Georgia Bulldogs vs LSU Tigers: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

? #SECChampionship @GeorgiaFootball ? @LSUfootball pic.twitter.com/XEBNJ62q3E

— MercedesBenzStadium (@MBStadium) December 5, 2019

How to Watch

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA

When: Saturday, December 7th at 4 pm EST

How (TV): CBS

Head Coach: Kirby Smart {All-Time: 43-11 | UGA}

Regular Season Record: 11-1 Overall; 7-1 SEC

The objective for the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday will be simple: win and you’re in.

With the SEC title and a single loss on their resume, Georgia would be pretty much guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The only question from that point on would be where they would be seeded. With that said, a win will not come easy with the unbeaten LSU Tigers standing in their way.

After facing ranked opponents in Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M, the Bulldogs got to close out their regular season against their 3-9 rival Georgia Tech.

Georgia had little trouble taking down the Yellow Jackets, cruising to a 52-7 win that saw seven different Dawgs reach the end zone.

Jake Fromm had some accuracy issues, completing just 14 of 29 passes, but did manage to toss four touchdown passes.

Freshman receiver George Pickens hauled in a 41-yard touchdown before being ejected for getting into a fight.

On the other side of the ball, UGA suffocated Georgia Tech’s attack, limiting the Jackets to 139 yards on offense.

The Bulldogs’ defense managed to get into Georgia Tech’s backfield at will, tallying six tackles for losses, with starters Mark Webb and Richard LeCounte III headlining that group. Sophomore corner Tyson Campbell contributed Georgia’s lone turnover and defensive touchdown, recovering a fumble forced by LeCounte at Tech’s one-yard line and plunging in for the score.

LSU Tigers (Home)

Head Coach: Ed Orgeron {All-Time: 53-36 | MISS, USC, LSU}

Regular Season Record: 12-0 Overall; 8-0 SEC

The LSU Tigers join the Ohio State Buckeyes as the two teams who are essentially guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff, regardless of how they perform in their conference championship games.

Coach Ed Orgeron will not allow such complacency in his locker room, however, as the Bayou Bengals will look to maximize their playoff seeding behind the arm of Heisman favorite Joe Burrow.

The Tigers capped off their perfect regular season with a convincing 50-7 win over the visiting Texas A&M Aggies last weekend.

“Burreaux” solidified his Heisman profile with a 352 passing yard performance that included touchdown passes to receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire added 87 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while kicker Cade York booted a pair of 50+ yard field goals.

LSU’s defense put together a dominant showing to silence criticism that has been thrown on them in past games.

Dave Arranda’s unit made A&M quarterback Kellen Mond run for his life in Death Valley, sacking him six times, with top tackler K’Lavon Chaissoin leading the way at 1.5 takedowns.

The Tigers also picked off Mond three times, with defensive backs Kary Vincent Jr., Grant Delpit, and JaCoby Stevens nabbing those interceptions.

When the dust settled, LSU had surrendered a total of 169 yards to the Aggies, less than half of their season average of 346.7 yards.

Saturday’s game will be the 32nd meeting between the two SEC powerhouse programs, with the most recent matchup played in 2018. LSU holds a 17-13 series lead over the Bulldogs as well as a 6-5 lead in ranked matchups.

This will also be the fourth time these schools will face each other in the SEC title game, with the Tigers winning two of those games, most recently in 2011 when they reached the BCS National Championship against Alabama.

Despite coming out on top 42-10 in the 2011 conference title game, LSU fans would love to forget it given the quarterback troubles back then.

The Tigers’ signal-caller back then, Jordan Jefferson, completed five of 13 passes for a paltry 30 yards. Thankfully, that LSU roster had a loaded defense that included future pros in Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu, Morris Claiborne, and Eric Reid among others.

Georgia Roster Notes

Freshman receiver George Pickens is suspended for the first half on Saturday after his role in a fight against Georgia Tech.

Senior receiver Lawrence Cager is likely out for the season due to an ankle injury suffered in practice.

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Eric Stokes is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Junior running back D’Andre Swift is expected to play despite dealing with shoulder contusions.

Junior offensive guard Justin Shaffer is listed as questionable with a neck injury that he has been dealing with for most of the season.

Junior defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt is listed as questionable with a lower-body injury that kept him out of uniform against Georgia Tech.

LSU Roster Notes

Senior linebacker Michael Divinity Jr. will not be available until the National Championship game, if the Tigers make it, due to eligibility concerns.

Head-to-Head: J.R. Reed (UGA) vs Thaddeus Moss (LSU)

There are plenty of cases in college football where a player needs a change of scenery in order to make a bigger impact on their program.

Burrow is a perfect example, as he may become the third straight transfer to win the Heisman Trophy.

However, there will be two additional transfers to keep an eye on in this game, as Georgia’s J.R. Reed will have his hands full helping his secondary against LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss and the rest of the Tigers’ elite receiving corps.

J.R. Reed

Safety | 6-1, 194lb | Prestonwood Christian Academy | Frisco, TX | Redshirt Senior

It did not take long for J.R. Reed to become an impact player in Athens after transferring from Tulsa in 2016, as he has been an everyday starter since his arrival.

The Nagurski and Thorpe Award finalist is an intimidating force for opposing receivers, as he has a knack for closing in on them and delivering jarring hits to cause incompletions. The Texas native has also shown that he can rise to the occasion against top competition, as two of his five career interceptions have come against Notre Dame this season and Alabama in last year’s SEC Championship game.

Thaddeus Moss

Tight End | 6-3, 249lb | Mallard Creek HS | Charlotte, NC | Redshirt Junior

After transferring from NC State in 2017 and dealing with injuries last season, Thaddeus Moss has started to show glimpses of potential despite being LSU’s fourth receiving option. The son of Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss has proven to be a useful safety valve for Joe Burrow, catching four passes or more in five games this season in a crowded receiving corps.

Already possessing solid tight end size at six-foot-three and roughly 250 pounds, Moss’ production should only improve next season regardless of who is under center for the Tigers.

Georgia vs LSU Odds

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Good luck!

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