What Else To Watch: Week Three

South Carolina's Football team might be playing in a nationally-televised slot once again, but they're not the only SEC team to pay attention to this weekend.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are dealing with one of their toughest conference slates in several years this Fall due to the ever-increasing depth of coaching and talent in the conference. While Carolina is going toe-to-toe with No. 1 Georgia in Athens on Saturday afternoon, multiple future Gamecock opponents will also be taking part in monumental games of their own. What other matchups should South Carolina fans keep their eyes on this weekend?

No. 14 LSU @ Mississippi State

This game ranks right at the top of the list for two simple reasons: it's a noon kick, and Mississippi State is the next opponent on the schedule for South Carolina. The Bulldogs have undergone a drastic identity shift in year one of the Zac Arnett era in Starkville, becoming an offense that prides itself on establishing a solid ground game over a potent passing attack.

This is evidenced by the fact that Mississippi State has run the ball 78 times compared to just 46 pass attempts two games into the season. The Tigers will offer a massive test for Will Rogers and the Bulldogs, but if they can, the Gamecocks could have their hands full once again in week four.

No. 15 Kansas State @ Missouri

The Missouri Tigers came into this season with a ton of optimism due to the amount of production and experience returning on the defensive side of the ball and the potential new direction they were taking on offense. So far, however, the Tigers have largely been underdelivering on the field and barely squeaked by Mid. Tennessee State last week.

This week, the Tigers are faced with an emotional revenge game opportunity against the Kansas State Wildcats, who dispatched a good Troy squad in week two. This could be a barometer-setting type game regarding the direction Missouri's season will go the rest of the way.

No. 11 Tennessee @ Florida

The Gamecocks' week five and seven opponents, the Volunteers and Gators, are squaring off in the Swamp on Saturday night. Joe Milton and Tennessee's offense have looked uninspiring to start the year, as well as the Gator's offense, which is led by transfer quarterback Graham Mertz. This could be a very ugly football game or the week where one of these teams figure things out offensively. Either way, Gamecock fans should expect a close matchup to cap off their Saturday slate of games.

You Might Also Like:

• Keys To Victory: South Carolina @ No. 1 Georgia
• How To Watch: South Carolina @ No. 1 Georgia
• Three Defensive Players To Watch: Georgia

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