No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia: Five matchups to watch

Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.

The games don’t get much bigger than this. These are the kind of matchups that you were highlighting on the schedule the moment they became public. The Texas Longhorns vs. the Georgia Bulldogs. Austin vs. Athens. No. 1 vs. No. 5.

This is a box-office bonanza on Saturday night and all eyes will be on this matchup. Both programs possess boatloads of talent on their rosters. Both possess quarterbacks who will likely be selected early on next spring in the NFL Draft. What more could you possibly want?

The winner of this matchup will on the tip of every tongue across the college football world and will put themselves in a strong position to make a run towards Atlanta and ultimately the college football playoff. A lot is on the line and everyone involved in this game knows it.

This is a game I could see going either way, so let’s take a look at some of the matchups I will be keeping a close eye on when this game gets teed up in Austin on Saturday night.

---

Texas’ defensive front vs. Georgia’s offensive line

Can’t wait to see this matchup unfold on the field on Saturday. Pure unadulterated violence will be taking place in the trenches on Saturday and it is going to be must-see TV. The Texas defensive front has been one of the best in the country so far this season and they are coming off a performance against Oklahoma where they tallied double-digit negative plays along with five sacks.

With that said, the Georgia offensive line will be the stoutest challenge that has been put in front of them thus far and it might be the best group that opposes them during the regular season. Georgia’s best offensive linemen Tate Rutledge is listed on the injury report as questionable after missing multiple games leading up to this matchup. If he suits up for the Bulldogs that will make an already good unit even stronger and more imposing heading into the biggest game of the year.

The Texas defensive front has been fantastic thus far, but many have wondered if that was a byproduct of the offenses they have played thus far. A disruptive performance on Saturday could potentially swing the matchup into Texas’ favor and would go a long way towards quieting the doubters.

---

Georgia’s defensive front vs. Texas’ offensive line

Time to flip it around in this portion. The Georgia defensive front has been an assembly line for NFL players since Kirby Smart arrived in Athens and they will roll into Austin looking to harass Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Opposing them will be one of the best pass blocking offensive lines in the country that includes potentially two early draft picks at tackle in Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams.

If you have been here long enough, you know I am homer for the big fellas in the trenches. I am absolutely GEEKING about watching this matchup on Saturday. I am petitioning to have a Sky Cam directly over the tackle box, so that we can watch every rep of Banks and Williams against guys like Mykell Williams, who will also be cashing checks on Sundays at some point.

This is a prime opportunity for some guys to make millions of dollars in a game where dozens of scouts and NFL executives will be in attendance.

Texas hasn’t had group this seasoned and talented upfront in a longtime. If they can put together a dominant performance then I would have to think they will be in the drivers seat for the Joe Moore Award.

---

Texas’ secondary vs. Carson Beck and Georgia’s WRs

Big test on deck for the Texas secondary on Saturday night. Just like with the Texas defensive front, many have said they have feasted on bad quarterbacks to this point and now they will be tested by a guy who will likely be one of the first quarterbacks off the board next spring. Beck has had some tough times this year, but then he also goes off like he did this past week against Mississippi State and throws for 400-plus yards.

Beck can most certainly spin it and he has just enough athleticism that will allow him to improvise and buy time, so defenders will need to be alert to scramble drills. Beck does have two solid receiving options in guys like Arian Smith and Dillion Bell, but they don’t necessarily have the absolutely DUDES that they’ve had in the past.

I’m not saying their wide outs are JAGs by any means, but you can certainly tell the difference this year without guys like Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers putting DBs in blenders.

Texas boasts two good cover corners in Jahdae Barron and Malik Muhammad and has a very veteran group at the safety spots. The thing I will be watching closely is how the rotation shakes out at safety with Derek Williams being declared out for the year. Texas has depth on the back end, but having to replace his snaps will pose a challenge moving forward.

---

Quinn Ewers vs. Georgia’s secondary

Alright, lets discuss Mr. Ewers. No. 3 made his return to the starting lineup against Oklahoma and all and all it was a pretty lackluster performance for Ewers. He looked uncomfortable early and he misfired on more than one occasion with one resulting in an ugly interception.

Early on, Ewers looked like a guy who was rusty and not comfortable with what he was seeing in the Oklahoma defense. That resulted in a slow, stagnant start for the Texas offense that they were eventually able to overcome. Needless to say, Ewers is going to have to be a lot sharper this coming Saturday and he is going to need a much quicker start given what will be rolling into DKR.

Oklahoma didn’t have the personnel to make Texas pay for Ewers’ early shortcomings, but Georgia won’t have that issue. When it comes to big games, Ewers has shown up and played well. We saw it against Alabama the last two years. We’ve seen it against Oklahoma the past two years. We saw it against Michigan this year. This is a huge stage for Ewers and he will need to be at his best. Like several other guys in this game, he has a chance to make a lot of money and help his draft stock with a good performance against the Bulldogs.

---

Steve Sarkisian vs. Kirby Smart

Just like last week, I am ending this with the battle on the headsets. You have a prime-time matchup between two of the best coaches in college football and both guys have lengthy resumes being elite coordinators on their respective sides of the football. Both Sark and Smart parlayed very successful stints in Tuscaloosa under Nick Saban into jobs at Texas and Georgia, and now they are meet head to head on the field for first time with a lot on the line.

Neither of these guys got to where they are by luck or by accident. They are both damn good at what they do and it is going to be a high stakes chess match with high level football players being the pieces on board. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but the matchups don’t get much better than this.

Clear your Saturday schedule and get your popcorn ready. We have a dandy on deck and I am foaming at the mouth already. Two more sleeps.

---