GEORGIA @ TEXAS (TEX -5, 57)
CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS
BULLDOGS @ LONGHORNS 10/19/24
During its second-ever visit to Austin, Texas, on Saturday for a Southeastern Conference showdown, No. 5 Georgia will take on No. 1 Texas in an attempt to get back into the national championship picture. It will be the first time Georgia plays the top-ranked team in the regular season since falling to No. 1 Florida in 2009 (41-17). SEC newcomer Texas (6-0, 2-0) hosts its first ranked opponent. Given that both teams are ranked in the top 5, this game could have a significant impact on the standings of the SEC's elite teams come playoff time.
Georgia has won 44 of its last 45 regular-season games and has been ranked in the top 10 for 57 weeks. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian thinks Saturday's game can serve as a statement of Texas' arrival in the SEC.
Texas (6-0, 2-0) is off to its best start since 2009, when it won its first 13 games of the season before losing to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. Last week, the Longhorns defeated then-No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry.
The Longhorns were relieved to see quarterback Quinn Ewers back last week. The junior participated in his first game since sustaining an oblique strain on September 14. Ewers completed 20-of-29 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Georgia (5-1, 3-1) is accustomed to victory. The current senior class is 47-3 over the last four seasons. But on Saturday, the Bulldogs are a rare underdog. The Bulldogs have won two straight SEC games after falling to Alabama 41-34. They defeated Auburn 31-13 and Mississippi State 41-31.
The Bulldogs led Mississippi State by 17 points at the half on Saturday, but they gave up three touchdowns in the second half. Georgia's defense, which has finished fifth or higher in the last three seasons when it comes to points allowed per game, is ranked 21st in the country this year after giving up 17.2 points per game. Head coach Kirby Smart of Georgia is aware that his team needs to get better before Saturday's game, which has significant College Football Playoff implications.
In recent weeks, quarterback Carson Beck has carried the load on offense. Last week, Beck threw for 459 yards—the third-highest total in Georgia history for a single game. With 1,818 passing yards, he ranks ninth in the country.
This Saturday's matchup will be the sixth time the two programs have met. In the 2019 Sugar Bowl, Texas defeated Georgia by a score of 28-21. The only other time Georgia visited Austin, Fran Tarkenton, the backup quarterback for the Bulldogs, led a 95-yard drive that gave Georgia the lead before Bobby Gurwitz scored a 1-yard touchdown to give Texas a 13-8 victory.
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COACH RICK FREE PICK:
QUINTREVION WISNER OVER 58.5 RUSHING YARDS
In his last 17 games, Wisner has only gone Over this number three times. Two of them were in the last two Texas games. He rushed for 118 on 13 carries in the win Over Oklahoma last week. He rushed for 88 the week before against Mississippi State. Oklahoma’s run D (117.5 ypg) was a little bit better than Georgia’s (121 ypg). Wisner should get double digit carries as he has the last two weeks. With his 6.2 yards per carry average, that’ll be enough to push him Over this number.