South Carolina Football: Early 2023 game-by-game predictions for Gamecocks
By Austin Lloyd
Vanderbilt (W)
At this point, these games almost feel a little too easy to predict.
Vanderbilt has only downed South Carolina football twice in the 21st century: 2007 and 2008. It’s been all Gamecocks since then, and especially with this next meeting taking place in Columbia, it’s hard to imagine that reign of terror ending in 2023.
Kentucky (W)
The Wildcats could also serve as a trap game for USC, as they’re set to face off between the latter’s win over Vandy and its showdown with in-state rival Clemson.
There are some reassuring factors for the Gamecocks, though. Said factors include them playing at home, the decent win they got over Kentucky last year, and the Wildcats losing quarterback Will Levis to the NFL. All of that amounts to enough for me to give the Gamecocks the nod.
Clemson (L)
South Carolina football definitely has the potential to win this game; hosting its opponent for the fourth consecutive week, coming off of a three-game win streak, and having beaten Clemson in 2022 should leave momentum swaying heavily in favor of USC.
But alas, I have the Tigers raining all over South Carolina’s parade.
While the Gamecocks deserve credit for downing Clemson last season, they could only manage to do so by a single point (it was also their first win over the Tigers in just under a decade).
Since that defeat, Clemson has brought in Garrett Riley, an offensive coordinator known for his impact on the TCU Horned Frogs squad that just made a national championship appearance.
So to summarize, Clemson not only knows how to handle South Carolina but now also has one of the nation’s top OCs to rectify its recent offensive concerns. That means far more than a one-point game.
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I have the South Carolina Gamecocks finishing their 2023 regular season at 7-5. With a bowl win (which they would likely be able to obtain), they would tie a bow on the year with a record no worse than the one we saw from them in 2022. It’s not great—but it’s not too shabby, either.