In arguably the best matchup of the weekend, with the exception of a No. 1 LSU and No. 3 Arkansas meeting, the No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks will take it to the No. 17 Clemson Tigers in what will be one of the more solid wins for the team on the season.For one, the Gamecocks play this game in a tough environment at home that will in turn be a huge advantage for them in this football game.The other big factor for the Gamecocks will be the fact that Clemson simply has played poorly as of late. This Tigers team is anything but the team that started the season 9-0 and handily beat three ranked opponents back-to-back-to-back midway through the season (Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech).The Tigers have lost two of their three football games, with crushing losses both at Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. The game against North Carolina State was arguably the worst game the team has played all season, losing 37-13 in a blowout loss to a 5-5 team. The Tigers were held to just 34 yards rushing in the game.The other factor, as indicated by the rushing yards from the NC State loss, is that the offensive line has suffered from injury as of late. Not to mention, this Gamecocks defense is red hot this season when it comes to putting pressure on offenses. The Gamecocks have forced 29 turnovers on the season.It doesn't help that, as of late, Clemson has turned the ball over big time. In the past three weeks, the Tigers have turned the football over 11 times.Be sure that South Carolina has studied game tape and will be ready to make plays from the start.The final factor is simply how efficient the Gamecocks have played at home all season. With the exception of a loss at Auburn, the Gamecocks have been playing strong at home and boast an home record of 6-1. The team has won its last three home games.Expect these Gamecocks to continue rolling at home, putting them at 10-2 to finish out the season.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

Florida and No. 13 South Carolina will play each other in an exciting SEC matchup on Saturday in which both teams have a lot at stake, for different reasons.South Carolina needs a win to keep pace with No. 14 Georgia in the SEC East division. Winning the SEC East would give the Gamecocks a berth into the SEC Championship game against a team such as No. 1 LSU, No. 4 Alabama or No. 8 Arkansas.A win for Florida would make them bowl eligible. The Gators are currently 5-4 overall (3-4 in SEC play) and have not been consistent in head coach Will Muschamp's first season at Florida.Let's look at everything you need to know about this awesome SEC matchup.Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South CarolinaWhen: Saturday, Nov. 12 at 12 p.m. ESTWatch: CBSListen: For Gamecocks stations, click here. For Gators stations, click here.Betting Line: South Carolina -3 (according to BetOnline)South Carolina is a more talented team than Florida and have an offense averaging just under 30 points per game. It's hard to imagine an outcome where the Gamecocks win by less than a touchdown.Key StorylineIn his first season as Florida head coach, Will Muschamp has not been able to bring consistent football success back to the Gators.Florida has already lost four SEC games this season and could easily lose a fifth to South Carolina this week.Muschamp needs a win against the Gamecocks and former Gators coach Steve Spurrier to salvage a disappointing season in Gainesville.Who might not play for South CarolinaGamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw suffered a concussion in last week's loss to Arkansas but he has been medically cleared to play against Florida and is expected to play too.Who might not play for FloridaRunning back Chris Rainey has a sprained ankle injury and his status for Saturday's game against South Carolina is not certain. He did not play against Vanderbilt.BCS/Top 25 ImplicationsSouth Carolina will likely not play in a BCS bowl game this season unless they win the SEC East division and then win the SEC championship game.The Gamecocks need to win out to have a chance to reach a BCS game, and that starts with a must-win game against the weaker than usual Florida Gators.Florida has no top 25 or BCS concerns this season, which is unusual for the Gators, but with a win the school becomes bowl eligible.What They're SayingWes Mitchell who works at Scout.com said the following via his Twitter account.South Carolina player to watchConnor Shaw is expected to play Saturday after suffering a concussion in a loss to Arkansas, and now that he's the guy at quarterback he must prove he can beat talented SEC teams late in the season.Florida player to watchLast week against Vanderbilt, starting quarterback John Brantley injured his shoulder, and his status remains uncertain for his team's game against the Gamecocks on Saturday.If he plays, Brantley needs to play well to prove he can lead the Gators to the best bowl game possible.Key MatchupSouth Carolina averages about 188 yards per game on the ground, and it's clearly the strength of their team. The battle at the line of scrimmage will be key in determining the winner.Can the Florida defensive line beat the South Carolina offensive line?On the HotseatAfter several seasons at South Carolina, head coach Steve Spurrier has not brought elite success to the Gamecocks.Spurrier has not been able to bring South Carolina an SEC title in his tenure in Columbia, and with a loss to his former Florida team on Saturday there is very little chance that South Carolina's season could be considered a success.Prediction: South Carolina wins 28--17South Carolina's defense is quite athletic and with a banged up quarterback Florida will not be able to score enough points to beat the Gamecocks.The Gators will lose the line of scrimmage battle this week and lose their fifth game in SEC play this season.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

The day after Christmas may always seem like a bummer, but most kids are still opening their presents and have a ton of time to play with their toys.The same can be said with the latest BCS rankings, as teams such as Wisconsin and Stanford will have their opportunities down the road to shine bright.Relax; it is just Week 1 of the BCS and there are still hundreds of games to be played. The BCS has never failed in my eyes, and the best two teams always play each other; plus, the BCS Bowls have been really exciting in recent years.However, the standings are due to change, and I will be making my bold predictions on which bowls everybody will land in, as well as where they will rise or fall to.Note: My legit predictions will occur in the bowl prediction, but my bold predictions are far from locks, hence the BOLDNESS.Begin Slideshow

The new rankings are out and there are several questionable decisions that were made by the AP Pollsters. There are a few teams that have absolutely no business being ranked, and somehow there are a few red hot scorching teams that remain unranked. Come on man! I have five teams that should not be ranked in the latest Top 25 of the Associated Press.We are just in early October, however, nothing beats water cooler talk about the latest rankings. Begin Slideshow

How could anyone possibly think Kentucky’s inept offense could beat the immensely talented South Carolina Gamecocks? Quarterback play—even if it is Morgan Newton that Kentucky is relying on. Second-year head coach Joker Philips has been searching for his team’s offense for the last five weeks. They rank 118th out of 120 teams nationally in total offense (255.60 yards per game). Their scoring offense ranks 113th, averaging 15 points per game (nine touchdowns, nine extra points, four field goals). They are even poor on third-down conversions, averaging a 27 percent success rate (20 out of 74). First-year starting quarterback Morgan Newton, a junior, has been given the majority of the blame for the lack of offense. He has been sacked an SEC-worst of 17 times. His six interceptions are tied for the SEC lead with Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Ole Miss’ Zack Stoudt. Newton’s 50 percent completion percentage is an SEC worst as well. Through all of the bad, Kentucky still has a starting quarterback that they know they can rely on game in and game out—good or bad. After five games, South Carolina is still in search of their on-field leader. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier has finally ended his on-again-off-again relationship with fifth-year senior Stephen Garcia for now. Garcia has been suspended numerous times by Spurrier, but each time Spurrier has let him back on the team and back into the starting quarterback role. When will Spurrier ever learn? Sophomore Connor Shaw takes over for Garcia against the Wildcats. Shaw began the season as the Gamecocks' starting quarterback but was quickly benched in the first quarter for Garcia after fumbling twice against East Carolina. Shaw’s stat line for one quarter’s worth of work was 3-for-9 for 21-yards passing with no touchdowns and zero interceptions before he was taken out of the game. First-game jitters could have contributed to the two fumbles Shaw committed. Spurrier jumped the gun and did not allow Shaw to get comfortable in the role as starter. Everyone knows what South Carolina’s game plan is week after week: Feed the ball to All-SEC running back Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore leads the SEC in rushing yards with 677 over Trent Richardson’s 622. Lattimore also leads the SEC in rushing attempts and has 28 more carries than Richardson. Lattimore received too many carries early in the season last year and wore down before midway through the schedule. Spurrier appears to be doing the same thing again to his top rusher this season. What choice does Spurrier have? Lattimore had 23 rushes for 112 yards against East Carolina, 27 rushes for 176 yards against Georgia, 37 rushes for 246 yards against Navy. Against Vanderbilt he had 20 rushes for 77 yards and 17 rushes for 66 yards against Auburn. Since Stephen Garcia has been playing poorly, defenses have been putting eight in the box and shutting down Lattimore. Why would Kentucky be doing anything differently in their game? Kentucky’s linebackers Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy lead the SEC in tackles with 59 and 53 respectively. Their stats may be inflated because the Wildcat offense does not do a good job at time of possession, 89th in FBS.Don’t take these guys for granted. They are gamers and they can play against Lattimore. Last year Kentucky held Lattimore to 79-yards rushing on 15 attempts in a Wildcat 31-28 win.   The Final Outcome   Shaw’s ability and performance is an unknown commodity going into this week’s matchup. Newton is a known product, even if he is not considered a great SEC quarterback. Common sense would have one believe that South Carolina would not lose two consecutive SEC home games. But the Gamecocks appear to be in some dysfunction in a pivotal time of the season when they should be clicking, not benching.   The Gamecocks offense is in better shape with Lattimore than Kentucky is with true freshman running back Josh Clemons (269 yards rushing). But USC senior left tackle Kyle Nunn may miss his second straight game with a bulging disc. Last week true freshman Mike Matulis (Boynton Beach, Florida) struggled against Auburn. Shaw will key on All-American wide receiver Alshon Jeffery as will the Wildcat secondary. The Gamecocks may be without senior defensive lineman Melvin Ingram. Ingram leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Kentucky finds a way to keep the game close and upsets South Carolina for the second straight year 17-14.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

The SEC is the best and most competitive conference in college football and has several BCS championship contenders.LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi State are all ranked in the Top 20 in the polls, with LSU and Alabama in the Top 5 at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.With so many quality teams, which one can we expect to see climb up the polls and power rankings the most? South Carolina has the best chance to do that and a win Saturday against Georgia in both team's SEC opener would be a great way to start.The Gamecocks are led by Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Lattimore, who rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-37 win last week against East Carolina.Lattimore rushed for 182 yards last year against Georgia and he could be in for another big game against the Bulldogs Saturday.Georgia head coach Mark Richt knows Lattimore poses a real test for his defense. Richt recently said this on CBS Sports:"You can tackle a guy, but he'll get a couple of yards after contact. Or you can tackle a guy and stop him in his tracks," Richt said. "We've got to get our guys making tackles so they don't get yards after contact. But there's probably not a better back in the nation than Lattimore at doing that. It's a tremendous challenge for us."Richt's team struggled last week against No. 4 Boise State, but his Bulldogs weren't the only SEC team that didn't start smoothly on opening weekend.East Carolina put a scare into South Carolina last week, keeping up with the Gamecocks and leading for a while as well, but when head coach Steve Spurrier put quarterback Stephen Garcia into the game for Connor Shaw, the Gamecocks offense began to get rolling.With Garcia at the helm, South Carolina erased a 24-14 halftime deficit and outscored East Carolina 42-13 in the final 30 minutes.Garcia will be key to the Gamecocks chances against Georgia and must play mistake-free football against a Bulldogs defense looking to redeem themselves after last week.After Saturday's matchup with Georgia, South Carolina doesn't have to play a currently ranked team until October 15 when they travel to Mississippi State.In fact, the Gamecocks only play two more currently ranked teams after Mississippi State, with a road game at Arkansas and a home match against Florida during the first two weeks of November.South Carolina does not have to play LSU or Alabama, which gives them a soft schedule for SEC standards.The Gamecocks are a talented team who do not have the normal week-to-week tests that SEC teams typically face, which will help them climb up the rankings and be a contender for the BCS title game. Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news: Follow @NicholasGoss35Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

The SEC is the best and most competitive conference in college football and has several BCS championship contenders.LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Florida are all ranked in the Top 20 in the polls, with LSU and Alabama in the Top 5 at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.With so many quality teams, which one can we expect to see climb up the polls and power rankings the most? South Carolina has the best chance to do that and a win Saturday against Georgia in both team's SEC opener would be a great way to start.The Gamecocks are led by Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Lattimore, who rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-37 win last week against East Carolina.Lattimore rushed for 182 yards last year against Georgia and he could be in for another big game against the Bulldogs Saturday.Georgia head coach Mark Richt knows Lattimore poses a real test for his defense. Richt recently said this on CBS Sports:"You can tackle a guy, but he'll get a couple of yards after contact. Or you can tackle a guy and stop him in his tracks," Richt said. "We've got to get our guys making tackles so they don't get yards after contact. But there's probably not a better back in the nation than Lattimore at doing that. It's a tremendous challenge for us."Richt's team struggled last week against No. 4 Boise State, but his Bulldogs weren't the only SEC team that didn't start smoothly on opening weekend.East Carolina put a scare into South Carolina last week, keeping up with the Gamecocks and leading for a while as well, but when head coach Steve Spurrier put quarterback Stephen Garcia into the game for Connor Shaw, the Gamecocks offense began to get rolling.With Garcia at the helm, South Carolina erased a 24-14 halftime deficit and outscored East Carolina 42-13 in the final 30 minutes.Garcia will be key to the Gamecocks chances against Georgia and must play mistake-free football against a Bulldogs defense looking to redeem themselves after last week.After Saturday's matchup with Georgia, South Carolina doesn't have to play a currently ranked team until October 15 when they travel to Mississippi State.In fact, the Gamecocks only play two more currently ranked teams after Mississippi State, with a road game at Arkansas and a home match against Florida during the first two weeks of November.South Carolina does not have to play LSU or Alabama, which gives them a soft schedule for SEC standards.The Gamecocks are a talented team who do not have the normal week-to-week tests that SEC teams typically face, which will help them climb up the rankings and be a contender for the BCS title game. Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news: Follow @NicholasGoss35Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

The ole ball coach received quite the off-season extension as Spurrier will now receive a guaranteed salary of $2.8 million in 2011, $2.875 million in 2012 and $2.950 million in 2013. Not a bad life eh?
On top of that, his Gameocks won their very first SEC East crown and despite getting blasted by Auburn in the SEC Title Game and losing pretty convincingly against Florida State in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, the future is looking bright in Columbia.
Returning one of the best running backs and wide receivers will do that to you. Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey are two superstars that are primed to breakout for an entire season in the gauntlet known as the SEC. Both give hope to SC fans that they can finally win their very first SEC Championship.Begin Slideshow

Although they are discussed, debated and argued, the college football preseason rankings do not mean everything. Every year, there are teams ranked lower that surprise people once the games begin. A year ago, the Auburn Tigers appeared in the preseason rankings as the 22nd best team. At the end of the season, they defeated the Oregon Ducks 22-19 to prove they were the nation’s top team. This year, there are a lot of teams that can surprise people as much as the Tigers did. Here are six teams ranked outside the top 10 who have a chance of winning the BCS National Championship in January.Begin Slideshow

It seems like every college football season there's always a team that emerges from the outer abyss to rise as superior.For example, last year's national champion—the Auburn Tigers—were nominated No. 22 in the AP Top 25's preseason poll.We can sit here and discuss the many reasons why either Oklahoma or Alabama will come out on top in 2011, because it's easy to do and most expect it.However, we mustn't forget about those with the ability to sneak up on us, as Auburn did in 2010. Let's take a look at a few squads that could be this year's sleeper to win the BCS National Championship.Begin Slideshow