A Clash of Titans–that’s what this year’s SEC title game has come down to.
Tomorrow in the SEC’s 12th conference championship game, there will be not only be bragging rights up for grabs but huge national accolades on the line as well.
Both the LSU Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs will bring fierce competitiveness, bright young coaches and massive amounts of talent on both sides of the ball to the game. Here’s a breakdown of the match-up.
Offense:
LSU: Behind veteran quarterback Matt Mauck, the Tigers posted the best scoring offense in the SEC during the regular season. LSU averaged 425 yards and 35 points per contest. The Tigers also boast the SEC’s leading receiver in Michael Clayton.
Georgia: Led by quarterback David Green, the reigning SEC champions are a dangerous group. The Bulldogs have a pair of great receivers with over 40 catches each (Reggie Brown and Damien Gary). Not to be outdone, Michael Cooper has racked up over 600 yards and six touchdowns in his first year as the Bulldogs’ tailback.
Advantage: LSU
Defense:
LSU: The Tigers are an impressive defensive unit, currently the second best in the nation behind Oklahoma. They are holding opponents to 260 total yards per game this season, with only 67 of that being tallied on the ground. They have allowed only 16 touchdowns the entire season.
Georgia: The Bulldog defense is a rock. They rank fourth nationally and currently give up only 261 yards a game. Linebacker Thomas Davis ranks third in the SEC with 99 total tackles and also has added four sacks on the year for the team.
Advantage: Even
Intangibles:
LSU: The Tigers are still riding a slim chance at the Sugar Bowl. This game is a must win for in order to keep their national title hopes alive. They will hope to translate that desire into aggressive defense and an electric offense.
Georgia: Georgia will hope to ride the swagger of defending the conference championship. They will also have a huge advantage in fan support, as the game is played every year in Atlanta, the Bulldogs’ backyard.
Advantage: Georgia
Bowl Championship Series mess:
Both teams are ranked in the top five teams in the nation. However, LSU has already beaten the Bulldogs once this season, so they are ineligible for the Quality Win Points given to a team when they beat a top 10 school.
Therefore, almost nothing short of a USC loss against Oregon State this weekend can send the Tigers to the Sugar Bowl for the national title. However Georgia can shake up the standings with a “quality win” over the Tigers. The bottom line is the game is a matchup of two of the best teams in the nation vying for the same prize, and also vying for a chance at the Oklahoma Sooners.
So while the teams do battle on the field to see who wears the SEC crown, number-crunchers everywhere will do battle with their calculators to see who the game’s real winner is.
Advantage: BCS Executives