SEC Championship Game 2022: Early Preview, Predictions for Georgia vs. LSU

As the defending national champions, Georgia has had a target on its back throughout the 2022 campaign. However, nobody has been able to take down the Bulldogs, who went 12-0 during the regular season and 8-0 in SEC play.

Now, Georgia is one win away from winning its first SEC title since 2017. The Bulldogs are set to take on LSU in the conference championship game on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The matchup is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on CBS.

This is the fifth time in six years that Georgia has reached the SEC Championship Game, but it's lost in each of its previous three appearances. LSU hasn't played in the contest since 2019, when it defeated Georgia to win the conference title.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into the 2022 SEC Championship Game.

Georgia can move the ball well both through the air and on the ground. And it has an experienced group of offensive leaders who know what it takes to win on this stage.

Senior quarterback Stetson Bennett led Georgia to the national championship last season. This year, he's passed for 3,151 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while also scoring seven rushing TDs.

The Bulldogs have a balanced rushing attack featuring senior Kenny McIntosh (654 yards and eight touchdowns), junior Daijun Edwards (610 yards and seven touchdowns) and junior Kendall Milton (418 yards and six touchdowns). So it can be difficult for opposing defenses to try to stop all of the options out of Georgia's backfield.

LSU has a strong defensive front, though. In fact, it's one of the better units on its defense. The Tigers also have a breakout player in their linebacker corps in freshman linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who had a team-high 6.5 sacks, 57 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles in 11 regular-season games.

It seems like Georgia's offense has the advantage due to its strong group of playmakers and its experience. But don't be surprised if LSU's defense makes a big play or two and has some impressive stops on Saturday.

LSU's offense runs through junior quarterback Jayden Daniels. He's passed for 2,566 yards, 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions, and he's also ran for a team-high 824 yards and 11 TDs. His dual-threat ability can make him difficult to stop.

But Georgia's defense was again one of the best in the country this season. The Bulldogs are allowing only 270.7 total yards per game. And they're especially strong against the run, as they're giving up only 79.5 yards on the ground per contest.

Georgia also doesn't typically allow its opponents to start strong. It hadn't allowed a first-quarter touchdown until Georgia Tech got into the end zone in the opening quarter of the regular-season finale on Saturday.

Considering how strong the Bulldogs are up front, the Tigers may need to rely on Daniels' arm and the passing game to move the ball. But Georgia is solid in the secondary as well. So it's not going to be an easy time for LSU.

This is a matchup that should go in favor of the Bulldogs' defense. They're likely going to make it tough on the Tigers' offense for all four quarters, and they'll probably make some big plays that could shift the momentum of the game at times.

Both teams want to capture the SEC championship. But Georgia has much more at stake. The Bulldogs should reach the College Football Playoff win or lose, but they'll likely only be the No. 1 seed if they beat the Tigers on Saturday.

LSU has three losses after dropping its regular-season finale against Texas A&M. So even an SEC title may not be enough to get the Tigers into the CFP in any scenario.

In recent weeks, Georgia has looked a bit more beatable than it did at times early in the season. The Bulldogs haven't been blowing out their opponents, even if they have remained undefeated.

But Georgia is the better of these two teams, even if LSU has outperformed expectations in its first season under head coach Brian Kelly. It's impressive that the Tigers even reached this point and took down Alabama and Ole Miss to finish first in the SEC West.

The SEC Championship Game may be competitive for the first half, but the Bulldogs should pull away late. They're an experienced group, and their defense will likely shut down the Tigers' offense. And on the other side, Georgia will run the ball well enough to score a decent number of points in the second half.

Prediction: Georgia 31, LSU 17