Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows he has a tall order this week in the SEC Championship Game against LSU, most notably facing the LSU offense.

Georgia is about to play in its third straight SEC Championship Game.

“It says our staff and our administration has done a tremendous job supporting the players but the players have been resilient,” Smart said Sunday evening on an SEC media teleconference. They have been through some adversity, their backs were against the wall, had some tough, hard-fought wins and now have an opportunity to play on the largest stage in college football against one of the best teams in college football.”

The biggest difference for LSU coach Ed Orgeron is he’s given the Tigers confidence and toughness, Smart said.

“He has done an unbelievable job … they play with no fear. They are aggressive. Look at the big games they have played in. Ed has done a good job of hiring good coaches and letting them coach. The players buy-in and you see that on the tape.

Then Smart added, “If you make it to this game, you’ve been through the gauntlet. Both teams have been battle-tested.”

What are the challenges about defending the LSU offense?

“Where do I start, only got 30 minutes,” Smart said. “The running back is powerful, explosive, really good against us last year. All starts with the quarterback, the offensive line protects well. You can start on any location you want.”

Smart just about ran out of ways to describe LSU QB Joe Burrow.

“He’s a tremendous athlete, he had tremendous awareness,” Smart said. “… One of the best quarterbacks I’ve seen. I’ve seen quarterbacks that can run, tons of them, but he keeps his eyes downfield… he breaks tackles. He doesn’t have lots of weaknesses. … He is an incredible athlete, he takes shot after shot and makes throws. He has everything you want from a QB. He doesn’t make mistakes. Very rarely turns the ball over, and has weapons to distribute the ball around.”

Smart said he didn’t know LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady before this season, but added that he’s done a great job this year, along with offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger.

Smart was asked if there’s an offense he can compare to LSU.

“No, not that I can remember,” he said. “Very unique, very different. The players in it, we have played teams with strengths, but you try and exploit their weaknesses, not a lot of weaknesses here. They play physically too, I don’t think they get enough credit for that.”

How will Georgia prepare for LSU going with 4 or 5 receivers?

“I think you find out at gametime,” he said. “We will prepare for it… but you can’t give them just one look, they will try and create chaos, they feast on it.”