Todd Gurley previews the SEC showdown No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas SEC – NBC10 Philadelphia

The 2024 college football season has already produced some classic games, but there could be another one on the schedule this weekend.

No. 1 Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in an SEC showdown, the first conference matchup between these two powerhouses.

The Longhorns are off to a 6-0 start in Week 8 despite having to use their backup quarterback for several games. Of course, it helps when your backup is Arch Manning — a redshirt freshman who helped the team not miss a step while Quinn Ewers struggled with an oblique injury. Ewers is now back in the lineup and Texas is coming off a commanding 34-3 victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last Saturday.

On the other hand, the Bulldogs weren't quite business as usual in 2024. Georgia is 6-1, but the last few weeks have been shaky, with a 41-34 loss to Alabama in Week 5 and a 41-31 win over Alabama last Saturday at lowly Mississippi State. Another loss could potentially ruin Georgia's chances of making it to the expanded playoffs.

Despite his offensive background, former Bulldog running back Todd Gurley sees defense as the key to winning Saturday's contest.

“I think (Georgia) obviously has to, you know the typical answer, just pay for a solid defense,” Gurley said in an interview with NBC while promoting his partnership with Bush's Beans and their new Hot Honey Grillin' Beans. “Do your job. Do your individual job. Don't try to be a superhero and take the cornerback job when you're the safety. Just be able to just listen to the coaches, do your job, take care of the ball.”

“That’s one of the most important things, especially on offense. You know, there are no tips and throws from the receivers. And it starts with (quarterback) Carson Beck, he's the leader. He is of course the commander in charge, other than (head coach) Kirby (Smart).

Georgia's starting quarterback has had a season of ups and downs so far. After starting the season with Heisman expectations, Beck has struggled in recent weeks. He had three costly interceptions in the loss to Alabama and threw two more picks against Mississippi State.

Gurley believes the 6-foot-2 senior will simply have to rely on his teammates to get his season back on track.

“If you have the right mindset at the start of the season, nothing that happens right now really matters,” Gurley said. “Because you know, football really is the ultimate team sport. We start with the coaches, even from administration to everything to the training staff. I think he obviously recognized that and saw, like, 'Hey, I can.' “I’m not doing this all alone.”

Beck will not find an easy environment as he looks to regain his form from the start of the season. Texas has not lost at its home stadium since November 2022.

The start of the game will be crucial for Georgia if it wants to have a chance, Gurley believes.

“When you go to Austin and you have that many people, you have to try to silence that right there on the street,” Gurley said. “It will be a night game. These guys will be thrilled. They face Georgia, which has won several national championships in recent years. (Texas is) the No. 1 team in the nation, their first time in the SEC, so they'll try to welcome (Georgia) in the way they play football, but (Georgia) has to Do the same, vice versa.

Although Gurley was hesitant to pick a winner due to his obvious affinity for his alma mater, he did mention the one thing he believes will ultimately determine who wins the game.

“Sales,” he said. “I think with turnovers from everything from special teams to both teams, you have to take care of the ball. But being able to convert points from turnovers is also a pretty simple answer, right? Yes In football we usually know that whoever loses the ball the most will probably end up losing a game.

“So I think if you can just take care of the ball and score points in the red zone, it's going to come down to one or two stops in the red zone by either team, like it's just the stops that you “That will probably come back to haunt you in the fourth quarter at the end of the game.”

Texas and Georgia will take the field on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC.