3 reasons why No. 1 Texas might fall to underdog Georgia feat. Quinn Ewers
Even the words "underdog Georgia" feel very strange in the landscape of college football. Georgia has lost three games in the last three and a half seasons and has won two College Football Playoff titles. Georgia hasn't been an underdog in a regular season game since the opener of 2021. But here are three reasons why "underdog Georgia" might take down top-ranked Texas.
3 reasons why No. 1 Texas might lose to Georgia
1. Georgia has faced stiffer competition than Texas
The Longhorns are No. 1 and have been impressive but haven't exactly faced a Murderers' Row of competition. Michigan (4-2) is offensively limited and barely hanging in the top 25. Oklahoma has lost two of its last three and hasn't put an opponent away since Temple in Week 1.
Meanwhile, Georgia has faced Alabama and Clemson and a tough road game at Kentucky. The Bulldogs have seen more top-level competition and are much better prepared to place a close game, having done so several times.
Last season, in their journey to the College Football Playoff, Texas won three one-score games. While the Longhorns have been impressive, will weak competition and a lack of adversity hurt in such a big game?
2. A QB situation could certainly develop if Quinn Ewers struggles
Most teams at or near the top of the national polls are very much settled at quarterback. It'll be Carson Beck on Saturday for Georgia unless injury drives him from the game. Texas is much less settled than most.
Quinn Ewers is the returning starter and has played solidly. But he missed two and a half games with injuries, and Arch Manning has kind of outshined Ewers as a backup. In his first start back last week, Ewers was fairly ho-hum, gaining just 6.9 yards per pass and throwing one touchdown and one interception.
As combined with the issues noted above, the Texas QB room could become a complicated case when and if the Longhorns meet adversity. Ewers has won big games in the past, but Manning has superior statistics and dual-threat ability, which could be big. If a QB shuffle gets going, chemistry could go south among Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns in a hurry.
3. Texas hasn't faced a passing game like this
Texas is one of the nation's most efficient passing defenses. The Longhorns get a ton of negative plays defensively and then place the offense in bad situations. They've then managed seven interceptions while allowing just a single passing touchdown on the year.
But there's a secret here. Texas faced Mississippi State in the first start for freshman Michael Van Buren. Other than that, Texas hasn't faced a team in the top 95 in passer rating in FBS football. The others? Colorado State (109th), Michigan (130th), UTSA (96th), Louisiana-Monroe (121st) and Oklahoma (108th).
Georgia, by comparison, despite an ugly first half of the season, is 23rd nationally in the stat. Georgia's 318 passing yards per game is ranked ninth nationally. Georgia has scored 31 or more points in every game except Kentucky. It's because they can throw the ball basically at will. Texas hasn't faced anything close and is likely to struggle.
What do you think about Georgia's chances of upsetting Texas on Saturday? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!