Let me ask you this: Do you think UGA has the skill on the line to keep from getting cut down on the edge and keep the back 7 relatively clean? Does the back 7 likely know what they're responsible for when they meet the edge? Can the offense avoid a meltdown, such as getting mentally stuck on a bad call that doesn't go their way?
Those aren't really tall orders, imo. If UGA can do those things, then Clanga can't play UGA like they played us. And the way they played us is the way they want to play. That's Mullen's preferred offense. Rarely do you see it work out like that for them, but it just so happens we sucked at everything it takes to force MSU into plan B or C.
I've been doing a film breakdown all morning (it's sadistic, I know), and one thing you repeatedly see is that when MSU went into trips, it took LSU's force defender out of the picture on the strong side, and they kept running there for big gains. LSU had no player there to force the runner back back inside to the chasing linebackers and defensive line. There's about 10 different breakdowns that happened on about 11 such plays, and I'd say LSU found about every way to fail to defend trips-run there is. (Youth? Coaching? I dunno.) That accounted for only 30% of their rushing plays, but 52% of their yards.
Also--and I really can't stress this enough--LSU runs a 3-man front, and those 3 DL starters were out for at least half the game. One DE was hurt and did not make the trip. The DT was hurt early in the game and mostly didn't play. The other DE was ejected early in the 2nd half. We had 4 bodies manning 3 DL spots with an offense that went 3 and out all second half. Those guys played 80 snaps, I think. They were beyond gassed.
So to my questions above, if UGA can answer those relatively simple things in the affirmative, I don't know that MSU's big win over LSU has much relevance. I know little about UGA beyond what I saw in the Notre Dame game. But unless UGA is thin, prone to making really bad mistakes play after play, and forgets how to pick up 1st downs, then this is a really different game. And I still think UGA wins the paper matchup, which might bode well for the eastern dawgs on the lines.