Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt has predicted his SEC championship winner. The Georgia Bulldogs take on the Texas Longhorns Saturday afternoon in the SEC championship.
The Bulldogs are considered three-point underdogs coming into this game. The Longhorns posted a dominant 11-1 record in their first season in the SEC, with their only loss coming against Georgia 30-15.
Klatt went on “The Joel Klatt Show” to discuss the SEC championship at length.
What does Joel Klatt say about the SEC championship?
On Kirby Smart: “We’re going to get underdog Kirby…when Georgia wins against an SEC team they should’ve, you’ll probably catch Kirby saying ‘Man, it’s tough to win on the road in the SEC’ and when Georgia wins a big game against a tough opponent, he’ll say, ‘Nobody gave us a chance to win this.'”
On the first meeting: “Georgia’s defensive line totally dominated the offensive line of Texas, which was a bit surprising. I think Texas has one of the best offensive line in the country.”
“Do I think this game is going to play exactly like the first meeting? No. Sark is too smart to go with the same game plan against Georgia.”
On injuries: “Kelvin Banks, the star left tackle for Texas, is dealing with an ankle injury…Quinn Ewers has been dealing with an ankle injury, so how effective is Kelvin Banks going against a front that was the only front to dominate the line over the course of the year?”
On Arch Manning: “Could the legs of Arch Manning be a factor in this game? It very well might be. Georgia’s defense gave up a ton of yardage to Haynes King. That could be an advantage for Texas. I like Quinn Ewers a lot but I’m starting to come around in that Arch might be a better option. This could be a similar discussion to Alabama back when they had Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts in 2017.”
On which Georgia team will show up: “I’m not sure. Let’s just hope for their sake that it’s the good version.”
On Carson Beck: “I think Carson Beck’s been better the last three games. He still turned it over three times against Texas and they (the Bulldogs) won, but he’s had twelve touchdowns and no turnovers the past three games. Can Carson Beck drive the ball against Texas and score?”
On the defensive matchup: “Texas’s defense is an elite defense. They’re No. 2 in the country behind only Ohio State, and Georgia’s defense just gave up 500 yards to Georgia Tech.”
Klatt believes that Texas will win in the rematch. “I think Texas wins the rematch. I think they’re a better football team. I think they win it 24-21,” Klatt said.
Klatt’s prediction: Texas 24, Georgia 21