This is it folks, the game we have all been waiting for. Georgia will take on LSU in Atlanta, with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.
Though Georgia is a heavy underdog amongst the media and even in Vegas, we still think the Dawgs will put up a great fight against the Tigers.
We gave you our five reasons why Georgia will pull off the upset, so now, it’s time for our five reasons why LSU wins, unfortunately.
Bare with us, this does not mean we are picking the Tigers on Saturday. However, it’s time to discuss the strengths LSU has below.
Let’s get to it.
1. Joe Burrow
If you haven’t been watching much football outside of Athens, Joe Burrow has taken the nation by storm and put himself at the forefront of Heisman Trophy consideration with 4,366 yards, 44 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and a 93.4 QB rating.
The former Ohio State backup turned Tiger is probably the most beloved figure in Louisiana, second to Coach Orgeron.
Though LSU’s defense may have its faults, Burrow and the Tigers’ offense are putting up record-setting numbers and averaging 48.7 points per game, far ahead of Georgia and junior Jake Fromm
The Dawgs’ defense may be good, but even Georgia will have its hands full stopping the Athens, Ohio native on Saturday in Atlanta.
2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
An unknown at the start of the college football season, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has become a household name across the SEC and even the country this year, with the help of Joe Burrow, Brady and a little bit of magic.
The underrated former two-star running back has 1,233 yards rushing on the season and 16 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry for the Tigers and was a major factor in their win at Alabama a few weeks ago.
Despite Georgia’s incredible run defense, we expect Edwards-Helaire to be at least somewhat a factor Saturday, given he is one of the best backs the Dawgs will face all season and has nearly doubled his season stats from last year, when Georgia last faced him.
3. Georgia’s Disappointing Offense
The Georgia offense has had its struggles all season, ever since feasting on the likes of Vanderbilt, Murray State and Arkansas State. Since the Tennessee game in Knoxville, Georgia has not scored 30 points in a game, despite winning every contest after South Carolina.
The Dawgs continue to rely on their defense in big games to get it done, but have significantly struggled offensively in the month of November, with a lot of the blame on quarterback Jake Fromm’s shoulders.
Fromm has not reached a 50% completion rating on his passes since the Missouri game in early November and significantly struggled in his past three outings.
While we expect the junior to do better against this LSU defense, he certainly isn’t the quarterback Burrow is right now, especially without Lawrence Cager or George Pickens for the first half Saturday.
Georgia is going to have to come out significantly better on offense if it has any hopes of competing with the Tigers.
4. Georgia Is Banged Up
Following up on Georgia’s offensive schedules and Fromm, the offense is significantly banged up, as mentioned. Cager is likely out for the rest of the season, while Pickens can only play one half Saturday, due to a suspension for his actions at Tech last weekend.
In addition, star running back D’Andre Swift was taken out of the Tech game last week for injury and has been banged up heading into the LSU game. Though we cannot confirm or deny anything, we expect Swift to play Saturday, but whether or not he is close to 100% is anyone’s guess at the moment.
If Georgia can find a way to keep up with LSU on offense, it can easily win this game, relying on its championship caliber defense. However, that’s not an easy task, and requires a whole lot of creativity from Coach Coley, Fromm and the Bulldogs’ wide receivers.
Fromm will have to play some of the best football he’s played at Georgia, while guys like Tyler Simmons, Demetris Robertson, Matt Landers and Dominick Blaylock will need to step it up downfield.
Due to all of the question marks Georgia has on offense and its growing list of injuries, LSU is a pretty lofty favorite going into this game.
Of course, the Tigers would likely be favorites regardless, but nerves are at an all-time high for this game, given no one knows what to expect from the Bulldog offense.
5. Joe Brady
You’ve probably heard of Joe Brady, the former New Orleans Saints assistant by now. Brady was hired by Coach Orgeron in the offseason to re-tool this LSU offense and boy, what a job he has done.
Often known for their defensive backs with a weak offense, the Tigers are a completely different team than the one Georgia faced last season and will be a force to be reckoned with all game.
Can this Georgia defense shut down Edwards-Helaire and the LSU rushing attack? Maybe, but a mind like Brady already has tricks up his sleeve to score by surprise and throw off the Bulldogs’ defense, I can assure you.
With Burrow, Brady, Edwards-Helaire and the lackluster Georgia offense, LSU is the favorite Saturday and deservingly so.
With that being said, I did pick Georgia to win the SEC Championship in 2017, Alabama in 2018 and now Georgia in 2019. So, let’s just see what happens on Saturday.
We’ve heard all the stories and bought into the hype, but all that matters now is making as much noise as possible when toe meets leather in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
