South Carolina vs Georgia Odds
| South Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+25.5 -108 | 54.5 -118o / -104u | +1280 |
| Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-25.5 -112 | 54.5 -118o / -104u | -3500 |
Just like that, Georgia's back on top.
After Alabama escaped with a narrow victory over Texas — a game it should have lost, in my opinion — the AP Poll rewarded the reigning champions with the No. 1 spot this week.
With a plethora of changes, Georgia hasn't skipped a beat so far this season, dismantling Oregon in its opener and handling Samford in a tune-up game.
South Carolina, meanwhile, is struggling with change after bringing in Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler to turn the program around.
The success hasn't happened yet, but that could change with a stunner over the Bulldogs.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Once upon a time, Rattler was thought of as the future No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick and the best quarterback in college football.
Someone even believed the hype and wrote a futures piece on why to take him to win the Heisman in his Action Network debut. Boy, was that guy wrong (it was me; I was that guy).
While still very talented, his production will only go as far as his offensive line can take him. This unit is doing no favors for Rattler at this point in the season, ranking 91st in Line Yards and 101st in pass blocking. Georgia is going to live in the backfield.
If South Carolina is going to have a puncher's chance against the No. 1 team in the nation, it will need to generate Havoc and put the offense in scoring position.
The secondary has fared well against the pass so far this season, but it hasn't translated to turnovers just yet. The Gamecocks have picked off just one pass and haven't forced a fumble.
Georgia plays at a slow tempo with a safe play-calling design to limit Havoc — something South Carolina will need to break up as much as possible to give itself a chance.
Limiting possessions and capitalizing on field position is its best bet at securing the upset. But that's easier said than done.
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia's offensive identity remains the same with a slow and methodical style that runs it down opponents' throats and gets playmakers in the open field with short dump-offs across the middle.
What's scary is that this offense looks to have improved since its championship-winning days.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett has taken a leap in production after spending the better part of last year in a quarterback battle. He's now the sure-fire leader and a potential Heisman sleeper.
Stetson Bennet is playing this season with a major chip on his shoulder. Give this man the respect he deserves. pic.twitter.com/4qSCIHcbni
— Off The Deck Sports (@OffTheDeck_) September 5, 2022
While we know all about Georgia and its playmakers, this battle will be won in the trenches — a battle that South Carolina is grossly outmatched in.
Each Georgia offensive lineman grades out above average in pass blocking and run blocking. This is an elite unit that's more than capable of pushing around South Carolina's weak defensive line. With little to no backfield pressure, Bennett and Company are poised for another big showing.
On the flip side, Georgia is going to take advantage of a South Carolina offensive line that has been unable to protect Rattler so far this season. Arkansas lived in the backfield last week, and a similar result is expected with a superior unit this time around.
Rattler may be talented, but that doesn't matter if he doesn't have time to make plays.
South Carolina vs Georgia Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how South Carolina and Georgia match up statistically:
Georgia Offense vs. South Carolina Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 40 | 113 | |
| Line Yards | 13 | 94 | |
| Pass Success | 9 | 29 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 10 | 73 | |
| Havoc | 2 | 79 | |
| Finishing Drives | 22 | 57 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
South Carolina Offense vs. Georgia Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 79 | 7 | |
| Line Yards | 91 | 52 | |
| Pass Success | 71 | 34 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 101 | 78 | |
| Havoc | 118 | 75 | |
| Finishing Drives | 31 | 4 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 7 | 102 |
| PFF Coverage | 1 | 80 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 17 | 19 |
| Seconds per Play | 31.4 (129) | 26.6 (70) |
| Rush Rate | 41.6% (112) | 44.5% (102) |
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.
South Carolina vs Georgia Betting Pick
After a tune-up against Samford last week and Kent State on deck next week, Georgia is going to remind everyone why it's the No. 1 team in the nation.
While South Carolina garnered some preseason hype with Rattler's arrival, the inexperienced offensive line negates any production, as Georgia will generate backfield pressure all game.
With little reason to believe the Gamecocks can get Georgia's offense off the field and a potential romping on the other end, I believe the Bulldogs are going to win handily.
Action Network's Collin Wilson has this projected at the current number, so don't take this any higher than -24.
With two run-heavy units bleeding clock all game and one of them expected to be inefficient, I'm also interested in the under. I will wait for the total to keep climbing up before I go in on a pregame under.
