Maybe someday South Carolina-Tennessee will be a big game, but Saturday is not that day. It certainly had that potential at the beginning of the season, as Tennessee looked like a potential upstart that could wreck the Gamecocks’ bid for an SEC East title, or possibly even a College Football Playoff berth.
How to watch Tennessee vs. South Carolina: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Which SEC East team can salvage its season?
Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
However, that’s not how the has season ended up working out. South Carolina started the season off in a disappointing way, getting blown out by Texas A&M to start the season, and it was mostly downhill from there, as the Gamecocks sit at 4-4. Tennessee has shown some bright spots, but the Volunteers are still a doormat in the SEC, sitting at 3-5.
South Carolina should bounce back under Steve Spurrier, and Butch Jones is recruiting well enough for Tennessee to be competitive in the SEC, so maybe eventually South Carolina-Tennessee will really matter. This is not that year.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: South Carolina is 4-4, while Tennessee is 3-5. Neither team is ranked.
Vegas: South Carolina opened as an 8-point favorite. The line is now 6.5. The over/under is 55.5, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy and windy, with a high of 59 and a low of 37.
Two things at stake
Tennessee probably needs to win this game to make a bowl. Or else the Volunteers will need to beat both Missouri and Kentucky.
To avoid this year being a total failure, South Carolina needs to win this game (and the next two) to be 7-4 heading into the Clemson game.
One big matchup
Tennessee offense vs. South Carolina defense: Tennessee’s offense has struggled for the most part since entering SEC play, but it has an opportunity against a South Carolina pass defense that has really struggled this season and gave up the most yards of offense it ever has in the season opener against Texas A&M. The Volunteers and quarterback Justin Worley are still going to need to be at their best, but if the passing offense can get rolling a little bit and overcome its offensive line woes, then Tennessee will have a chance to take down the Gamecocks in Columbia.
Further reading
Read Rocky Top Talk for more on Tennessee and Garnet and Black Attack for more on South Carolina.
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