SEC championship 2024: 3 predictions for Georgia - Texas title game as Longhorns dominate in debut season

The Texas Longhorns made the SEC (Southeastern Conference) championship game at the first time of asking after beating rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies 17-7 in Week 14 of college football action in College Station. The Longhorns will face coach Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs in the championship game in Atlanta in a week's time.

Below are three predictions for the conference championship game pitting the Bulldogs against the Longhorns.

#3. Texas will be out for revenge

When Georgia traveled to Austin earlier in the season, the Texas Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll and they were embarrassed by the Bulldogs at home 30-15.

During his Texas A&M postgame news conference, Steve Sarkisian referenced the Georgia loss as a turning point in his team's season.

"We knew when we had the slipup earlier in the season that we'd have to win out to get back to a championship game," Sarkisian said. "We've earned that right and we're playing a heck of an opponent, as we all know. Georgia is a great team, and we're going to have to prepare really well to try to come out on top."

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#2. A battle of the defenses

When the Georgia Bulldogs beat the Texas Longhorns 30-15 in Week 7 of college football action, coach Kirby Smart's team suffocated Steve Sarkisian's pass-heavy offense, leading to the win.

Against the Texas A&M Aggies, the Longhorns' defense showed true grit and the ability to stifle a top-25 team on the road. They only allowed the Aggies 244 yards of offense while recording two big fourth-down stops that changed the momentum of the game.

During his postgame news conference, Aggies coach Mike Elko praised the Longhorns' physicality.

"They're good, they're talented, and hat's off to them because they physically annihilated us," Mike Elko said.

The SEC championship game will be a fascinating battle of the defenses for a chance to get a first-round bye in the college football playoffs.

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#1. Arch Manning will be used more by Texas in the SEC championship game

In the game against the Texas A&M Aggies, there were questions over whether QB1 Quinn Ewers would be the right choice to play over Arch Manning after sustaining an ankle injury in the Week 13 game against the Kentucky Wildcats.

In College Station, Ewers went 17-of-28 for 281 yards resulting in one touchdown and one interception but presided over an untidy second half with his passing. When Manning took his place, he carried the ball for 14 yards, resulting in one touchdown.

Before the Bulldogs faced the Longhorns in the regular season, Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke about his team preparing to face both Ewers and Manning.

“It doesn’t change how we prepare,” Smart said. “They’re (Ewers & Manning) not really different style quarterbacks. They’re both really good. I’ll say this. You watch the games that Arch played — he played really well. He did some really good things. Look at his numbers. He played and he comes out the first couple plays against Mississippi State ripping it and firing it in his first SEC play and played really good."

Under Steve Sarkisian, the Texas Longhorns have booked a berth in the SEC championship game in their inaugural season. Winning the conference, which has produced 13 of the last 18 champions, would be a huge statement of intent by the former Big 12 powerhouse.