Gamecock Digest

Saturday Mornings: CFB Games To Monitor

South Carolina has an afternoon kick against Missouri, meaning fans must tune in to the noon festivities around college football.

Evan Crowell

Saturday Mornings: CFB Games To Monitor
Saturday Mornings: CFB Games To Monitor /

College football decided to show out for Halloween weekend. Several marquee matchups may redefine the landscape, and fans should want to soak in every minute.

South Carolina kicks off at 4:00 PM EST against Missouri, allowing the Gamecocks to enjoy the day from start to finish. Head coach Shane Beamer will have his team preparing for battle, but what should the couch warriors do?

It's an easy answer: watch more football. While your family may not enjoy it, you must educate yourself to ensure you can put South Carolina's season into proper context. Fortunately, there are plenty of games you can watch this weekend.

Ohio State @ Penn State, 12:00 PM EST (Fox Sports)

SEC fans may not be privy to watching a Big Ten clash, but the competition level will be high in this one. South Carolina wants to play in these types of games, where tensions are high, and the stakes are monumental.

Ohio State has the most efficient offense in college football. Quarterback CJ Stroud is the Heisman front-runner, calmly leading the Buckeyes to scoring possessions on most opportunities. They have many targets for him, some in the mold of what the Gamecocks are looking for.

Both schools come into play as top-15 teams with something to prove. They have a litany of talent, but coaching and culture determine who wins. The Gamecocks seem to have found both and should eventually play in games like this.

Florida @ Georgia, 3:30 PM EST (CBS)

Break out a laptop, phone, or second TV and glance at this every so often. South Carolina can use this one as a frame of reference to attack the Gators in two weeks.

Georgia thoroughly embarrassed the Gamecocks in front of a home crowd, a wound that still hasn't completely healed. However, South Carolina has taken some Bulldog concepts and implemented them into its own program.

They should plan to use Georgia's game plan against Florida and use it when they travel to The Swamp. Florida has significant limitations but also has the talent to overcome them. It takes a well-coached team to beat the Gators, which Georgia is.

Kentucky @ Tennessee, 7:00 PM EST (ESPN)

Fans can begin to shut their eyes with a late-night SEC rivalry. Tennessee is America's darling, taking out Alabama in Neyland Stadium two weeks ago in what became an instant classic.

Tennessee is South Carolina's final SEC game, meaning the Gamecocks have time to fine-tune things before they take on one of the best teams in the conference. Kentucky has an aggressive defense that takes risks, which could be a good match against a high-powered Volunteer offense.

The Wildcats will either reveal a formula for beating Tennessee or show what not to do. South Carolina plays an aggressive, Cover-1 defense that forces quarterbacks into quick decisions. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker seems more than capable of executing under duress, but his performance against Kentucky will give us more data.

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Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

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