The NCAAF season continues this weekend with a big clash between the number-ten-ranked team in the country, the Texas Longhorns, taking on the number-five-ranked team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs, in game week 12.
The Longhorns have had an excellent season so far and come into this game with a 7-2 record, while the Bulldogs have had a sensational campaign and have an 8-1 record heading into this matchup.
We’ll take a look at the game and break it down while providing you with our best free NCAAF betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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The Bulldogs so far have had a fantastic campaign, and the season started with a dominant 45-7 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd, where they only conceded points in the final quarter.
Georgia followed that up in week two against the Austin Peay Governors, claiming a 28-6 victory, as they prevented their opponents from scoring a single touchdown at any point in the game. They then followed that up with a third consecutive win, defeating the Tennessee Volunteers 44-41 in overtime in one of the most exciting games of the season so far.
In week four their winning run came to an end, however, as they fell to a 24-21 defeat against the Alabama Crimson Tide, who were ranked as the 17th best team in the country at the time.
Since then, though, Georgia have looked invincible and have gone on to win each of their next five games. First they took on the Kentucky Wildcats and earned a dominant 35-14 win at home, before then earning a 20-10 win over the Auburn Tigers on the road.
Georgia then made it three wins in a row by defeating number-five-ranked Ole Miss Rebels 43-35 with an excellent performance, and have since made it five-in-a-row by defeating the Florida Gators 24-20, and then the Mississippi State Bulldogs 41-21 last time out.
The Longhorns started the season as the number-one-ranked team in the country, but they fell to defeat on the opening game of the season against the Ohio State Buckeyes, losing 7-14.
But Texas quickly returned to winning ways, defeating the San Jose State Spartans 38-7 in week two, before victories against UTEP Miners, 27-10, and Sam Houston Bearkats in a lopsided 55-0 thrashing in weeks three and four.
The team then travelled to take on the Florida Gators and fell to a second defeat of the season, losing 21-29, but they responded well as they took on the number-six-ranked Oklahoma Sooners and claimed a convincing 23-6 victory.
The Longhorns were then forced to go to overtime for their next two games, and came out victorious in both, as they defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 16-13, before taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a hugely entertaining clash that saw Texas earn a 45-38 win.
Last time out, Texas took on the number-nine-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores at home, and came away with a 34-31 win to extend their winning streak and come into this game full of momentum.
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Georgia are coming into this game as the favorites, as expected, and their game style helps them a lot. They run the ball very well, ranking number ten in the country for EPA/rush, and 20th for their success rate. That earns them a lot of third down situations, which they capitalise on.
But against Texas they may struggle to implement that style to a high standard, as the Longhorns current rank second and 10th in those same standings, respectively. The Longhorns will no doubt push them hard, and it may mean that Georgia are forced to rely on field goals to rack up points, rather than touchdowns.
With Arch Manning as the quarterback, he will be keen to take advantage of a poor Georgia defense, which currently ranks 114th in pressure rate and 90th in yards after the catch.
While I wouldn’t be super confident in Texas having quite enough to complete an upset, I do expect that this game will be relatively close, and with the Longhorns being given a six-point spread by most bookmakers, that looks far too tasty to ignore.
Ryan Wingo will undoubtedly be a key player for Texas, while the top four receivers for the team are averaging fantastic seasons too. Georgia have been struggling against efficient passing games recently.
If Manning can turn in a performance that we all know he’s capable of, there’s no reason Texas can’t cover the spread, and at -107 odds, there is terrific value in it.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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