Score Predictions: South Carolina vs. Georgia

South Carolina prepares to take on the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs this weekend; what does our staff about the matchup?

It's not every day you get to take on the defending national champions, but that is exactly what South Carolina will do this Saturday.

The Gamecocks will hope to pull off the impossible and defeat Georgia, but they need several things to go their way before even thinking about that. A more realistic challenge is keeping the game competitive, a stepping stone that could prove monumental for this program.

With that being said, our staff has thoughts on the potential outcome of the game this weekend and its potential ramifications for both programs.

Evan Crowell: Georgia 38, South Carolina 24

South Carolina needs to create explosives on both sides of the ball to have a chance in Saturday's game. They managed to get to the quarterback and cause turnovers in the 2019 win, making the game ugly; they must follow that same formula on Saturday.

In my opinion, this game comes down to quarterback Spencer Rattler. Rattler has struggled to connect on downfield throws this season, but the looks are out there. He has the football IQ and arm talent to make things happen, but the more important things are getting into the right checks and protections.

Ultimately, it seems the Gamecocks walk away with a loss, but if they can mount any sort of momentum, it is a small victory that should spark significant momentum down the stretch of the season.

Andrew Lyon: Georgia 48, South Carolina 23

I feel there will be long-lasting effects from Arkansas that carry over into this game. Georgia is just as physical and more talented than the Hogs, making things much more difficult for South Carolina.

South Carolina's already going into this game without Jordan Strachan and Mohamed Kaba, two key starters on defense who've been lost for the season. They could also be without multiple other starters who are banged up.

South Carolina's current situation regarding their injuries and the opponent they're facing is the equivalent of getting a face card and a four to start a round of blackjack. You know deep down that what you have currently is probably not going to be enough to win the round, or in this case, the football game, so you'll have to take one or multiple big risks because if you want to pull off the improbable, you can't play scared.

Unfortunately, I think Georgia's offense is stacked with talent all over the field to where they can do a multitude of things that keep South Carolina from ever getting a complete grasp on their game plan.

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Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

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