This week, we wrote about what the LSU media is saying about Georgia prior to the SEC Championship Game.
Now we are looking at what the national media has to say about the game and their objective forecast about what will happen on Saturday in Atlanta.
Eddie Timanus of USA TODAY Sports
Title: Bold predictions for Week 15 in college football
LSU-Georgia has the potential to be close, but it won’t be, either. Georgia’s defense is outstanding, but it will be on the field too long.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach:
Title: Can Georgia’s offensive smash-mouth its way past LSU in the SEC Title Game?
In Smart’s fourth season, his fingerprints still seem to be all over his team’s ball-control offense. The Bulldogs rank in the middle of the pack in the SEC in scoring, rushing and passing.
Is that going to be enough against LSU, which is led by Heisman Trophy favorite Joe Burrow (a 90 in the PlayStation Player Impact Rating), an Ohio State transfer who already has broken the SEC single-season record with 4,366 passing yards and tied the league mark with 44 touchdowns? The Tigers also have Clyde Edwards-Helaire (94 rating), a 1,000-yard rusher, and Ja’Marr Chase (91 rating) and Justin Jefferson (81 rating), a pair of 1,000-yard wide receivers.
Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey:
Title: SEC Championship 2019: Georgia vs. LSU Breakdown, Predictions
Even if the Bulldogs contain LSU’s top running back, they could still give up 20-30 points if Burrow connects with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, both of whom are over 1,000 receiving yards.
LSU’s edge in offensive weapons will make it difficult to stop for four quarters, which could force Georgia to keep up with the SEC West winner.
Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated:
Title: College Football Championship Weekend Picks for All 10 FBS Title Games
Ross Dellenger picks LSU: Most believe the Bulldogs can’t score with LSU’s Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback and its highly-flying offense, but UGA’s defense will be one of the better opponents for Joe Burrow & Co. This could be a nail biter that LSU squeaks out.
Jay Busbee of Yahoo! Sports
Title: Your handy rooting guide for the SEC Championship
The prevailing wisdom holds that Georgia holds a straight-up win-and-they’re-in card, but what if they struggle and Utah or Oklahoma rolls? Georgia will still probably get in, but you don’t want to leave anything to chance. The Bulldogs need to bulldoze Joe Burrow. Easy enough, right?
Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan
Title: SEC Championship Prediction and Preview: Georgia vs. LSU
Considering the firepower and ability of LSU’s offense to put up points in a hurry, Georgia’s offense will have to help its defense out on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs have arguably the nation’s top offensive line, and with a deep stable of running backs in place, controlling the clock and flow of the game could be crucial to pulling off the upset.
