Plus, how good is the Texas defense and score predictions!
The Texas Longhorns host the Georgia Bulldogs in another massive showdown on Saturday, but let’s wrap up the Red River Rivalry. In the Brent Venables era, the Sooners have failed to score a touchdown against Texas twice and are 1-2. Does Texas control this rivalry going forward?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – I think there will be ups and downs like there typically are in the rivalry. Oklahoma certainly has some things to navigate through, but I don’t want to say with certainty that Texas will dominate the matchup moving forward.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – I think it’s hard to make a trend out of two data points, but the gap does seem to be widening a bit at this point. Expecting Texas to win 10 out of the next 15 seems like an unhealthy expectation and will set you up for disappointment. That being said, I think how the rest of the season plays out for the Sooners will give us a good look into the trajectory of that program, which will ultimately influence the trajectory of the rivalry.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – Saturday’s win over Oklahoma reminded me of the rivalry from 2010 to 2018 when Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley controlled this game each year. It was obvious which team had better talent and coaching, and both sides knew the outcome even when things were tight in the first quarter. Unless Venables completely overhauls the offense, I don’t see how Texas won’t be favored in this game for the years to come.
Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – No. This is one of the most competitive and volatile rivalries in the country. It will almost certainly swing back at some point. In recent years, Oklahoma has struggled with a lack of quality quarterback play. Until Oklahoma figures out the quarterback room, Texas will be in the driver’s seat but don’t expect that for too long.
It was a shaky start for Quinn Ewers against Oklahoma before settling down. What can Steve Sarkisian do to calm Quinn down against Georgia?
Daniel – I think you have to scheme up some early completions early and work on getting his confidence up. Tighten up the script and have him in sync early on like we’ve seen from him previously in big games.
Gerald – I don’t love going for longer passes with your QB who just took a month off. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Quinn started dealing once he completed that first quick pass to the flats. It’s almost like basketball. Get to the line, see a free throw go in the hoop, settle yourself down, and then play your game. I hope we see the same from Texas against UGA.
Cameron – Start Quinn off with easy completions to get him in rhythm and get him confidence early on. Quinn starting slow has been a theme during his career at times. I’d love to see Sark attack Georgia’s defense with screens early on to get Ewers in rhythm and then begin to take deep shots as the game progresses.
Jacob – Add extra protection. Against Oklahoma, Ewers seemed to be reading the field slower leading to late throws and missing a few balls high thanks to poor footwork. Both of those issues can somewhat be attributed to being antsy in the pocket. I’d be looking for ways to ensure Ewers stays calm and in control in the pocket. If he has an RB or TE helping in pass protection, I think his mind will be more at ease helping him to stand and deliver.
Is the Texas defense this good? Or is it because Texas has yet to face an above-average quarterback?
Daniel – I think it’s a bit of both. Texas is certainly playing at a very high level this year, but they have certainly taken advantage of mediocre QB play and skill position groups that can’t truly threaten them. That’s going to change this weekend against Georgia, but I still like how Texas matches up against the Dawgs.
Gerald – Texas has been dominant against average-to-bad offenses, which is what elite defenses do. I can’t put up a scoring defense this good against the computer in CFB25, so I can’t really take anything away from them. I think the biggest data point for me is the mindset they show in late games. We’ve now seen two times this year when Texas could have given up a meaningless touchdown in garbage time, but instead played to the final gun and defended their end zone like a castle.
Cameron – I’m cheating by not answering this question but I’d like to see how they perform against Carson Beck but I’m leaning towards them being this good. Michael Van Buren lit up the Bulldogs defense last week and he only threw for 144 yards against Texas. Now, it was a completely different game plan for Van Buren and he’s had a few more starts under his belt but if the Texas defense had holes we’d see them by now. We can confirm the run defense is legit because they’ve faced two teams ranked inside the top 30 in rush EPA (OU and Michigan) and still held them under 100 yards.
Jacob – Texas hasn’t been truly challenged but this defense has all the markings of a unit that is really good. The defensive line has really stepped up its play in recent weeks along with the expedited development of Liona Lefau which all works together to create a front seven that is creating chaos and havoc. I am worried about a team with elite WR speed being able to get behind the secondary but so far no one has been able to do that.
What scares you the most about the Georgia Bulldogs?
Daniel – They will probably have the most talent across their starting 22 that Texas will see all year. They are well coached and talented and that will always make them dangerous in any game they suit up for. They can certainly be had, but they won’t be in a very giving mood come Saturday.
Gerald – It’s Georgia. They are third in the country in Blue Chip ratio at 80% (Texas is at 72%) and Kirby Smart and his staff haven’t forgotten how to coach football. Whether it’s Jimmys and Joes or Xs and Os, they’ve got what it takes to win and there’s no better way to tell the world ‘I’m not dead yet” than beating the No. 1 team in the country on their home field.
Cameron – It’s the best coaching staff they’ve seen this season and despite the loss to Alabama and the struggles against Kentucky and Mississippi State, Georgia is still deep and is loaded with talent. This will be a four-quarter game.
Jacob – Kirby Smart. Smart isn’t perfect by any definition but he is miles better and more experienced than any other head coach that Texas has faced this year. Scheme wise, he’ll undoubtedly have multiple looks on offense and defense that Sarkisian and company haven’t seen on film. I have no doubt that he’s also using every method possible to hype up the players this week in practice such that they squeeze every ounce of effort and performance from the players.
What scares you the most about the Georgia Bulldogs?
Daniel (6-0/3-3 ATS) – Texas 30, Georgia 21. I would take the under, but I think Texas is in a good position to make another statement to the country that they are for real.
Gerald (6-0/3-3 ATS) Texas 38, Georgia 27. Georgia is just too good for me to think that Texas will run away with this one. We’ve got a chance to have an all-timer this weekend.
Cameron (6-0/3-3 ATS) – Texas 35, Georgia 27. Turnovers come back to bite Georgia while the Horns defensive line becomes a difference maker in the second half.
Jacob (6-0/4-2 ATS) – Texas 34, Georgia 24. I think we see the Texas defense step up multiple times in key scenarios to keep Georgia at bay. Texas by 10.