Brian Kelly not concerned about LSU letdown performance in SEC championship

Following an upset loss at Texas A&M that essentially eliminated LSU from College Football Playoff contention, coach Brian Kelly has the unenviable task of preparing for No. 1 Georgia. But he’s not worried about a potential LSU letdown performance in the SEC Championship Game.

If anything, the Tigers might reverse hard the other way.

“No. No. The least concerns I have is a letdown,” Kelly said Monday. “We didn’t play up to our standards. Our guys know it, and they care about that. You could sense it and feel it over the last couple of days, from after the game in the locker room, to yesterday when they had to be here for meal, even today in the training room.

“Our guys know they let something slip away, and they’re upset about it.”

At this point, the playoffs are no longer in the picture but an SEC championship still is.

For just about every program, securing one of those means you’ve had a heck of a season. And there’s little doubt Kelly has had tremendous early success at LSU, even with Saturday’s loss.

So a potential LSU letdown performance? That’s not how Kelly or his team are approaching it.

Brian Kelly, Tigers focused on playing to identity

Best way to avoid a potential letdown performance? Don’t overthink it.

LSU is in the SEC Championship Game for a reason, and that’s the message that Kelly is reiterating to his guys this week. Yes, the Texas A&M setback was disappointing.

It doesn’t have to carry over week to week, though.

“They know how they have to play. I mean we don’t have a margin for error,” Kelly said. “We have to play with grit. We have to play with fire. We have to play to our identity. And if we don’t, we’re not the kind of team we need to be. So I think they’re anxious to go back out and play up to their standard, and that’s the way I feel that they will play.”

Georgia and LSU are scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., with the game slated for a national broadcast on CBS.