No. 6 Georgia Visits No. 24 South Carolina
Todd Gurley and the Georgia Bulldogs begin their SEC campaign with a trip to South Carolina.
Long-time rivals meet in an SEC showcase Saturday afternoon as No. 6 Georgia travels to No. 24 South Carolina in the only matchup of ranked teams this weekend.
Kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
While it’s still early doors in the new college football season, this showdown is set to have huge ramifications in the SEC East Division, and perhaps the conference as a whole.
The Story So Far
Ranked ninth in the nation heading into the season, South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC) opened the season with a reputation-bruising 52-28 loss to then-No. 21 Texas A&M. The Aggies compiled 680 yards of offense as they ran the Gamecocks ragged.
Things improved last weekend as Steve Spurrier’s side picked up its first win of the season, defeating East Carolina 33-23. The game was much closer than the Gamecocks would have liked though, and certainly wasn’t enough to paint a picture of South Carolina as a title contender.
Opening the season as the 12th ranked side, Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC) opened its season with a crushing defeat of then-No. 16 Clemson. Heisman hopeful running back Todd Gurley compiled 293 all-purpose yards in that game, notching four touchdowns along the way.
Head coach Mark Richt would have been forgiven for wishing his team was in action the following week, but an off week means that the Bulldogs will be well-rested for their SEC opener.
The SEC Landscape
When the season began, Georgia and South Carolina formed a one-two punch at the top of the SEC East Division, according to online sportsbook Bovada. Nothing’s really changed there, except maybe the distance between the two schools.
Of course, Florida and No. 20 Missouri still have an eye on the prize and would love nothing more than to see the Gamecocks come out on top and blow the division wide open. That makes Saturday’s head-to-head matchup even more important.
The West Division is still expected to field the eventual SEC champion – currently expected to be Alabama – but both teams have an excellent opportunity to send a message on Saturday.
With one loss already on the slate, you can make the argument that this is a more important game for South Carolina than it is Georgia, especially if the Gamecocks are thinking bigger than the SEC title. Still, don’t expect the Bulldogs to take this one lightly.
Head-to-Head
Since the two schools first met way back in 1894, Georgia has gotten the better of the head-to-head matchup, posting a 47-17-2 record. Things have been a little closer in recent years though.
The Bulldogs own a 14-8 advantage since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992. Between 2010 and 2012, South Carolina won three straight, a streak that was snapped by Georgia’s 41-30 win at Sanford Stadium last season.
Georgia is 18-8-2 all-time on the road against South Carolina, but fell short in each of its last two visits to Columbia. During those two games, the Gamecocks outscored the Bulldogs to the tune of 52-13.
Injury Report
Neither school has reported any significant injuries.
Betting Report
Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks odds for 09/13/2014
Moneyline: Georgia (-225) opened as a road favorite over South Carolina (+197) on the moneyline. The gap between the two sides has increased since lines were released.
Spread: The spread opened at 3 and has subsequently climbed as high as 7.
The Bulldogs (1-0-0 ATS) covered the spread in their season-opening blowout of Clemson. Meanwhile, South Carolina (0-2-0 ATS) has failed to cover the spread in both games it’s played this season. Don’t write the Gamecocks off though.
South Carolina is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven head-to-head matchups with Georgia, and 4-1-2 in the last seven games the two schools have played in Columbus.
Total: The total opened at 52 and has remained in that general neighborhood since being released.
Georgia’s opener saw the total go over, as did South Carolina’s opener against the Aggies. The total went under in the Gamecocks win last weekend.
The under looks like the smart bet though, having paid out in 13 of the last 16 head-to-head matchups, and five straight between the schools at Williams-Brice Stadium.
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