The South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers may be bitter rivals, but the in-state rivals have a commonality as they enter their final regular-season game of 2014: Both schools have endured disappointing seasons that see both teams ranked outside of the top 15, though Clemson is No. 21 in the latest College Football Playoff poll.
How to watch South Carolina vs. Clemson: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The clemson tigers play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks in an in-state rivalry game USC has owned recently.
The Gamecocks entered the year as the preseason No. 9 team, while Clemson came in at 16th. With a loss, Clemson will likely be out of the top 25 heading into bowl season, and South Carolina has no hope of finishing the year in the top 25. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a South Carolina team that was expected to contend for the SEC East, but conference losses to Missouri, Kentucky Tennessee, Auburn and Texas A&M derailed those hopes.
As for Clemson, they were having a respectable season right up until Georgia Tech put a 28-6 beating on them in Week 12. They rebounded with a 28-0 win over Georgia State last week, and will look to beat their in-state rivals to keep their hopes of a quality bowl game alive heading into the postseason. Clemson has lost five straight to USC, and it feels like the Tigers may finally break through and end that streak.
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How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 12:00 PM ET, November 29, 2014
Location: Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC), Clemson, SC
TV: ESPN
Online streaming: Watch ESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: The Tigers are 8-3 overall and ranked 21st in the latest College Football Playoff Poll. They’re sitting in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 6-2 mark in conference play. The Gamecocks are unranked at 6-5 overall and in fourth-place in the SEC East with a 3-5 mark on conference play.
Vegas: Clemson is a 4.5-point favorite at home, according to OddsShark.
Weather forecast: High of 75, low of 55 and a 0 percent chance of rain.
Two things at stake
The Gamecocks are slated for a lower-tier bowl with just six wins, but win over ranked Clemson team could get them to a more respectable bowl.
The Tigers are also holding onto hopes of playing in a top-tier ACC bowl if they win this one. Lose to SC, and they’ll be destined for a middle-tier bowl game.
One big matchup
South Carolina pass defense vs. Clemson pass offense: The Tigers rely heavily on their aerial attack, which ranks 44th in the nation at 256.3 passing yards per game. On the other side, the Gamecocks are giving up 214.9 pass yards per game, ranking 46th in the county. The Tigers will try to expose the Gamecocks through the air early and often, and how well SC slows Clemson down will determine how long they’ll able to hang with the Tigers and get their sixth straight win over their in-state rival.
Further reading
For more info on Clemson, check out Shakin' the Southland. As for South Carolina, check out Garnett and Black Attack.
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