Longhorns Invade Athens: CFP Hopes On The Line Against Georgia Bulldogs, Where Arch Manning's Best Is Needed

ATHENS — One of the best parts of conference realignment comes when matchups like Texas versus Georgia are placed on the schedule, and judging by the amount of Longhorn fans roaming around Athens on Friday, the atmosphere tonight will feel more like a college football party. 

As the CFP rankings continue flowing in on a weekly basis leading up to conference title weekend, the question now centers around how many teams from the SEC make the field. 

Will Texas be one of them? That depends on what transpires between the hedges, in front of a stadium filled with 65,000 armbands that will make Stanford Stadium look like a Taylor Swift concert on steroids. 

Baylor AD, CFP Chair Mack Rhoades Takes 'Leave Of Absence' After Verbal, Physical Altercation, New Allegations

Here we are, once again, two SEC teams battling for supremacy, while Alabama and Texas A&M look to lock up a spot in the conference title game. If fans were clamoring for ‘play-in’ games to decide a conference bid, then look no further than Georgia this weekend, while Alabama and Oklahoma battle in Tuscaloosa. 

While there is a blemish of conversation surrounding Oklahoma's chances of beating the Tide, there are plenty of people wondering when Georgia's luck runs out. But, is it really luck, or just a football team that is the complete opposite of past Kirby Smart squads? 

You can be the judge of that, though while it feels like the Dawgs have been skating by lately with a side of luck, I don't know if people truly appreciate what Kirby Smart has done with his football team. 

This Georgia team is finding different ways to win, and the same could be said for a Texas team that struggled in Lexington and Starkville. Did they finally come out of their shell against Vanderbilt? That's yet to be determined, but Arch Manning is certainly playing like the quarterback some predicted would receive an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony before the season began. 

Baylor AD, CFP Chair Mack Rhoades Takes 'Leave Of Absence' After Verbal, Physical Altercation, New Allegations

But, we are also staring down the barrel of a ‘must-win’ game for Steve Sarkisian, with a team that is hoping to make the CFP after already sustaining two losses. And while that might be the case, it hasn't deterred Texas fans from making the trip to Georgia this weekend for what is shaping up to be an elimination for the Longhorns. 

Don't tell Texas fans that, though. 

Longhorns Faithful Hoping To Paint Athens In Burnt Orange

Standing outside Sanford Stadium on Friday evening, four guys dressed in burnt orange shirts, along with cowboy hats, had differing opinions when it came to how this season has played out. Oh, and they're certainly happy to be in the State of Georgia again for an important SEC showdown. 

"Man, I'm just soaking in the environment. This will be our fifth SEC stadium since our Longhorns joined (the SEC)," William from Dallas told OutKick. We might've had problems on the road this season with Kentucky and Miss State, but Arch finally looks like what we all thought he could be. 

"This place is pretty sick. I can't believe this bridge that overlooks the stadium. I heard the environment is wild, so this should be a good time. Either way, we're knocking different towns off the list. We were in Starkville and Lexington, so maybe our group is 4-0 after this weekend."

Playoff Stakes On The Line For Texas, And Georgia?

The last time these two teams met was in last season's SEC championship game, which Georgia won 22-19 in overtime, in front of a pro-Dawg crowd in Atlanta. Obviously, this came after their regular season game in Austin, in which the Bulldogs also came out victorious. 

Does the same thing happen tonight in Athens?

Last year, it was Gunner Stockton coming off the bench for a hurt Carson Beck, while Arch Manning stood on the sidelines as Quinn Ewers led Texas to a conference title and CFP run that ended against Ohio State. 

Now? It's two quarterbacks who are looking to once again make a statement on a massive stage, with high-stakes. 

If Georgia were to lose, they'd need to beat Georgia Tech in the season finale to lock up a spot in the playoff. If they win, not only would they seal their playoff spot, but the Dawgs would force Texas to start facing the reality that a back-to-back playoff appearance is off the table. 

But, if Arch Manning were to lead his team to a win on Saturday night in front of a hostile crowd on a massive stage, well, the Longhorns are one step closer to shutting down the folks that wrote them off in early October. 

And some pundits want to act as if the regular season doesn't matter any longer? Tell that to both these teams fighting for respect, and save that conversation for the SEC championship game that should most likely see Texas A&M battling Alabama. 

The trash talking, ‘horns down’ sign language, barking and curse words already being thrown around in Athens paint a different picture of how much this game means on a national level. 

I'm sure the folks who despise the conversations around SEC teams in playoff contention will be cheering for Georgia to end the Longhorns chances of making the postseason. 

But, you know who else is cheering for Georgia on Saturday night? That would be Vanderbilt fans, who are close enough to a playoff spot that they can taste what high-stakes football feels like in December if both Oklahoma and Texas were to lose this afternoon. 

Welcome to the chaos. Also known as Athens, Georgia.