At the beginning of the year, this weekend looked like it could be one of the best of the season. There are a number of games that looked like great matchups. Ohio State vs Penn State. Georgia vs Florida. Miami vs SMU. But in just about all of these games, one of the teams has crashed and burned, letting each matchup lose some of its luster. Ole Miss vs South Carolina also falls into this category.
Leading up to the start of the season, both of these teams had playoff hopes. For the Rebels, those hopes are still very much alive. They sit at 7-1, with a favorable schedule the rest of the way. They also don’t have to leave the state of Mississippi for the rest of the regular season. As for South Carolina, things went awry early, and they haven’t been able to right the ship. The Gamecocks now sit at 3-5, and are coming into this one after blowing a late fourth-quarter lead over Alabama.
Then there’s what happened last season between these two. Ole Miss went into Columbia and thrashed South Carolina 27-3. That was ultimately a big reason the Gamecocks missed out on the College Football Playoff. But they now have the chance to return the favor.
So can South Carolina travel to Oxford and put a dent in the Rebels’ playoff plans? Or does Ole Miss stay on track and keep their playoff hopes alive?
Previewing Ole Miss vs South Carolina
How Does South Carolina Pull Off the Upset?
It’s going to start with putting everything in the past behind them, including last week. The start to the year has been disastrous for the Gamecocks. Then, last weekend against Alabama, they had an eight-point lead with 2:16 left in the game. They went on to lose in regulation. That’s a hard thing to get past.
As for the matchup on the field, it starts with LaNorris Sellers. The one-time Heisman hopeful has struggled this season, though he has shown flashes. Against an Ole Miss defense that has struggled against the run, expect to see him use his legs even more than usual to make plays. Similarly, expect to see South Carolina try to get Rahsul Faison involved in the running game early on.
On the defensive side, it’s going to be a bend but don’t break approach. The Gamecocks have struggled defensively at times this season, and now they take on an above-average Ole Miss offense. If they can force a few turnovers and find a way to get a stop or two, they’ll have a chance to be in this game late. If they struggle defensively, it could be a long day for the Gamecocks in Oxford.
Can Ole Miss Keep the Momentum Rolling?
For Ole Miss, it starts with pushing the outside noise to the side. We’ve all heard about the rumors of Lane Kiffin potentially taking another job this offseason. However, the players themselves can’t let them impact their performance on the field.
Apart from that, it all starts with defense for the Rebels. We talk a lot about the offense, but the defense has largely been the tone-setter this season. In big wins over LSU and Oklahoma, the defense started things early, getting stops and making plays. In the lone loss to Georgia, the defense didn’t get a single stop the entire game. If the Rebel defense plays well, things typically work out well everywhere else.
For the offense, it starts with a balanced and efficient passing game, led by Trinidad Chambliss. So far this season, Ole Miss has six receivers who have at least 200 yards receiving. So don’t expect one guy to be the primary target. The ball gets distributed evenly. On the ground, Kewan Lacy is going to be used to keep the defense from being able to solely focus on the receivers and dropping back into coverage. And Lacy has done a good job of that so far this season. Against a Gamecock defense that has been extremely disappointing at times this season, it’s safe to assume that may continue.
Ole Miss vs South Carolina: Predictions
If South Carolina hasn’t completely given up on the season, they have the talent to make this one competitive. The problem is that there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that they might have done just that. And now they take on an Ole Miss team that has playoff aspirations. And it’s on the road in an environment that, while not the loudest, has been extremely difficult to win in. That all adds up to this being a tall task for Shane Beamer and his Gamecocks.
The flip side is that Ole Miss is dealing with its share of rumors and adversity. So if they aren’t careful, they could be on upset alert this weekend. However, last weekend, they handled the outside noise relatively well. And this week they return home, against a team that is reeling. So, since the Rebels don’t know how to win games in blowout fashion, this is going to be yet another game that stays relatively close throughout. But in the end, expect them to have too much offense and manage to keep those College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Ole Miss 37, South Carolina 23
How to Watch
Date and Time: Saturday, November 1; 7 p.m. ET
Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
TV: ESPN
Main Image: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
