South Carolina @ Vanderbilt
I usually save my prediction for the game until the bottom of this feature but since this edition is heavy on predictions and I spoil who I’m going to pick in this game several times, I will just start out with the game prediction this week.
It is no secret that this is a key game for both teams if they want to get bowl eligible this year. I believe everyone is expecting a defensive battle with very few points scored and I would agree with that. I expect this game to be ugly to watch at times for average college football fans that want to see offense.
Vanderbilt likes to play ball control on offense. They don’t try to be explosive. The thing that killed them last year was turnovers. I think this style of offense is a good fit for South Carolina to go against in the opening game. Ralph Webb is a good running back and should have a good game but there aren’t any other weapons that scare you or are proven right now. They are inexperienced at quarterback. I believe South Carolina will play well defensively Thursday night and I expect them to force a couple turnovers.
On the other side of the ball, I definitely lean Vanderbilt’s way. South Carolina has a lot of unknown on the offensive side of the ball and Vanderbilt’s defense is pretty good, especially at linebacker. I expect South Carolina to struggle offensively much like I think Vanderbilt will.
It is hard to predict what will happen in the first game of the season. Go back to last year and you see a South Carolina team led by Connor Mitch that finished 3-9 beating a North Carolina team that wouldn’t lose again that year until the ACC Championship game. Turnovers were a big story in the opener last year and I think it could be that way again this year.
It might be me going out on a limb a little bit but I think Vanderbilt will turn the ball over more than South Carolina Thursday night. I also think South Carolina is more talented than Vanderbilt. Those are the two big reasons why I’m picking the Gamecocks to open the season with a win.
Pick: South Carolina 20 Vanderbilt 16
Game-By-Game Prediction for USC
I reserve the right to change my prediction for each game as the season goes on. Here is how I see things playing out for the Gamecocks this year.
@ Vanderbilt – Win 20-16 (1-0) – Look above for the reasons. South Carolina opens the Muschamp era with a win.
@ Mississippi State – Loss 13-20 (1-1) – I went back and forth with this one. I might change my mind again next week. I just think this is a tougher environment to win in early on.
East Carolina – Win 34-17 (2-1) – This isn’t as easy of a game as some expect but the Gamecocks should win their home opener.
@ Kentucky – Win 27-24 (3-1) – How long has it been since Kentucky has beat South Carolina three years in a row? I don’t see it happening. Gamecocks win a thriller in Lexington.
Texas A&M – Loss 21-31 (3-2) – Not a good matchup for South Carolina’s defense. Everyone knows what happened the last time A&M visited Columbia. It won’t be ugly but I think it will be a loss.
Georgia – Loss 16-23 (3-3) – I have this game being like most UGA/USC games. More on the low scoring side and close. Tough home loss for South Carolina here.
UMASS – Win 41-10 (4-3) – Not much to explain here. South Carolina should win going away.
Tennessee – Loss 17-20 (4-4) – I’m predicting another tough home loss against a division rival. I think USC will play the Vols tough but I can’t pick a win.
Missouri – Win 27-17 (5-4) – I believe Missouri will be the worst team in the SEC this year and South Carolina should hold serve at home.
@ Florida – Loss 13-21 (5-5) – I don’t have South Carolina getting blown out but I think this game will feel a little worse than a one possession game.
Western Carolina – Win 34-13 (6-5) – Another game South Carolina should win going away. They also get bowl eligible with this win.
@ Clemson – Loss 24-38 (6-6) – South Carolina keeps it respectable on the road but the talent gap is too wide right now.
So, I have South Carolina finishing 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the SEC. That would be good enough for a bowl game, likely Birmingham or Shreveport. I was tempted to pick South Carolina to pull off an upset in one of those home games in the middle of the season but I played it on the safe side. I am picking them to win on the road at Kentucky where a lot of people have them losing.
SEC Standings Prediction
I usually do SEC Power Ranking each week but since no football has been played yet this is going to be heavy on predictions. You have to remember that I did pick Auburn to win the SEC last year. Here is how I believe the SEC will play out this year.
East:
1). Georgia (10-2, 6-2)
2). Tennessee (10-2, 6-2)
3). Florida (8-4, 5-3)
4). South Carolina (6-6, 3-5)
5). Kentucky (6-6, 3-5)
6). Vanderbilt (5-7, 1-7)
7). Missouri (3-9, 0-8)
I have Georgia and Tennessee ending up in a tie for the Eastern Division this year. The head to head game between them this year is played in Athens and that is a big reason why I have Georgia winning the division. I believe Georgia has a very manageable schedule this year. The only real tough road game is at Ole Miss and I have them losing that game. I believe Florida will be very much in the mix for the division as well but a loss on the road to Arkansas late in the season will push them down to third. I do expect Tennessee to have a good season but I don’t have them winning the division like most people do. I do think South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt are capable of pulling off an upset but I didn’t predict it.
West:
1). LSU (12-0, 8-0)
2). Alabama (11-1, 7-1)
3). Ole Miss (8-4, 5-3)
4). Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4)
5). Arkansas (7-5, 4-4)
6). Mississippi State (6-6, 2-6)
7). Auburn (5-7, 2-6)
As you can see, I’m predicting LSU to run the table. I like their schedule. They get Alabama and Ole Miss at home. They do have a couple tough road games this year at Florida, Arkansas, and A&M but I think they will survive them. I have Auburn finishing in last in the West this season and that would likely mean a coaching change after the season for the Tigers.
National Predictions
ACC Champ: Florida State (I got FSU winning head to head over Clemson)
Big 10 Champ: Ohio State (Only loss is non-conference to Oklahoma)
Big 12 Champ: Oklahoma
Pac 12 Champ: Stanford
Playoff teams:
1). LSU
2). Florida State
3). Oklahoma
4). Ohio State
National Champ: LSU over Oklahoma
Big Game Predictions
Every week I pick the biggest games and give a couple reasons why I’m picking the way I’m picking. I also pick all the SEC games and other notable games that week.
Clemson @ Auburn
I have Clemson covering the spread in this game. I do think it will be exciting to watch with the way these two teams play. Auburn should be able to keep it close somewhat but Clemson is too explosive on offense to keep this game in the single-digits.
Pick: Clemson 38 Auburn 24
North Carolina vs. Georgia
I think this is an interesting game and could go either way. Georgia has somewhat of a home field advantage and they are the more talented team. We still don’t know who will be starting at quarterback for Georgia but I don’t think it will matter. Nick Chubb will be back and I think he has a huge game carrying Georgia.
Pick: Georgia 34 North Carolina 27
UCLA @ Texas A&M
I believe the difference in this game will be A&M’s pass rush with their two really good defensive ends. I think they put enough pressure on UCLA’s quarterback to limit a good offense. A&M made a statement last year in their season-opener against a Pac 12 team and I think they do the same this year.
Pick: Texas A&M 31 UCLA 24
Ole Miss vs. Florida State
This is basically a home game for Florida State on a Monday night. Florida State is returning a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, while Ole Miss lost a good bit of a talent. I think Florida State sends a message Monday night against an SEC team. Their front seven should give Chad Kelly and the Ole Miss offense all sorts of problems.
Pick: Florida State 27 Ole Miss 10
Other Notable Games:
LSU over Wisconsin by 16
Alabama over Southern Cal by 17
West Virginia over Missouri by 14
Kentucky over Southern Miss by 3
Tennessee over App State by 21
Mississippi State over South Alabama by 17
Arkansas over Louisiana Tech by 20
Florida over UMASS by 31
Stanford over Kansas State by 8
Oklahoma over Houston by 4
Texas over Notre Dame by 7
Boston College over Georgia Tech by 6
Arizona over BYU by 10
I usually save my prediction for the game until the bottom of this feature but since this edition is heavy on predictions and I spoil who I’m going to pick in this game several times, I will just start out with the game prediction this week.
It is no secret that this is a key game for both teams if they want to get bowl eligible this year. I believe everyone is expecting a defensive battle with very few points scored and I would agree with that. I expect this game to be ugly to watch at times for average college football fans that want to see offense.
Vanderbilt likes to play ball control on offense. They don’t try to be explosive. The thing that killed them last year was turnovers. I think this style of offense is a good fit for South Carolina to go against in the opening game. Ralph Webb is a good running back and should have a good game but there aren’t any other weapons that scare you or are proven right now. They are inexperienced at quarterback. I believe South Carolina will play well defensively Thursday night and I expect them to force a couple turnovers.
On the other side of the ball, I definitely lean Vanderbilt’s way. South Carolina has a lot of unknown on the offensive side of the ball and Vanderbilt’s defense is pretty good, especially at linebacker. I expect South Carolina to struggle offensively much like I think Vanderbilt will.
It is hard to predict what will happen in the first game of the season. Go back to last year and you see a South Carolina team led by Connor Mitch that finished 3-9 beating a North Carolina team that wouldn’t lose again that year until the ACC Championship game. Turnovers were a big story in the opener last year and I think it could be that way again this year.
It might be me going out on a limb a little bit but I think Vanderbilt will turn the ball over more than South Carolina Thursday night. I also think South Carolina is more talented than Vanderbilt. Those are the two big reasons why I’m picking the Gamecocks to open the season with a win.
Pick: South Carolina 20 Vanderbilt 16
Game-By-Game Prediction for USC
I reserve the right to change my prediction for each game as the season goes on. Here is how I see things playing out for the Gamecocks this year.
@ Vanderbilt – Win 20-16 (1-0) – Look above for the reasons. South Carolina opens the Muschamp era with a win.
@ Mississippi State – Loss 13-20 (1-1) – I went back and forth with this one. I might change my mind again next week. I just think this is a tougher environment to win in early on.
East Carolina – Win 34-17 (2-1) – This isn’t as easy of a game as some expect but the Gamecocks should win their home opener.
@ Kentucky – Win 27-24 (3-1) – How long has it been since Kentucky has beat South Carolina three years in a row? I don’t see it happening. Gamecocks win a thriller in Lexington.
Texas A&M – Loss 21-31 (3-2) – Not a good matchup for South Carolina’s defense. Everyone knows what happened the last time A&M visited Columbia. It won’t be ugly but I think it will be a loss.
Georgia – Loss 16-23 (3-3) – I have this game being like most UGA/USC games. More on the low scoring side and close. Tough home loss for South Carolina here.
UMASS – Win 41-10 (4-3) – Not much to explain here. South Carolina should win going away.
Tennessee – Loss 17-20 (4-4) – I’m predicting another tough home loss against a division rival. I think USC will play the Vols tough but I can’t pick a win.
Missouri – Win 27-17 (5-4) – I believe Missouri will be the worst team in the SEC this year and South Carolina should hold serve at home.
@ Florida – Loss 13-21 (5-5) – I don’t have South Carolina getting blown out but I think this game will feel a little worse than a one possession game.
Western Carolina – Win 34-13 (6-5) – Another game South Carolina should win going away. They also get bowl eligible with this win.
@ Clemson – Loss 24-38 (6-6) – South Carolina keeps it respectable on the road but the talent gap is too wide right now.
So, I have South Carolina finishing 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the SEC. That would be good enough for a bowl game, likely Birmingham or Shreveport. I was tempted to pick South Carolina to pull off an upset in one of those home games in the middle of the season but I played it on the safe side. I am picking them to win on the road at Kentucky where a lot of people have them losing.
SEC Standings Prediction
I usually do SEC Power Ranking each week but since no football has been played yet this is going to be heavy on predictions. You have to remember that I did pick Auburn to win the SEC last year. Here is how I believe the SEC will play out this year.
East:
1). Georgia (10-2, 6-2)
2). Tennessee (10-2, 6-2)
3). Florida (8-4, 5-3)
4). South Carolina (6-6, 3-5)
5). Kentucky (6-6, 3-5)
6). Vanderbilt (5-7, 1-7)
7). Missouri (3-9, 0-8)
I have Georgia and Tennessee ending up in a tie for the Eastern Division this year. The head to head game between them this year is played in Athens and that is a big reason why I have Georgia winning the division. I believe Georgia has a very manageable schedule this year. The only real tough road game is at Ole Miss and I have them losing that game. I believe Florida will be very much in the mix for the division as well but a loss on the road to Arkansas late in the season will push them down to third. I do expect Tennessee to have a good season but I don’t have them winning the division like most people do. I do think South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt are capable of pulling off an upset but I didn’t predict it.
West:
1). LSU (12-0, 8-0)
2). Alabama (11-1, 7-1)
3). Ole Miss (8-4, 5-3)
4). Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4)
5). Arkansas (7-5, 4-4)
6). Mississippi State (6-6, 2-6)
7). Auburn (5-7, 2-6)
As you can see, I’m predicting LSU to run the table. I like their schedule. They get Alabama and Ole Miss at home. They do have a couple tough road games this year at Florida, Arkansas, and A&M but I think they will survive them. I have Auburn finishing in last in the West this season and that would likely mean a coaching change after the season for the Tigers.
National Predictions
ACC Champ: Florida State (I got FSU winning head to head over Clemson)
Big 10 Champ: Ohio State (Only loss is non-conference to Oklahoma)
Big 12 Champ: Oklahoma
Pac 12 Champ: Stanford
Playoff teams:
1). LSU
2). Florida State
3). Oklahoma
4). Ohio State
National Champ: LSU over Oklahoma
Big Game Predictions
Every week I pick the biggest games and give a couple reasons why I’m picking the way I’m picking. I also pick all the SEC games and other notable games that week.
Clemson @ Auburn
I have Clemson covering the spread in this game. I do think it will be exciting to watch with the way these two teams play. Auburn should be able to keep it close somewhat but Clemson is too explosive on offense to keep this game in the single-digits.
Pick: Clemson 38 Auburn 24
North Carolina vs. Georgia
I think this is an interesting game and could go either way. Georgia has somewhat of a home field advantage and they are the more talented team. We still don’t know who will be starting at quarterback for Georgia but I don’t think it will matter. Nick Chubb will be back and I think he has a huge game carrying Georgia.
Pick: Georgia 34 North Carolina 27
UCLA @ Texas A&M
I believe the difference in this game will be A&M’s pass rush with their two really good defensive ends. I think they put enough pressure on UCLA’s quarterback to limit a good offense. A&M made a statement last year in their season-opener against a Pac 12 team and I think they do the same this year.
Pick: Texas A&M 31 UCLA 24
Ole Miss vs. Florida State
This is basically a home game for Florida State on a Monday night. Florida State is returning a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, while Ole Miss lost a good bit of a talent. I think Florida State sends a message Monday night against an SEC team. Their front seven should give Chad Kelly and the Ole Miss offense all sorts of problems.
Pick: Florida State 27 Ole Miss 10
Other Notable Games:
LSU over Wisconsin by 16
Alabama over Southern Cal by 17
West Virginia over Missouri by 14
Kentucky over Southern Miss by 3
Tennessee over App State by 21
Mississippi State over South Alabama by 17
Arkansas over Louisiana Tech by 20
Florida over UMASS by 31
Stanford over Kansas State by 8
Oklahoma over Houston by 4
Texas over Notre Dame by 7
Boston College over Georgia Tech by 6
Arizona over BYU by 10
