South Carolina Gamecocks:
Shane Beamer looked like he was going to be the guy to turn South Carolina around. The Gamecocks went 7-6 in his first year at the helm. They then followed it up with an 8-5 season in 2022. However, South Carolina slipped to 5-7 in 2023, and things are looking rather bleak heading into 2024.
The Gamecocks have some real talent and athleticism at two important offensive positions in quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Rocket Sanders. But Sellers is a first-year starter who will experience some growing pains, and he doesn’t have much to throw to. And this defense was a mess in 2023, making it hard to believe in the group in 2024.
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Offense
People were pretty harsh on Spencer Rattler last season, despite the fact that he was often making chicken salad out of chicken poo. The Gamecocks had one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC, with injuries playing a major part in that. And they were not able to run the football, so Rattler was often in terrible situations. With Rattler now in the NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the worst offensive team in the SEC.
Sellers definitely has a lot of upside and Sanders is one of the most electric running backs in college football. But I’m not a big believer in the Gamecocks receivers. They’re going to really miss Antwane Wells Jr. And I don’t think Sanders is going to have a lot of running room. Beamer is confident that his offensive line will be better in 2024, but I don’t see it improving to a middle-of-the-pack SEC level.
Defense
The Gamecocks are bringing back six starters from last year’s defense, including linebacker Debo Williams. South Carolina also has a pretty reliable secondary, and there is some young talent that can inject a little life into the pass rush. However, the Gamecocks are pretty weak along the defensive line and they play five defensive backs at a time. So, they’re going to get absolutely shredded on the ground against some of the better SEC offenses.
This defense could also spend a lot of time on the field with how mediocre the offense looks. That might lead to a higher points per game allowed than last year’s 26.3.
Outlook
South Carolina will probably pick up a big home win at some point in the season, and I have a feeling it’ll come against Missouri on November 16th. But the Gamecocks will probably lose four of their five road games, and I don’t see enough surefire home wins on the schedule to expect six victories.
Pick: Under 5.5 Wins
