Over 3 treacherous months down in the southeast corner of the country have spewed one massive showdown in Atlanta. Widespread discourse involving some precise but largely fallacious hypotheticals and projections has conjured a behemoth matchup. The proverbial throne to the SEC is up for grabs. Naturally, opinion about the latest heir in its lineage is divided.

One school has been a perennial contender under its current regime. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are seeking vengeance for losing the SEC and, by extension, the national crown last season in the same locale. On the other side are the new boys in the conference, the Texas Longhorns. Winning the supposed best conference across CFB in their debut season would be a statement that would reverberate across to all adversaries. Steve Sarkisian has an opportunity to assert himself and his program at the big-boy table.

Experts of all backgrounds have chimed in on what will go down at the Mercedes-Benz on Saturday. Former players who’ve been a part of these occasions are one faction of experts whose prognosis is perhaps most resounding. Georgia Bulldogs legend David Pollack gave his verdict in the lead-up. No prizes for guessing who he thinks shall emerge triumphant. “I think this is a low-scoring game. My score prediction is 24-21”, he said. “I went back and forth…I was thinking Texas, [then] I was thinking Georgia and [again] thinking Texas…think Georgia finds a way to beat Texas for a second time,” Pollack claimed. This, of course, is in reference to the earlier meeting in Austin. Georgia went into enemy territory and brought back a 30-15 win.

Fellow ex-SEC player Greg McElroy echoed Pollack’s sentiments about a low-scoring game. However, he didn’t adhere to everything. “I’m taking Texas in a low-scoring game. I know it’s dangerous, and I know Kirby Smart will probably call everybody out after the game in victory. But I have to go with the team that I think is more complete. At this point, I think Texas is more balanced,” he said.

The general notion around the game being a defensive battle over an offensive shootout is based on precedence. Texas’ secondary has afforded opposition quarterbacks nothing to work with all year. Their pass defense is arguably the best in the country and is coming off shutting out Texas A&M in their own backyard. Georgia, too, has historically been a juggernaut under Smart due to their defense. With Quinn Ewers’ redzone issues last weekend in College Station and Carson Beck’s overarching turnover issues, this notion is only emphasized.

Figureheads of CFB media are in unison about their pick to win the SEC

Talking of former players, one of the most respected voices of CFB in the national media is Joel Klatt. He, too, believes the Longhorns’ defense gives them the edge. Klatt also paid heed to the traversal of the two teams since that last meeting in Austin.

Texas’ performances appear to be trending upwards. However, their schedule has been conducive to the wins, so the record isn’t a fair representation relative to the 10-2 Georgia Bulldogs. Despite the strength of schedule discrepancy, Georgia’s performances have left a lot to be desired.

Another resounding voice in the national media, Josh Pate, also gave his two cents on the outcome of the game. “I think Texas is peaking at the right time, and I do not feel the same way about Georgia. I respect Georgia immensely, but I like Texas better right now”, he said. Sure, this iteration of the Georgia Bulldogs’ team is a far cry from previous years under Kirby Smart. You still wouldn’t put it past them to click into gear in December. A seismic shift in the dynamic of the SEC beckons. Could Texas straightaway achieve what schools have yearned for decades?