Top 5 matchups for Week 8 of the 2024 college football season
1. No. 5 Georgia at No. 1 Texas – Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
It鈥檚 hard to top the aforementioned SEC rivalries, but it鈥檚 a first-time SEC matchup that may be the best contest this weekend. Texas and Georgia have only met five times, three of which were bowl games, including the 1949 Orange Bowl, the 1984 Cotton Bowl and most recently the 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns have won each matchup in the series other than the Cotton Bowl.
They will look to make it five wins over Georgia as a slight favorite with the Bulldogs playing in Austin for the first time since 1958, and this has become a game Georgia could really use with contests against Ole Miss and Tennessee ahead. The Bulldogs have been solid overall outside of their loss at Alabama but are coming off a game where they could have been sharper against 1-5 Mississippi State. Georgia鈥檚 defense hasn鈥檛 quite been as dominant as in recent years, ranking 28th in the country. The team鈥檚 offense also ranks 28th behind the strong arm of Carson Beck.
Beck going head to head with Quinn Ewers is one of the top storylines of this matchup. After missing a couple of games due to injury, Ewers returned with a solid performance as the Longhorns blew out Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, 34-3. Texas has the seventh-best total offense in the country with a deep group of pass catchers and a nice running back rotation. However, the Longhorns鈥� defense has led them, ranking No. 1 in the nation while giving up just three offensive touchdowns all year and under 230 yards per game. The defense could lead Texas to remain perfect with another victory over one of college football鈥檚 premier programs.
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