Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has thoughts on the big game between Texas and Georgia and five-star defensive lineman Elijah Griffin's upcoming college decision.

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STATEMENT PLAYING CHANCE FOR TEXAS

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When we got a glimpse of the schedule for the 2024 season, “Texas-Georgia” was considered must-see television. Now it's a showdown between the top team in the country and the big Dawgs on the block that have had a stranglehold on the position for the past few years.

This No. 5 Georgia team didn't have the same dominant feel as some others Kirby Smartis the championship contender of the past few years. We saw things click on offense – at times – and more or less the same thing on defense too. With Carson Beck on offense, Branson Robinson and Trevor Etienne in the backfield and Mykel Williams anchoring defense, the expectations for the preseason No. 1 are of course still extremely high.

Texas, on the other hand, looked like a No. 1 team. Whether it was veteran Quinn Ewers or future starter Arch Manning, the Longhorns' offense was spot-on, which was a theme below Steve Sarkisian since he arrived in Austin. More impressive was the defense, which quickly proved in its first season in the SEC that it had the star power to compete with any team in the country.

This Saturday's home game against Georgia is another opportunity for the Longhorns to prove that against the team that has set the pace in the conference for nearly a decade since Smart's return.

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DECISION ON DECK FOR ELIJAH GRIFFIN

Elijah Griffin, the No. 9 overall prospect in the Rivals250, is expected to come off the board on Friday. Griffin is one of five uncommitted five-stars in the country. He will choose between Miami, USC and Georgia – just days after completing his final official visit to Athens over the weekend, which happened to coincide with his birthday.

Miami continued to push for Griffin before and after his official visit. USC has also prioritized the five-star DL and meeting Aaron Donald was a turning point for Griffin. However, Georgia has made Griffin and his mother a top priority since he made an offer in eighth grade, and that consistency paid off in his final season as a decision began to be made.

There is a feeling that Georgia will assert itself as the state's highly prized defensive lineman and that this could be the start of a late-season recruiting run for Smart and the Dawgs, especially with the pool of blue-chippers in the state still high on theirs Board.

Flip season is approaching

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Similar to a traditional calendar, the recruiting calendar has its seasons. As fall comes to an end and the weather cools, flip season begins to pick up steam. We've already seen huge dominoes fall over the summer like Alvin Henderson, Dakorien Moore and Keelon Russell, and more recently Deuce Knight, Bryce Davis, Malik Clark and Bryce Davis.

This was a lively start to flip season, and the stage is set for an even quicker end. Five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord, four-star receiver CJ Wiley, four-star offensive tackle Carde Smith, four-star running back Anthony Rogers, four-star linebacker Jaiden Braker and the four Star receiver Caleb Cunningham are just a few new additions that haven't been closed yet. Cracked doors usually cause late drama this time of year.