No. 1 Georgia dominates LSU, protects SEC title

ATLANTA– With all sorts of chaos behind them in the rankings, the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs left no doubt about the top team heading into the College Football Playoff, taking apart No. 11 LSU 50-30 in the Southeastern Championship game game Saturday.Stetson Bennett tossed a

season-high 4 touchdown passes in another outstanding postseason performance, while Christopher Smith gave the Bulldogs an early stimulate with a heads-up play that turned a seemingly safe blocked field goal into a 96-yard TD.Not that any fortuitous breaks were needed,

but Georgia( 13-0, No. 1 CFP)caught a huge one when a deflected pass bounced off an LSU receiver’s helmet and wound up being chosen off by the Bulldogs, establishing a rating that added to a 35-10 lead by halftime.LSU’s hopes of rejecting the ruling national champs their first SEC title considering that

2017 were even more dampened by quarterback Jayden Daniels reinjuring an aching right ankle late in the very first half. Not that backup Garrett Nussmeier played poorly, guiding the Tigers (9-4, No. 14 CFP)to 3 second-half touchdowns.It wasn’t almost enough.Georgia heads into the playoff ensured of a return journey to Atlanta for a de facto semifinal home game at Mercedes-Benz

Arena, just 75 miles from its Athens campus. The Bulldogs have currently played two times this season at the futuristic arena, routing Oregon in the season opener and cruising past the Tigers before a predominantly red-and-black-clad crowd.2 Related LSU’s outdoors hopes of crashing the four-team playoff field were erased a week ago by a stunning loss at Texas A&M, one of several upsets that will offer the selection committee plenty

to think about previously its announcement Sunday.Tennessee and Clemson also ruined their playoff hopes with losses late in the regular season, while No. 4 Southern California is probably out after getting blown out by Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday.Just as the SEC game was kicking off, No. 3 TCU lost to Kansas State in overtime for the Huge 12 champion, further clouding a playoff picture that all of a sudden looks a lot more beneficial for No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Alabama.No matter who makes the elite field, Georgia is securely focused on ending up being the very first repeat national title winner given that Alabama in 2011-12, having actually won all however one game this season by double-digit margins.The Bulldogs revealed they are not only talented, however this is a smart, well-coached group.Late in the very first quarter, LSU’s 32-yard basket attempt was whacked

away by Nazir Stackhouse bursting through the middle of the line. The ball rolled to a stop at the Georgia 4 with Smith hovering over it, surveying the field.As the dejected Tigers headed towards their sideline, thinking

the play was over, Smith unexpectedly scooped up the ball and removed the other method. With a convoy of about a half-dozen colleagues and not an LSU player in sight, Smith sprinted all the way to the end zone to give Georgia a 7-0 lead.After LSU quickly connected it up on Daniels ’53-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, Bennett took control.The sixth-year senior, a previous walk-on who was

offensive MVP of both Georgia playoff wins a year earlier, struck for four TD passes in a period of less than 15 minutes: 3 yards to Brock Bowers, 22 yards to Ladd McConkey, 14 lawns to Darnell Washington and 3 yards to Dillon Bell.Just like that, Georgia led 35-7. Smith was in the middle of things again on a pick that set

up the scoring play to McConkey.The security broke up a pass planned for Jack Bach, the ball bouncing off Bach’s

helmet before it was kept alive with a suggestion from Javon Bullard and finally wound up in the hands of Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.It was that kind of day for the Bulldogs. And in the end, a promising launching season for coach Brian Kelly has turned unsightly the past 2 weeks for the Tigers. With wins over Alabama and Florida, and an SEC West title

, the Tigers are on the best track however still have a little bit of work to do to catch a powerhouse program like the Bulldogs.Georgia will discover its fate early Saturday afternoon, when the final CFP rankings are released. The only question is who the Bulldogs will meet in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve, with TCU, Ohio State and SEC rival Alabama all in the mix.LSU might end up in the Citrus Bowl.The Associated Press contributed to this report.