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Georgia set for SEC Championship Game showdown against Texas

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•11/30/24•

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Georgia (30)
Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Dominic Lovett (6) runs after the catch in the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

ATHENS, Ga. — The SEC Championship Game is set. After a 17-7 win in College Station Saturday night, Texas will square off with Georgia next weekend at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

It’s a fourth straight appearance for UGA, falling in 2021 and 2023 to Alabama while beating LSU in 2022. Under the direction of Kirby Smart, Georgia also played for the conference title in 2017 (Auburn – W), 2018 (Alabama – L) and 2019 (LSU – L). All-time, the Bulldogs have made 11 previous trips to the conference title game (4-7 record), bringing home trophies in 2002, 2005, 2017 and 2022.

Georgia had its spot clinched last Saturday with results around the league. UGA played Friday night in a non-conference rivalry game, beating Georgia Tech in eight overtimes, and was left with a day to rest up while the competition was in action.

“Rest. All we can do right now is rest,” Smart told reporters postgame when asked what Saturday would look like with an SEC Championship spot already secured but an opponent to be determined. “Our guys need a mental break. They need this day. I mean, tomorrow is one day, but it’s a day that we don’t know who we’re going to play. They need recovery.”

“This was a really short week, and it was a tough week. Remember, Tech played on Thursday night in this deal and caught us on two days. You don’t usually get that in our league, but you get that when you cross leagues and you move your game up,” the head coach continued. “A lot of respect for the way they play, the toughness they play with. We’ve got to turn around and play a stellar opponent, no matter who it is, next week, and it’s going to be physical. I told the guys in the locker room, you can rub your bruises and pout and do everything to say, I could have done better, but you better get ready to strap it on and play again.”

As for the Longhorns, it’s a first-ever appearance in the SEC Championship Game. Texas joined the league this offseason but previously played in seven Big 12 Championship Games including one it won last season.

Georgia and Texas played earlier this season, setting up a rematch of UGA’s October win in Austin. The Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time before the Bulldogs wreaked havoc with seven sacks defensively and three rushing touchdowns for Trevor Etienne. Carson Beck threw a trio of interceptions – including one that brought about a chaotic scene from the stands with trash being thrown onto the field to allow the referees further time to discuss and eventually overturn a penalty call – but Georgia was able to overcome the miscues to the tune of a 30-15 win to hand Texas its only loss of the regular season.

Georgia’s 2017 SEC Championship Game win, as well as its 2022 National Championship victory, both came in rematches against Auburn and Alabama respectively. The Bulldogs fell in the each of those first two meetings. Working in UGA’s favor though is an all-time 5-2 record for regular season winners when the SEC Championship Game has featured a rematch.

Kickoff time is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on ABC. An automatic bid to the College Football Playoffs and a top 4 seed resulting in a bye is on the line. According to a potential spread listed by FanDuel before the game was officially set, Georgia is expected to be a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under at 52.5 total points.

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