Texas, Georgia Place Elite Coaches, QBs on the Field

© Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) hosts No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1) at 7:30 p.m. EST on Oct. 19, fans are going to have a hard time paying attention. Texas fans will have their eyes on starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and head coach Steve Sarkisian. Meanwhile, the Georgia faithful are going to see what Bulldogs QB Carson Beck and head coach Kirby Smart have cooked up.

This game, played under the bright lights of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, will have more eyes on it than "The Eyes of Texas." Can Beck and Smart put forth a solid offensive game plan? What will Georgia do on defense? Will Ewers and Sarkisian continue to have the Longhorns produce touchdowns and field goals at key points?

Texas QB Gets Scrutiny From Smart

A lot of questions are on the table as a national television audience watches an SEC newcomer collide with a conference stalwart. For Smart, he knows that there are some comparisons between Beck and Ewers.

“The games he's (Ewers) played in, they're very similar in terms of knowledge, understanding of their offense, protections," Smart said at a Tuesday night news conference. "You know, it doesn't seem pressure affects him much. I mean, he seems like he has really good composure in there, stands in there. They both have the ability, if something goes wrong, to get you out of a bad play and typically avoid catastrophes. That's what older quarterbacks do. That's the similarities they seem to have.”

Beck, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior out of Jacksonville, Fla., has passed for 1,818 yards this season. He has totaled 15 touchdowns while throwing just 5 interceptions. In Georgia's 41-31 win over Mississippi State on Oct. 12, Beck was 36-of-48 passing for 459 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs.

As for Ewers, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound junior from Southlake, Texas, he's missed two games this season due to injury. Ewers returned to the starting lineup against Oklahoma on Oct. 12, hitting 20-of-29 passes for 199 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. That helped Texas defeat the Sooners 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry game. So far this season, Ewers has totaled 890 yards passing with 9 TDs and 3 INTs.

Sarkisian Stays Focused on Georgia

Sarkisian is very aware of Georgia's stature in the college football world. "They've somewhat been the standard of college football" in the past 6-7 years regarding how well they have played, Sarkisian said at his Monday press conference, Brian Davis of A to Z Sports reported.

Seeking Sarkisian as the top guy for the Texas Longhorns football program is something indeed. He was at a low point in his coaching career and life, too, back in 2015, when USC fired him. Sarkisian, though, did some serious rehabilitation work on himself and as a coach. Cutting alcohol out of his life has been a plus. Also, Sarkisian spent time on the Alabama coaching staff under Nick Saban. He's made more news before this season as he and his wife announced they were getting a divorce.

Despite all of that, Sarkisian and his coaching staff have continued to preach an "All gas, no brakes" mentality. Texas certainly showed its dedication to that theory in a beatdown of Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl.

Underdog Status Not Important

Smart, who also comes from the Saban coaching tree, may be aware of the Bulldogs' status as an underdog entering this matchup. Publicly, though, he's coming off like it's much ado about nothing.

“No. I don't even know that," he said on Tuesday night. "I do not look at lines and underdog favorites. I worry about one thing. What do we have to do to play our best? That comes with a lot of game planning. There is a minimal approach to the game, but I don't think it's about being the underdog."

By the way, Smart has faced his fair share of scrutiny over the off-field incidents involving Georgia players. Then, he's also been put under the microscope for his sideline behavior in the Bulldogs' Oct. 12 matchup against Mississippi State.

On the SEC Coaches Teleconference call on Tuesday, Sarkisian was asked what he and Smart have in common. His answer? "We're both average golfers."

Texas and Georgia football fans are not going to be focused on their head coaches' iron play. They will be looking to see which coach and QB comes prepared for a top 5 college football battle.