WR Ryan Wingo, WR Matthew Golden, LB Anthony Hill, LB David Gbenda, LB Colin Simmons.

Georgia

RB Branson Robinson - Questionable

RB Trevor Etienne - Questionable

RB Chauncey Bowens - Questionable

DL Christen Miller - Questionable

DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye - Out

Texas

DB Derek Williams Jr. - Out

RB CJ Baxter - Out

RB Christian Miller - Out

RB Velton Gardner - Out

OL Kelvin Banks Jr – Questionable

Pressure Quinn Ewers: Georgia could not have asked for any more in the first game, sacking Ewers seven times and forcing the Longhorns into four turnovers. While those numbers may be hard to match Saturday, the Bulldogs will still need to win the turnover battle.

Stop the run, or at least slow it down: Georgia’s run defense has been an issue for much of the season but has really been a problem the past two games after UMass and Georgia Tech combined to average 243 rushing yards. If Texas comes close to that Saturday, you can forget the Bulldogs’ chances of winning the game.

Play a complete game: Twelve games into the season and you can argue the Bulldogs are still looking for that first “complete game.” Saturday would be a good time to start. At the least, Georgia’s offense needs to get off to a quicker start. Kudus to the Bulldogs for their ability to come back, but they don’t need to be pressing their luck on Saturday.

Protect Quinn Ewers: This is job No. 1 for Texas. No ifs, ands, or buts. If not, then you could see a repeat of that first contest in October.

Mix up the run and the pass: This is certainly the best advice for any team in any game, but Texas has to keep Georgia’s defense on its heels and keep the Bulldogs from coming after Ewers every play.

No turnovers: We saw what happened when Texas turned the ball over four times in the last game. It set up short fields for the Bulldogs. That cannot happen this time around.

…Georgia’s 2024 Senior Class is an FBS-leading and school record 52-4 (46-2 in the regular season) since 2021. The next best mark in this span is 47-8 by Michigan. Georgia’s 2023 Senior Class held the previous school mark at 50-4 with two national titles, an SEC crown plus going 6-0 in bowl/CFP games.

…The Bulldogs are making their fourth straight appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) and seventh overall trip under Kirby Smart. Florida is the only school to have an SECCG streak longer as it went to five straight from 1992-96. In school history, Georgia has won the SEC title 14 times (2nd most in SEC), the last one coming in 2022 over LSU. The Bulldogs are 4-7 in the SECCG.

…Georgia owns the nation’s longest active bowl streak at 27 seasons and has won its last seven matchups. At 10-2, the Bulldogs have guaranteed that the postseason streak will be extended.

…Four Bulldogs have been named a finalists for the national award at their position: junior linebacker Jalon Walker (Butkus Award); junior safety Malaki Starks (Jim Thorpe Award); junior punter Brett Thorson (Ray Guy Award); and graduate snapper Beau Gardner (Patrick Mannelly Award).

…Carson Beck is coming off a game that saw him help rally the Bulldogs back from a 14-point 4th quarter deficit in a 44-42 win over Georgia Tech in eight overtimes; In the 4th quarter, went 12-for-17 for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns and then was 3-for-3 for 45 yards and 2 touchdowns in overtime.

…Beck’s top targets have been senior Dominic Lovett (53-for-571 yards, six touchdowns), senior Arian Smith (42-for-709 yards, four touchdowns), and junior Dillon Bell (37-for-433 yards, four touchdowns). Also, Bell has 106 yards rushing on eight attempts including a 3-yarder for a score at No. 4 Alabama. Bell missed the UMass game due to injury and returned to play against Georgia Tech.

Yours truly was dead wrong with our prediction the last time these two teams played. Instead of Texas and its renowned offense putting a whipping on the Bulldogs, it was Georgia’s defense that reverted to the Junkyard Dawgs defense of old and helped the visitors roll to a 30-15 win. Give Georgia a TON of credit. Navigating the nation’s toughest schedule to a regular-season record of 10-2 and a spot in the SEC Championship is quite the feat. But man, when I look at what UMass and Georgia Tech did running the ball and after what Texas did to Texas A&M on the ground, the ghost of Larry Munson is bending my ear. Prediction: Texas 24, Georgia 21, but the Bulldogs will still earn a spot in the playoffs and host a game.