The LSU football team had little time to lament over losing its chance to compete in the College Football Playoff last Saturday, as its most difficult challenge of the season still stands in its path. It faces off against No. 1 Georgia this Saturday, a game that gives them a serious chance to prove themselves heading into bowl season.  

Coming off a soul-crushing loss to bowl-ineligible Texas A&M on the road, there was much to improve upon from that game and limited time carry out those improvements.  

On paper, the Tiger defense gave up 274 yards on the ground and allowed 10 third-down conversions, the latter of which was an early-season flaw that had lost its prevalence long before their game against the Aggies. 

Offensively, the team did better, scoring on three of its first five possessions and not having a three-and-out until the fourth quarter. But one costly mistake overshadowed what had been a relatively solid performance up until that point. Jayden Daniels, who was noticeably anxious in the pocket despite posting a decent stat line, made a poor decision on a zone read, keeping it and getting hit immediately, which led to a fumble and scoop-and-score from Texas A&M.  

That play occurred with the momentum on LSU’s side, which it was never able to reobtain.  

With lots of old flaws reemerging against Texas A&M, observers believed that the Tigers may have been looking ahead to the SEC Championship. Kelly said the team lacked the fire it had entered its previous games with, and when asked about what he told the team after the game, cornerback Mekhi Garner listed a few things Kelly told the team following the loss that held a similar sentiment. 

“That we didn’t play with our traits, that we didn’t come out there locked in,” Garner said. “We didn’t come out there focused, we didn’t come out there using the preparation we did the whole week. We just came out there with too much thinking and stuff.” 

The loss elevated the importance of the upcoming SEC Championship for the Tigers. If they had beaten the Aggies, a loss to Georgia still would have had them playing in a New Year’s Six bowl but now, that’s not likely. A fourth loss would surely knock them down a peg, as their previous loss dropped them to No. 14 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.  

Garner called the matchup against Georgia the team’s national championship, citing it as the best team in the country and therefore, the best chance this team has to prove itself.  

“It’s just a statement game,” Garner said. “We might have come up short last week, but that doesn’t define who we are and what this team is.” 

The Bulldogs won the national championship last season, with a big part of that coming on the defensive side of the ball. They have consistently produced the best defenses in the country since 2019, leading in opposing points per game in three of the last four seasons. That includes this season, where the Bulldogs have given up just 11.3 points per game, including games against Oregon and Tennessee where they gave up three and 13 points respectively. Those are two top-10 offenses in the nation in terms of both points and yards per game. 

Though they lost nine starters on defense after last season, they clearly haven’t lost a step. They still have one of the biggest, most effective defensive lines in the country, a linebacking core featuring Butkus finalist Jamon Dumas-Johnson and a secondary featuring a Nagurski finalist in strong safety Christopher Smith. Other than a few slip-ups against Kent State and Missouri, this unit has played a near-perfect season.  

Kelly faced off against Georgia in 2017 and 2019 and pointed out that its defensive structure hasn’t changed too much since those matchups, two games where Notre Dame lost by a combined seven points. However, he did mention a key difference between Georgia then and Georgia now, its development on the offensive side of the ball.  

“Offensively, they’re a little bit different under [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken. He’s got a creative vent to him that’s a little bit different from what they had in ‘17 and ‘19,” Kelly said at his Monday press conference. “Structure is one thing in terms of knowing what the structure looks like, but then you have to game plan against individuals, and I think that’s where this becomes a little more different.” 

The individuals he was referring to were tight end Brock Bowers and quarterback Stetson Bennett.  

Bowers is a finalist for the Mackey award and was also a semifinalist for three other awards, being the Biletnikoff, Walter Camp and Maxwell. He currently leads the Bulldogs in receiving yards (645), receptions (46) and receiving touchdowns (5), also adding a 75-yard rushing touchdown against Kent State. 

Fellow tight end Darnell Washington has been similarly impactful, placing fourth on the team in both receptions (25) and receiving yards (403).  

“Those two [go together] like hammer and nail,” Garner said on Bowers and Washington. “The two biggest guys you’ll ever see on the field, especially when they’re on the field together.” 

The corner stated from the secondary’s point of the view, the key to dealing with them would be to match or exceed their intensity and physicality, applying that mindset to the rest of the offense as well. Missouri, the team that came closest to beating Georgia, were considerably physical against the Bulldogs on defense, which seemed to catch them off guard. 

On the front-four’s end, the primary focus is on the quarterback.  

Bennett has been a Heisman candidate since the start of the season, currently sitting at No. 5 in the race according to ESPN. He’s passed for over 3000 yards on 67% completed passes, both career highs, and contributed 23 total touchdowns (16 pass, 7 rush), leading an offense that’s putting up nearly 38 points per game. 

“You want to get the quarterback off the spot, don’t let him sit back there and be comfortable and get in the zone and start picking it apart,” defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo said on limiting the offense. 

The Tigers come into this game as 17.5-point underdogs, a troubling sight for LSU fans but something that hasn’t fazed their players or coaches. Despite facing the best team in the country, not much has changed in the team’s mentality or preparation regarding this week. 

“We’re not going to say how big they are, or how good they are. We’re just going to go out there like we’re playing any other team,” tight end Mason Taylor said on the odds. “If we play LSU football and stick to our process, we’ll be fine.” 

The confidence of this team has remained intact despite the previous loss. The question is, does this team actually have what it takes to take down Georgia? We’ll find out on Saturday.