The SEC has two massive games in college football this weekend, with the headliner being Texas visiting Georgia on Saturday. Texas has found its stride after a rough start, and Georgia has been hanging around, finding ways to win when it matters most. On ESPN, a panel of analysts picked the games, and for the most part, they agreed, except for Will Compton being an outlier.
Georgia enters the game at 8-1, while Texas comes to Athens, Georgia, with a 7-2 record. However, on ESPN’s Thursday episode of “Get Up,” Josh Pate did not overthink his pick, believing that Georgia was the obvious choice.
“Georgia had two shots against Texas last year. They went 2-0,” Pate said. “I think this matchup comes down to quarterback play.”
For Pate, the key difference between the teams comes down to Gunner Stockton and what he’s shown compared to Arch Manning.
“He is a guy that, over the course of the season, you have seen almost linearly improve,” Pate said. “That is the hallmark of a good offensive staff and a kid with a good head on his shoulders.”
The Bulldogs swept Texas last year, with matchups in both the regular season at Austin and the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Stockton is expected to face a greater pass rush than Manning will on the other side, but Pate said there’s more trust with Stockton at home.
“It is tough to win in that building on a Saturday night. Bama did it earlier this year. I do not think Texas will. I am going to take Georgia.bVery close one-possession game,” Pate said.
Pate had the most to say on the game, but Taylor Lewan and Dan Orlovsky also agreed with the pick of Georgia to make it 3-0 over the Longhorns the past two seasons. However, Will Compton disagreed and opted for Texas, citing the Longhorns’ recent performance and that they finally seem like they are putting it together.
