No. 5 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC, No. 5 CFP) vs. No. 2 Texas (11-1, 7-1, No. 2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 2 1/2
Series record: Texas leads 4-2
A Southeastern Conference championship and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The winning team advances straight to the quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day, while the loser is expected to host a first-round game at its campus stadium on either Dec. 20 or 21. Georgia is playing in the SEC title game for the seventh time in Kirby Smart's nine seasons as coach. Texas reached the championship game in its first season as an SEC member.
Georgia's running game vs. Texas' defensive front. The Bulldogs handed the Longhorns their only loss when the teams met Oct. 19 in Austin, using a strong running game led by Trevor Etienne in a 30-15 victory. But Etienne seems unlikely to play after missing the last three games with a rib injury. If Etienne can't go, Georgia will rely on freshman Nate Frazier and Roderick Robinson, who missed most of the season with a toe injury before returning for last week's eight-overtime victory against Georgia Tech.
Georgia: QB Carson Beck. In an up-and-down season, Beck got away with throwing three interceptions in the regular-season game against the Longhorns. He can't expect to be that fortunate this time around, so the Bulldogs need a clean game out of their fifth-year quarterback.
Texas: LTs Kelvin Banks Jr. and Trevor Goosby. Banks is Texas’ Outland Trophy finalist and a likely high draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft. But he went out early with an injury in last week's victory over Texas A&M.
The SEC championship game was held at the Georgia Dome for 23 years before moving next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium when it opened in 2017. ... Texas is seeking its second straight conference title, having won the 2023 Big 12 championship game with a 49-21 romp over Oklahoma State before joining the SEC. ... Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner has 344 yards rushing in the last two games at an average of 5.8 yards per carry. The Longhorns ran for only 29 yards against Georgia in the first matchup. ... Even though Atlanta is considered a de facto home game for Georgia, the Bulldogs are only 4-7 in SEC titles games played in the state capital. ... Georgia's defense dominated in the regular-season victory over Texas.
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Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) runs against Georgia Tech defensive back Syeed Gibbs (16) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power and cancelled or delayed flights, the South was slowly thawing Sunday as weather warmed.
Crews worked furiously and by Sunday morning power had been restored to parts of North Carolina and South Carolina where tens of thousands of customers lost electricity over the last few days, according to Duke Energy.
Power was back for 97% of the retail customers served by Georgia Power — the state largest utility — which serves all but four of the state’s 159 counties, it said.
“Crews have not slowed down, in fact, we have brought in additional resources to help us get across the finish line,” read a press release on The City of Atlanta Government's Facebook page.
Much of the winter weather has moved out of the area, said Dylan Lusk, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Peachtree, Georgia.
“For the most part, we are slowly warming up and finally thawing a little bit after snow fall and a coating of freezing rain,” Lusk said.
Warmer weather was expected but some areas were still dealing with ice and authorities warned people to drive slowly and be careful with slick spots on roads — especially when temperatures drop again at night and melted snow and ice refreezes.
"Black ice will return as temperatures drop below freezing this evening through Monday morning,” the National Weather Service said.
More than 600 flights to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were delayed throughout the afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Parking lots were cleared and runways were operational but around noon a ground delay was issued for plane deicing of planes, airport officials said.
Seven flight were cancelled — an improvement from Saturday when around 1,000 flights were cancelled or delayed.
Earlier this week the storm brought heavy snow — as much as 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) in some spots — and made roads slick across much of Texas and Oklahoma before moving east.
In some cities, the storm piled up more than a year’s worth of snowfall. As much as a foot (about 31 centimeters) fell in parts of Arkansas. In Memphis, a city that usually sees 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters) a year, the Memphis International Airport recording more than 7 inches (about 18 centimeters).
Atlanta was hit with more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The agency said it was the first time the city had over an inch of snowfall since 2018.
While the National Weather Service says that Gulf Coast residents can expect showers Sunday and Monday, other parts of the country may see snow and brace for a mass of cold, dry air from the Arctic region — including in the Great Lakes region.
Although conditions are expected to improve, some places — including churches — announced closures for Sunday.
School was canceled on Friday for millions of children from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina, giving them a rare snow day. On Saturday, officials in northern Alabama said schools could remain closed Monday if ice doesn’t melt off secondary roads.
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Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Finley from Norfolk, Virginia.
People sled down a snow covered hill Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Michael Paul runs up a snow covered hill with his dog Murphy, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Andy Atkins removes snow from the outdoor seating area for his food truck Bad Luck Burger Club in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan.11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kristin M. Hall)
Joe Huff, left, and Kenny Braden with "The Yard Barber" work to clear snow from the driveway of a home in The Summit neighborhood, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Owensboro, Ky. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP)
