Staff Picks: South Carolina vs. Arkansas

South Carolina will take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in a few hours on national television; how does our staff think the Gamecocks will fare?

The Gamecocks have their first national challenge as they take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on ESPN. America will be tuned in to see how these two SEC stack up against the rest of the field.

According to most sportsbooks, Arkansas is the heavy favorite, and the general public seems to be higher on them. While South Carolina may be the underdog, there is optimism circulating in Columbia. With that being said, what does our staff at Gamecocks Digest think will happen in Fayetteville?

Andrew Lyon: Arkansas 33, South Carolina 27

The biggest narrative surrounding the Gamecocks 2022 schedule was just how difficult it was from top to bottom. The first group of games people pointed to was Weeks 2 and 3, where the Gamecocks play Arkansas on the road and Georgia at home, respectively.

I don't subscribe to the philosophy that this game will decide how the rest of the season shakes out, but there's no question that if the Gamecocks lose this game, they're staring at a potential 1-2 start and potentially a 3-3 start at worse six games in. However, if they win this game, the entire SEC and the rest of college football will think, "The sky's the limit for the Gamecock football program"!

The issue for the Gamecocks in this game is that the trench play clearly favors the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gamecocks showed signs of trouble in this department last week against Georgia State, and I don't think all of these problems are quick fixes. Razorbacks take advantage of that plus the home crowd to win a close back-and-forth game.

Evan Crowell: Arkansas 28, South Carolina 24

While the Razorback offense wasn't overly impressive in their victory over Cincinnatti, they found ways to control the football and stuck to their power-run approach. Head coach Sam Pittman will have his team ready to play, especially for a nationally televised game this early in the year.

This game ultimately comes down to turnovers. Specifically, can quarterback Spencer Rattler protect the ball and make good decisions? That means ensuring his protection is set, getting the ball out quickly, and staying ahead of the sticks.

If Rattler can throw this offense to an efficient, clean day, then the Gamecocks have a chance. However, I think Pittman and company have some tricks they didn't show in week one.

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Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC

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