In week eight of the 2024 College Football season, the Georgia Bulldogs will travel to Austin, Texas to take on the Texas Longhorns in what will be one of the premier games of the season.
Texas is back
Coach Steve Sarkisian and his Texas Longhorns are coming off an impressive 2023 season in which they took home the Big 12 championship in their final season with the conference along with making their first CFP appearance. The Longhorns got off to an impressive 5-0 start to begin their season. One of those five wins would come against the fifth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide as the Horns took down the Tide in Tuscaloosa by a score of 34-24. A few weeks later, Texas would suffer their only regular season loss in a Red River shootout against the Oklahoma Sooners in a 34-30 final. Following the loss, Texas would rattle off seven straight wins until they eventually fell short against the Washington Huskies in a 37-31 Sugar Bowl loss to end their season. As we now head into the 2024 season, it can be said that Texas is once again a top program in the College Football landscape.
Offense: Some new faces placed with a familiar one
It’s no secret that the Longhorns’ new found success can be attributed to the offensive architect that is running the show in Steve Sarkisian as Texas finished the 2023 season ranked ninth in total offense. Though scheme and play-calling is important, you still need a Quarterback capable of executing and nobody executes for the Longhorns’ offense better than Quinn Ewers. 2023 was a make or break year for Ewers as he still hadn’t lived up to his five star ranking going into the season. Fortunately for Ewers and the Horns, he was able to break through in 2023 and show that he was worth the hype.
Ewers completed 69% of his passes in 2023 for 3,479 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns as he only threw six interceptions on the year. Ewers had the opportunity to forgo his senior season for the NFL, but he’s chosen to return for one more season with the Horns. Ewers will now look to make one more run at a National Title in 2024 and possibly a Heisman Trophy as he is currently an early favorite to win the award. Though it is well known that Ewers will be slinging the rock, it is not very known who he will be slinging the rock to as Texas lost all of their top pass catchers to the NFL.
Even with the Horns losing a bunch of talent in the receiver room, they will more than likely reload rather than rebuild. The key names to keep an eye on to step up in that receiver room will be Johntay Cook, Matthew Golden, Ryan Wingo, and Deandre Moore. Cook and Moore both saw limited action last season due to the receiving core being so loaded but the true sophomores are both very talented and will look to make a solid impact for the Longhorn offense. Matthew Golden was a big portal pick-up for Texas in the off-season as the physical receiver is bringing his talents from Houston to be the Longhorns’ new vertical threat with the departure of A.D. Mitchell. As for Ryan Wingo, the former five star will look to make a name for himself in his true freshman season as he has all the physical tools to be a dynamic player for this Texas offense.
Defense: Down in the trenches
Much like the offense, the Texas Defense lost a solid amount of talent to the NFL. The most notable losses can be found in the interior defensive line as T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy have both moved on. The Horns lost a few more defenders within the Linebacker and Defensive Back room but none of which leave a cause for concern as much as the interior d-line. Though Texas lost two big run stoppers, they are returning their top two pass rushers in Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke along with adding top edge rusher Trey Moore from the portal as keeping pressure on the Quarterback will play a huge role in Texas’ defensive success.
Special Teams
Texas lost one of if not the most explosive special teams player in Xavier Worthy to the NFL. Worthy’s speed and elusiveness provided a spark for this Longhorns’ team that will be tough to replace but Texas has the talent to make it happen. Sophomore Johntay Cook will more than likely be the main return man for this unit alongside Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden who is very explosive as well. Longhorns’ kicker, Bert Auburn returns for his senior season as he will look to boost his 83% Field Goal percentage from the previous season.
The Bottom Line
This could very well be Georgia’s toughest test of the 2024 season as both teams could be sitting with undefeated records when this one takes place. It will be the first time since 1958 where Georgia has traveled to Austin to play the Horns as Texas currently holds a 4-1 all-time record against the Dawgs. This game will definitely have its offensive fireworks as it will be a huge Quarterback duel between Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers. Defense will more than likely take a back seat in this one as whoever gets that important turnover or stop first, wins the game.
Prediction: Georgia 38, Texas 35
Go Dawgs!