The college football regular season has come to a close and conference championship games are here. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are set to face off against Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship in what should be the potential rematch of the year. Which team will come out on top, earning a first round bye in the first ever 12-Team College Football Playoff?

Last time these two teams faced off Georgia dominated early with their ferocious pass rush. Star Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers took a seat for Arch Manning for an entirely unproductive moment. Ewers returned, found the end zone a couple times, but it was too little too late as Georgia inevitably won round one of this burgeoning SEC rivalry, 30-15.

Heading into this epic rematch between the Longhorns and the Bulldogs media members of A to Z Sports who cover both teams decided to weigh in, sharing their predictions for this huge SEC rivalry with massive playoff implications. The picks are in. Enjoy!

Texas 27, Georgia 20

The one big thing that gets overlooked about the last time these two teams faced off is the fact that the Texas defense picked off Carson Beck three times. Their defense was smothering as they allowed less than 4.5 yards per pass and barely 3.5 yards per carry that day. Since then the Longhorns have gotten even better as a defensive unit, ranking first in the nation in yards per play allowed. Quinn Ewers may make a mistake or two thanks to Georgia's creative pressure packages with Jalon Walker creating plenty of havoc, but in the end the Longhorns hold the Bulldogs back long enough to win the day. – Travis May

Texas 24, Georgia 17

Looking at the totality of the season, it feels like Georgia had that mid-October game circled for months and put everything into it. No way was Kirby Smart going to let Steve Sarkisian get the upper hand. Not in his conference, anyway. Well, the tables have turned. Texas is a much better team now, Quinn Ewers’ up-and-down November notwithstanding. Horns finish out their first year in the SEC just like they did the first year in the Big 12, as champs. – Brian Davis

Georgia Bulldogs HC Kirby Smart confirms suspicion about Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning

Big showdown between Texas and Georgia on deck

Georgia 28, Texas 22

One could analyze these two teams all day about how much they have changed or stayed the same since they last played on October 19th. But I think Coach Sark said it best this week when he said Georgia's "got the heart of a champion". The Bulldogs might not play their best ball until the fourth quarter, but they're not going to let the Longhorns beat them in their own state AND win the SEC championship during their first year in the conference. The Dawgs will put them in their place and then enjoy a first round bye in the College Football Playoff. – Kelsey Kramer

Georgia 24, Texas 20

Texas is looking for some redemption after getting dominated by Georgia earlier this season, and you can expect they will play better. It feels like a lower scoring game with two of the better defenses in college football, and two offenses that have been a bit inconsistent. It will likely come down to which quarterback makes more plays, and the safe bet is Carson Beck based upon how he and Quinn Ewers have been playing recently. – Ryan Roberts

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian hands Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs the ultimate compliment ahead of SEC Championship

Couldn’t have said it any better that that.

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