Georgia Football: Heart of the Bulldogs will shine against LSU

The Georgia football fanbase is hoping the third time will be a charm for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, as they face a tough LSU opponent in the SEC Championship Game.

Here it is, Georgia football fans, a matchup for the ages. That’s what everyone is hoping for this Saturday in the SEC Championship Game. A Top 4 matchup between two teams with College Football Playoff hopes.

Ed Orgeron, Joe Burrow and LSU’s record-breaking offense against Kirby Smart, Tyler Clark, and Georgia’s historic defense.

One of them will be forced to surrender come Saturday night. But until then, speculation abounds, flooding the internet with countless articles and takes on the upcoming game. Statistics, probability, facts, and opinions blend together in a deafening noise that will only be silenced when a victor is crowned.

Georgia Bulldogs Football

The history of Georgia vs LSU has been a story of back and forth. LSU won the most recent regular-season matchup — 2018 in Baton Rouge — while Georgia won a close game in Sanford Stadium in 2013. The Dawgs took one in Death Valley in 2008, and in Athens in 2004. Before that, Georgia lost the 2003 regular-season meeting in Baton Rouge.

The Dawgs and Bayou Bengals have met three times in the SEC Championship Game, with LSU holding a 2-1 lead, having won in 2003 and again in 2011. Almost every expert is predicting LSU to win. Some say the game will be close, but most expect Georgia to lose handily.

It seems many fans think Georgia doesn’t stand a chance. The ever-popular SEC Shorts this past week acted like Utah was already “in” for the playoffs, even though right now they’re only number five in the rankings.

According to StubHub.com, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is expected to be 69 percent Georgia fans since LSU fans didn’t purchase all of their tickets. Perhaps they decided not to purchase tickets to the conference championship thinking they can wait and go to their “guaranteed” College Football Playoff game.

But, if history holds true, it’s Georgia’s turn to win.

Not only did LSU win the last championship matchup between the two schools, but historically Georgia has proven that they’re ready for a fight when their back is against the wall. Most experts didn’t think UGA stood a chance last year against Alabama and their high-powered offense, but the game went down to the wire.

Many people didn’t think Georgia could compete with Bama in the 2018 National Championship. The Dawgs led for most of the game and lost in overtime on a busted coverage. Georgia wasn’t supposed to be able to hang with Oklahoma. Four quarters and two overtimes later the Dawgs walked away with a win in one of the greatest Rose Bowl games ever played.

Georgia wasn’t supposed to beat Auburn in the SEC title rematch in 2017. But, the battle in the trenches was dominated by Georgia and the Dawgs lifted their first SEC Championship trophy since 2005.

This Georgia team is different from the ones we’ve seen in the past. The defense is no longer a weak link but a stronghold, carrying the offense through multiple games this season. The offense has been up and down all year, struggling to consistently drive down the field and score. But the defense has been playing lights out all season, holding opponents to 20 points or less all season and becoming the first team in 20 years to not give up a rushing TD the first nine games of the season.

LSU’s offense looks unstoppable, but Georgia’s defense is unmovable. It’s time to discover if the adage about defense winning championships still holds true. This is smash-mouth football that hits you over and over again. This is backs against the wall, but we keep chopping.

We’ve waited all year for this moment and we’re not going anywhere. The Bulldogs might not be able to pull off a win, but you can be damn sure they’re going to fight. Georgia fans have looked into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell before, and are not afraid.

So put your bleeding heart back in your chest and leave it all on the field. You better get ready. Because at Georgia, we’re a brotherhood. A family. We fight for each other, and we’re just getting started.