College Football Week 8 continues on Saturday afternoon and we will see the No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks travel south to take on the No. 3 Florida Gators. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 PM (Eastern) start time and it will be televised live on CBS. Currently the odds for the game have Florida favored by 3.5 points, while the total sits at 41. Currently 51% of the Public is on South Carolina, while 68% is on the Under. Find out what side the Public is taking on all the games by clicking HERE.
Free Analysis: South Carolina had opened the season a stellar 6-0, but suffered a 23-21 loss at LSU last weekend to fall into second place in the SEC East behind undefeated Florida. The Gamecocks, who had won a school-record 10 straight games dating back to last season, already have a win over rival Georgia under their belt, so a victory over the Gators this week will keep their hopes of reaching the SEC Championship Game alive. South Carolina comes into this contest averaging 34.1 ppg, and while far from flashy, balance is the order of the day as the team runs for 160.4 ypg and throws for another 217.9 ypg. Of the 30 TDs credited to the offense, 14 have come on the ground and 16 through the air. Lattimore is the team's leading rusher (584 yards, 10 TDs) and receiver (22 receptions), while Shaw has hit the mark on 69.4 percent of his passes for 910 yards, nine TDs and four interceptions. The Gamecocks failed to establish a ground presence in last week's loss to LSU, but that's not surprising considering the Tigers possess one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. USC running back Marcus Lattimore was held to 35 yards on 13 carries, although he did score a TD. As for QB Connor Shaw, he threw for 177 yards and two scores, but was picked off twice and sacked four times. The Gamecocks defense did an admirable job against the pass (148 yards, one interception) last week, but was gashed for 258 rushing yards by the Tigers, who averaged nearly five yards per carry. USC is giving up just 12.3 ppg behind typical outputs of only 108.7 ypg rushing and 187.6 ypg passing. Wilson leads the team with 44 stops, and he has a pair of picks to his credit as well. Jadeveon Clowney owns 6.5 of the team's league-leading 26 sacks, while Chaz Sutton has taken down the opposing quarterback four times.
Florida is 6-0 for the third time in the last six years, and the eighth time in school history. In both 1996 and 2006 when the Gators started as quickly, they won the national championship so there is reason for excitement. The Gators beat Vanderbilt (31-17) for the 22nd consecutive time last week, and they were awarded the second slot in the initial BCS rankings as a result. UF appears to have a shot at making the SEC title tilt should they get past the Gamecocks this week, and Georgia next. Jeff Driskel rushed for 177 yards, the most ever by a Florida quarterback, and scored three TDs to power the Gators to their recent win over Vanderbilt. When the dust had settled in a game that featured a wide-open fourth quarter, Florida had amassed 326 yards on the ground, 403 in all. Driskel has rushed for 326 yards and four TDs this season, ranking second on the team behind Mike Gillislee and his 615 yards and seven scores. The young UF signal-caller has connected on 66.7 percent of his throws for 836 yards, but with only four passing TDs, opposing defense can focus more of their energy on trying to stop the run. Florida's scoring yield (12.3 ppg) is right in line with South Carolina's, and the Gators have been effective against both the run (107.5 ypg) and the pass (189.7 ypg) this year. Florida leads the SEC in time of possession (33:53), which means the defense gets ample time to rest and plan for the next series.
Florida leads the all-time series with South Carolina, 23-6-3, and has won 12 of the previous 13 meetings in Gainesville. UF is 17-3 against USC since the Gamecocks started playing in the SEC back in 1992. South Carolina has won the last two meetings however, including a 17-12 decision last year in Columbia. In 2010, the Gamecocks claimed their first-ever win in Gainesville, taking a 36-14 decision.
Free Pick: I like the Under in this one. Both of these defense are solid and really playing at a high level right now and that should keep the scoring down. The Florida Gators have one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing just 297 ypg and a mere 12.3 ppg on the year. They have also allowed just 2.2 ppg in the 3rd quarters this year and 1.7 ppg in the 4th, so their defense is even tougher in the second half of games. The South Carolina defense has also been very tough this year as they have allowed just 12.3 ppg on the year and for the first time in 11 games (dating back to last year) they allowed more than 20 points in the loss to LSU last week. Both teams like to run the ball and with two elite defenses I just don't see more than 35 points in this one.
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College Football Free Picks: South Carolina at Florida Betting
What college football bettors need to know about South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators on Saturday (10/20/12) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Vegas Runner, with Chuck Edel and host Chris Andrews.