As of Sunday afternoon, Georgia was a slight underdog to Texas by 1.5 points with a point total of 49.5 for their meeting this Saturday in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. It will mark the third time in his coaching career that Kirby Smart faced the same opponent twice in a single season. The first two times—2017 vs. Auburn, 2021 vs. Alabama—the Bulldogs won the second matchup after losing the first.

Matchup: Georgia is 10-2 straight up this season but 3-9 against the spread (ATS). At 3-9, it marks the program’s worst regular-season ATS record since 1990 (when a 4-7 straight-up team went 1-10 ATS). On Black Friday, the Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech, 44-42, in eight overtimes as a 17-point favorite. Texas is 11-1 straight up and 7-5 against the spread. On Saturday, the Longhorns defeated Texas A&M, 17-7, as a 4.5-point favorite on the road.

Coaching Trends: This game would be just the seventh contest in the last eight seasons that a Kirby Smart-coached team has been an underdog. For his Georgia career, Smart is a notable 8-4 ATS when the underdog, including having pulled five outright upsets (2016 vs. Auburn, 2016 vs. TCU, 2017 at Notre Dame, 2021 vs. Clemson, and 2024 at Texas). Including games against Oklahoma in Dallas, last year’s Big 12 title game, and two bowl appearances, Steve Sarkisian is 3-4 straight up and 3-4 ATS in games played at neutral sites during his Texas coaching career.

Series History: Georgia is 2-4 straight up and 3-3 ATS all-time vs. Texas. Saturday’s seventh all-time meeting between the two schools will be played at the series’ sixth different site, including two in Atlanta.

1949 Orange Bowl—UGA lost, 41-28, as a 7-point favorite

1957 regular season (Atlanta, Grant Field)—UGA lost, 26-7, as a 6-point underdog

1958 regular season (Austin)—UGA lost, 13-8, as a 7-point underdog

1984 Cotton Bowl—UGA won, 10-9, as a 7.5-point underdog

2019 Sugar Bowl—UGA lost, 28-21, as a 12-point underdog

2024 regular season (Austin)—UGA won, 30-15, as a 5-point underdog