After capturing the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division title Friday with a victory over Arkansas, No. 3 LSU is looking to its Saturday night SEC Championship date versus No. 5 Georgia.
In his weekly press luncheon Monday, coach Nick Saban said the Tigers are looking forward to the challenge of trying to win their second SEC title in the last three years. Meanwhile, Georgia will attempt to defend its title from a season ago.
“The SEC Championship game – and our experience with it two years ago – is an outstanding venue, probably as fine a competitive situation [and] environment I’ve ever had the opportunity to be in,” Saban said. “It’s special that our team has accomplished enough to get the opportunity to play [in the game] and play against a top-5 opponent is also a great challenge.”
Saban said the game, a 7 p.m. national broadcast, gives everyone surrounding the LSU program a chance at national exposure.
“Obviously this is a great opportunity, I think, for LSU, for our football players, our institution, our team, to play in the SEC Championship game,” Saban said. “I think a lot of people are responsible for this, but probably most importantly, the people that are currently involved; the coaches and the players.
“Certainly our goal is to be able to go play our best football of the season and prepare to try to do that in this game. I think we want to be aggressive. We’re not trying to defend anything, we’re just trying to be aggressive and go play the way we play against what is a very, very good football team.”
Saban was complimentary of Georgia. In LSU’s 17-10 win over the Bulldogs Sept. 20, the game was decided in the final minutes.
“I think Georgia’s record speaks for itself; their ranking speaks for itself,” Saban said. “Their defense and the way they’re ranked speaks for itself. Offensively, they run the ball more effectively of late, even though they continue to be able to throw the ball.
“This is a very good football team that we’re playing. They have outstanding skill players and good specialists on punt returns and kickoff returns. They play well on special teams.”
Saban scoffed at the notion that this year’s championship game is similar to the 2001 game when LSU was an underdog to Tennessee.
“We’re third [ranked nationally], they’re fifth,” he said. “I mean, stranger things have happened, and it’s not like it would be the biggest upset of the century or something.
“It is two really good football teams that have a lot of good football players who have played with a lot of consistency and I think our players need to understand that.”
Injuries
Junior tight end Demetri Robinson is out for the game, according to Saban after re-aggravating a groin injury. Safety LaRon Landry wore a non-contact jersey as a precaution after suffering a concussion in Friday’s game against Arkansas while covering a kickoff.