Georgia vs. LSU: Major SEC Championship Matchups

The 2022 College Football regular season really flew by. Georgia began its title defense roughly three months ago and it is three wins away from repeating as National Champions.

This next one, an SEC Championship matchup with No. 14 LSU, is the least important when it comes to those back-to-back aspirations. The Bulldogs are almost certainly in the playoff whether they win or lose.

But this Georgia team wants to accomplish the one thing that last year’s group didn’t — win an SEC title. In order to handle business against the Tigers, UGA will need to get the better of some key matchups. We outline those for you below and we give our take.

Georgia offensive line vs. LSU front seven

LSU has some talented players who work near the line of scrimmage. Harold Perkins is a freak show. B.J. Ojulari is also a difference maker. It isn’t the biggest front, but it’s athletic, active, and effective.

Georgia’s offensive line is playing really good football late in the season — as long as you don’t put a big emphasis on short yardage. The Bulldogs are in a two-game slump in that regard but the down-to-down work is outstanding for the most part.

Pass protection is key. LSU has some guys who can get after the passer and Georgia will need to do a good job slowing them down. That’s especially important on third down.

DawgsHQ says: LSU has to win this battle if it is going to have a chance in this game. That’s all there is to it. LSU is athletic enough to give Georgia some issues but the Bulldogs are big enough to go shoulder to shoulder with the inside zone and wear the Tigers out. It’s hard to see LSU holding up for four quarters. As far as pass protection, the fewer one-on-one opportunities for Ojulari and Perkins, the better.

UGA front seven vs. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels

We don’t know a ton about Daniels’ ankle injury. He was in a boot on Sunday and maybe Monday, but that’s all we’ve got for now. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where he doesn’t give it a go but, again, what do we know?

He’s the team’s leading rusher in terms of attempts and yards. Daniels is the run game and if you shut him down, the Tigers don’t have a ton to offer. Georgia is really good at stopping the run and it is really good at mobile quarterbacks.

DawgsHQ says: LSU might need 100 yards out of Daniels to have a shot in this game. He’s a really good athlete who understands how to set defenders up in space. He can also extend plays but he’s more likely to take what is there with his legs than put the ball in the air. The kid is seriously risk-adverse. If the ankle slows him at all it will make things much tougher.

Georgia defensive backs vs. LSU receivers

It wouldn’t be hard to convince me that the Tiger wideouts are just as talented or even more so than their counterparts at Tennessee. LSU has playmakers on the outside in Malik Nabers and Kayshon Boutte. Jaray Jenkins is also dangerous and those guys can line up in a lot of different places.

Teams have been recently trying to attack Georgia with more downfield throws. It has been somewhat successful but the Bulldogs have done a good job adjusting to it and taking it out of play. LSU’s receivers can give Kelee Ringo, Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard some issues.

DawgsHQ says: But does LSU have a quarterback who can push the ball to those guys? That’s the question. The offensive line is very young. Protection might be an issue. Then you consider how Daniels just doesn’t like throwing the ball downfield. Can he threaten the Bulldogs deep and loosen things up in the front seven? It would be surprising if it went down like that.