LSU vs. Georgia SEC Championship Game Preview and Predictions
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Brian Kelly and his LSU squad know what they’re up against. Despite last week’s loss to Texas A&M spoiling their chances of a College Football Playoff berth, the Tigers are treating this game as their national championship.
Kelly detailed the “discipline” Georgia plays with and how their coaching staff continues to get the most out of their players on a weekly basis.
“You know what you’re gonna get. Kirby’s still the head coach so they’re gonna be disciplined, physical,” Kelly said. “There’s new coordinators but you know the kind of system you’re gonna get. The preparation, the discipline, all of those things are gonna be a part of coach Smart’s teams. The personnel, the schemes are a little bit different but the one thing they haven’t lacked is in recruiting. They’ve got outstanding personnel and really good players we’ll have to prepare for.”
Here's a dive into the latest betting odds heading into Saturday night, keys to victory, storylines and predictions:
Betting Odds
Georgia is favored by 17.5 points over LSU heading into Saturday afternoon with the over/under set at 52.5, according to SI Sportsbook. The oddsmakers predict a high scoring game and so do we.
It’s the SEC Championship Game. Anything can happen, but one thing is certain, both programs know how to put points on the board in a hurry. It’ll be a big-time upset if the Tigers can pull this one off. Currently at +600 odds to win, Kelly’s squad will look to “shock the world.”
Tigers Must Play With Their “Traits”
During this week’s press conference, Kelly couldn’t help but dissect what went wrong in College Station on Saturday and how the Tigers must play with the same "traits" they have all season long this weekend in Atlanta, something they didn't do against the Aggies.
“We have to play with those traits. We have talent and our talent has to show but the real success of this team has been the ability to rely on traits and talent and some of those traits weren’t there,” Kelly said.
“Our players know it, they took it hard after the game, they care. They really want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. We can get beat but we don’t want to be beat with not bringing our very best. It’s one of those lessons that need to be learned with how you prepare every week.”
Limit Explosive Plays in the Run Game
Star running back Kenny McIntosh has taken this season by storm for the Bulldogs. A safety net for this offense, he’s good for five yards on just about every carry and this LSU defense understands the challenge looking them in the face. Just ask defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo.
“They have some really talented backs and are pretty solid up front, some big boys up front so it’ll definitely be a tough task to stop the run but we’re up for it,” Wingo said. “Being able to hold the point, take on double teams. We take pride in stopping the run, that’s what we’re built around and we gotta get back to that.”
McIntosh is up to 654 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, and the Tigers are prepared for what’s to come, but how well can they contain the seasoned back? It’ll be a challenge, but with defensive coordinator Matt House scheming up something special, it’ll be interesting to monitor the game plan come Saturday.
Can Jayden Daniels Attack the Georgia Secondary?
Daniels’ LSU career didn’t start as planned. After dropping the season opener to Florida State, Tiger fans were devastated with the loss, but Daniels continued to put his head down and work to beat the odds.
Now, he’s taking the field to start in the SEC title game. It’s been a tremendous turnaround for Daniels, and in order to come out with a win, he’ll have to play some of his best ball. It’s the way this season has gone. If the Tigers get a solid Daniels performance, they come out on top and it’ll be needed against the Bulldogs.
Utilizing his legs while trusting his arm, we saw the Tigers’ QB1 make a difference down the stretch. Through the air Daniels tallied 2,566 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
Predictions
It’ll take a career game from Daniels to pull off the upset on Saturday. When LSU’s QB1 plays his best ball, this team is virtually unstoppable. Will Daniels be able to utilize his mobility in Atlanta with a banged up ankle? That’s the question many will wait to see against the Bulldogs.
Defensively, how will this LSU defensive line elevate this squad? Georgia’s explosive offense led by “game manager” Stetson Bennett has propelled them to success and it’ll take a complete effort by this Tigers defense to keep this team in the game.
Predictions: Georgia 31, LSU 20
