Georgia Bulldogs (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS)
College Football Week 6
Date/Time: Saturday, October 8th, 7:30PM (EST)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, S.C.
TV: SECN
by Jay, NCAA Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: UGA -7.5/USC +7.5
Over/Under Total: 42
The Georgia Bulldogs will try to shake off one of the most unbelievable and wildest defeats in college football history this weekend as they go into Columbia for a date with the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. If you happened to miss the last 30 seconds of the Tennessee vs. Georgia game last week, I highly consider finding it and replaying the agony that the Bulldogs face last week that was the result of a Joshua Dobbs Hail Mary touchdown pass. Now that reality has set in and the Bulldogs have lost two games in a row, they must try to right the ship on the road against the 2-3 SU Gamecocks this Saturday.
Lets state the obvious to get things started, South Carolina does not have a lot of talent on their football team. However, Coach Will Muschamp has done a good job of getting good effort out of his guys especially on the defensive side of the football. The offense has been a nightmare with back and forth at the quarterback position along with several injuries. South Carolina has played more freshmen this season than any other team in the FBS and it is very obvious that they are searching for answers on offense as they have been held to 20 points or less in every game this season. For you numbers guys, their 14 points per game is 2nd to last in the FBS.
The good news for South Carolina is that their young guys should get better and their defense has played really well. Despite having a tumultuous offense, the Gamecocks defense has yielded just 18.6 points per game which is 23rd in the FBS. South Carolinas defense kept the no. 9 Texas A&M Aggies in check last week in a 24-13 loss. The game was very close throughout the entire stint but South Carolina just could not make the plays on offense to score the upset.
I think the Gamecocks will have a similar chance towards an upset this Saturday at home against Georgia. The Bulldogs offense has been inconsistent and I think they are vulnerable coming off of last weeks loss in a hostile environment like Columbia. Quarterback Jacob Eason has been very ineffective throwing the football with a 53 percent passing completion rate with 7 scores and 4 picks. Therefore, Georgia has been fairly predictable in the run game despite having several talented running backs in their stable including Nick Chubb who will return from an ankle injury this week.
Therefore, I am a little torn on this game. On one hand you have a Georgia team incapable of moving the ball consistently through the air going against a stingy defense on the road nevertheless. On another hand you have a South Carolina defense whose only big problem is stopping the run? Therefore, there are a number of possibilities of how this one will unfold on Saturday but I have a good idea of the most likely scenario.
One thing that is not being talked about heading into this game on Saturday, at least outside of Georgia and South Carolina, is the impact that Hurricane Matthew will likely have on Columbia this Saturday. Current estimates expect a lot of rain in Columbia this Saturday night and that hurts Georgias rushing attack that relies heavily on speed. Furthermore, it means that scoring possibilities including big plays in the passing game will be virtually thrown out the window which also helps the Gamecocks. I am not sure if the Gamecocks will pull out the win but a lot of factors that could help them are coming together.
Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I think the under is the best bet for this game especially if rain is a factor like I expect. If you want a play on the side, I still think the Gamecocks are the way to go. South Carolina has beaten Georgia in 4 of the last 6 meetings and these games have always been close historically despite the talent differential from year to year. Take South Carolina +7.5!
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