In all the chest thumping about how tough your defense is (and it IS tough) is that ours is just as good. You look at the rankings and we are one spot behind you, but the differences in yards allowed, etc. are miniscule. And that is without 4 starters and numerous other injuries. You guys making the 45-10 predicitions are hilarious, and I hope that rather than a sincere prediction is your goal. Your offense leads us in virtually every category and that is what concerns me. I KNOW our defense will keep us in the game, but can Our O score enough against your D to pull out a win? That's the key matchup in the game, imo. Uga's O (particularly O-line) against your defensive front. If we can't protect Greene, you won't need to score but a few points. I've read over and over how you shut UGA's offense down in the first game. You didn't. What you did do was keep us from scoring in the Red zone. Some of that was our fault, but a-lot of it was due to your defense. The argument could legitimately be made that we did a better job against your O than you did against ours. We outgained you 411 to 285. If you take away the UGA 93 yd. screen pass you have to take away the 35 yd LSU TD on a busted play. It was just as, if not more of a fluke than the UGA td. So that still leaves us with UGA 318-LSU 250. That is why it surprises me so much that ya'll act like you're playing Vandy this weekend. Looking at it on paper, ya'll should win. But it's #3 vs. #5 for all the conference marbles. I know your O has improved over the course of the season, and I know it's gonna be a heck of a fight. I wonder why more of you don't.
If you've gotten the impression that we think we took you guys to the cleaners last time and had an easy time of it, you're wrong. I've watched that game like 4 times and no question, especially in the first half, Georgia moved the ball well. David Greene is very bright and makes good decisions, you ran the ball well at times and your WRs will be at full strength this time around. Bottom line is that both teams have improved since Sept.---though you have to admit that 16-13 win over UAB looks like crap on paper--on both sides of the ball. Who has improved the most---and who is the best coached---will determine the outcome. What I'd worry about as a Georgia fan, though, is if we find a weakness to exploit on your defense, especially if we find things in the passing game that work, we're going for the kill. If there was one game this year where Saban will not call off the dogs (no pun intended), it's this one because a big LSU win makes our case for #2 almost impossible to resist, even to those stubborn 28 AP voters that need to change their minds this weekend.
The predictions you see are just idle talk. We all know Georgia has a good team. But what I can't get over is all of the talk of a 'fluke' win the first time. Granted the Dog 'O' ran up and down the field but the LSU defense is awesome in the red zone. Hence the 1 for 4 in field goals for Georgia. For arguements sake lets say the 93 yard TD run is 92 yards. My bet is another FG. No credit is given for the defence KEEPING the Dawgs from scoring a TD. Just that it was a bad game and mistakes were made by the offense. Given no big plays and the Georgia offense in the red zone against the LSU 'D' look for more FG's (or missed ones for that matter).
My prediction is a very reasonable 23-13 LSU victory. There is no way we dominate offensively. In the 4 biggest games this year for LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Arkansas, QB Matt Mauck has had only 1 stellar game, Auburn. He didn't show up for either the Georgia or Ole Miss games. He was ok in the Arkansas game, but the receivers were so wide open and many of his passes were slightly off target, but it had no effect. A good coverage team will give him trouble. LSU's defense has been at their very best when the opposing team has crossed midfield. If you go back and look at many of the touchdowns scored against LSU, there are but a couple that are 12 play 80 yard grind em out kind of drives. You just can't do that against LSU's defense. Your best chance is the big play, with such an aggresive defense. LSU's defense is much better than what is was in the first Georgia contest. If Matt Mauck doesn't throw the big interception (refer to the Ole Miss game), then LSU should win, but not too easily. Tejas, Saban only knows one way to play this game, and it's to destroy the opponent. There will be no holding back. He is totally oblivious of the AP/Coaches poll stuff, believe me. Hey Tejas, email me and let me know if there is a place where the LSU fans from Houston will be meeting to watch the game. I may be in Houston this weekend.
It's going to be a fight, and I do believe their is a great chance we could lose this game. I'm eager to see what happens. I have been hearing that LSU's had a 'great' week of practice. Everytime I've heard that we have come out an played lights out. The only two weeks I remember hearing different was the Florida week (we had a flat week of practice) and the Ole Miss game (we had decent practices). I know that doesn't guarantee victory either, but it looks like the team will not be taking this game as lightly as some of the fans here are.
lets see...Vandy, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Middle Tenn St, and UAB......THOSE ARE MONSTER OFFENSIVE TEAMS TO SHUT DOWN. the only decent teams you played are Tennessee (W), Florida (L), and LSU (L).
Good insight DD. I agree with you that the defenses are both stellar. I thought that the 1st game was a defensive struggle. You can throw in all the talk about the 3 missed FGs, the Mauck fumble on the 10, the 93-yd screen pass and the Skyler Green TD. Two teams beat each other up for 60 minutes and one team managed to win. You can talk injuries too. That's on both sides. Now, both teams are expereinced, better, and more mature. Look for this to be a good game. I don't forsee any blowouts. Another hard fought, defensive struggle. Field position will be critical, along with Turnovers, and special teams play. Expect a tight game. I would be very surprised if the margin of victory is more than 7 points. This is one game I won't be missing. I'll be the one with the oxygen tank at the top of Section 310.
I do know it's gonna be a fight, duckdawg. BUT.. Don't assume for 1 minute that the LSU team you are going to face this saturday will be anywhere NEAR as timid as the one you faced in September. You guys were the first "real" team we played this year, so of course we were a little thrown off. I mean, look at the contrast. One week we play a division 1-AA school (Western Illinois), the next week, #6 Georgia... You guys were our first real test..... But you see, now, you're going to face a MUCH more mature, focused, healthy, and battle-ready team. I know Georgia has improved vastly too, but I feel that LSU will simply wear down the young Georgia Offense. Greene will make some key plays, but he will be punished for it and that will break his concentration, he'll hurry to get rid of the ball, and he'll make some costly mistakes. As far as our offensive performance, or lack thereof in the last game... Our offense didn't even show up at that game. If the same offense shows up that did against Arkansas, you guys have got a problem.... If we let up for 1 second, then we've got a problem.... But, personally, I think it's going to be a defensive slugfest, but I don't feel it's going to be as close as everyone thinks it is.... Late in the game, the Tigers will open it up. Thus my prediction is: LSU - 35 UGA - 17 Best of luck to you and your team.... GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!
Ok, Mesquite... Mesquite, IF you discount our D because our schedule is soft, then can I discount yours? After all our SOS is 30 and yours is 54. We also shut out Clemson 30-0, and they're bowl bound after whipping FSU and annihilating Sout Carolina. And whipped Auburn easily. You shut down UL Monroe, Arizona, Western Ill.,Miss. State, South carolina, La. Tech...those are pretty lethal teams, eh? The only decent teams you've played are UGA, UF, and Ole miss. Tejas you're right about finding a weakness....Our secondary is a concern. Since the first game we lost our starting senior CB Decory Bryant. His replacement is Tim Jennings who Green beat for that final TD. Our other starter (Thornton) who played so well against Clayton has had the flu all week. So that's definately a concern.
DD...I personally think you guys are a great team, but, like us, some of the teams played this season are suspect. We can, however, claim having played the SEC's top 2 rated offenses this season in Ole Miss and Arkansas, and we shut both of them down. We also played one of the top passing teams in the nation in La TECH. Don't forget we also shut down the Cadillac this year as well. I am by no means overlooking Georgia, but I think we played you guys way better then the media and some dawg fans give is credit for (the talk of three missed fgs...remember LSU missed one too, and Georgia's TD was quite lucky...we shut yall down for the rest of the game besides that play). i think this game goes two ways...either LSU comes out fast and wins by double digits, or it is a nail biter, and i think Georgia has a slight advantage there with the game being in Atlanta. Good Luck
