Josh Pate's SEC Champion Prediction Will Shock Georgia Bulldogs Fans

With SEC Media Days now concluded, the college football season is right around the corner, bringing with it heightened anticipation.

This season promises to be one of the most intriguing in some time, marked by significant conference realignment and the introduction of an expanded College Football Playoff.

One conference set to play a major role this season is the SEC. Although they made fewer additions compared to other conferences, they arguably made the two biggest by adding Texas and Oklahoma, expanding to a 16-team conference.

However, entering the most dominant conference in college football comes with skepticism and resistance from traditional powerhouses like Alabama and Georgia, who have won nine of the last 10 SEC titles.

But should Texas and Oklahoma, who won a combined seven of the last 10 Big 12 titles, be overlooked? Late Kick's Josh Pate doesn't think so, at least not the Longhorns. Pate has picked Texas over the odds-on favorite Georgia (+185) to win the SEC Championship in 2024.

Pate made a compelling argument for his prediction, noting Georgia's grueling schedule this season as the reason why the Bulldogs wouldn't claim the conference title. The Bulldogs are likely to face at least five preseason top 25 teams, with three potentially in the top 10. One of those teams is Texas, whom Georgia will face on the road on Oct. 19.

"It's tough, man. There's no team in the country that I'd predict going undefeated with Georgia's schedule, Georgia included. So, I got Texas winning the SEC... which I don't need to tell anyone would be a pretty big story," Pate said.

Georgia starts the season against Clemson in a neutral site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. They go to Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss all on the road. They have Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, Tennessee, UMass, and Georgia Tech at home.

Pate believes that Texas will draw upon a lot of what they did last year. The Longhorns made a significant leap last season, going from 8-5 to 12-2 and becoming one of the top four teams in the CFP, therefore, earning a playoff berth. They also won the Big 12 title for the first time since 2009.

"I just think the overall profile of the program is such that if they step into a conference," Pate said, "especially if they step in having recruited to it for three years before they ever got here, and they click this year, I think they can be in Atlanta and I think they can win the whole thing."

Texas will begin their 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Colorado State at home in a 3:30 pm EST game on ESPN.