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Monday’s Outback Bowl matchup between South Carolina and Michigan is even on paper, with both teams bringing 8-4 records. Oddsmakers favor the Wolverines by about a touchdown but the Gamecocks are going to one of their favorite locales: South Carolina is 3-1 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, with one win already over Michigan and two over Ohio State (the loss was to Iowa).
But let’s address the future rather than the past. Here are 10 bold predictions for the 2018 Outback Bowl:
1. Skai Moore will make the difference
The senior linebacker, a second-team All-SEC selection, has led the Gamecocks in tackles in four seasons, including this one when he had 88. Eight of those tackles in 2017 have been for a loss; only one Gamecock topped that total (more on him later). Moore also has three interceptions and two sacks this season and he’ll come up with a big play, probably an interception, to swing the final margin South Carolina’s way.
2. Brandon Peters will get UM going, but only a bit
The freshman quarterback showed glimpses of promise for a couple of games late in the season before missing the game against Ohio State with an injury. Peters is good to go for Monday. The Wolverines might look a bit better in the air than they have most of the season, but against a veteran secondary that includes senior cornerback JaMarcus King (team-high 12 pass breakups), Michigan won’t find consistent production through the air.
3. One South Carolina running back will emerge
The Gamecocks have had trouble moving the ball on the ground with last year’s leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, out injured for much of the season. It’s perhaps telling that no South Carolina running back has 100 carries this season. But we say sophomore Ty’Son Williams will shine on the postseason stage, even against a strong Michigan defensive line, which leads to …
4. Bryan McClendon will pass his audition
South Carolina fired offensive coordinator Kurt Roper after the regular season, leaving cohort Bryan McClendon as the sole man in charge of the offense in the Outback Bowl. Don’t look for an explosion out of South Carolina’s offense, not against the third-best total defense in the nation, but South Carolina will show some flash that has long been missing. McClendon is no stranger to this one-game audition process — he was Georgia’s interim coach when the Bulldogs defeated Penn State in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. Whether it’s at South Carolina or elsewhere, McClendon will be an offensive coordinator in 2018.
5. Jake Bentley will do just enough
Quarterback Jake Bentley had six consecutive games with a passer efficiency rating of 132 or better, but in the second half of the season he hit that number only once, against Wofford. Bentley has the edge in this quarterback matchup, though, and he will take better care of the ball than he did late in the season. Michigan might force one turnover out of Bentley, but not enough to make South Carolina pay.
6. This one will get chippy
When even a bowling outing goes south, you know there are some emotions on the line. That will carry over into the game.
7. Karan Higdon will have a big day
The Michigan running back has two 200-yard rushing games this season, though he has failed to reach 100 in his past three games. But the junior is still the best weapon the Wolverines have on offense and, with a month to prepare behind a veteran offensive line, expect Higdon to be a matchup problem for South Carolina’s front seven.
8. Hayden Hurst will go out in style
He has already declared for the NFL draft, but Gamecocks tight end Hayden Hurst is fired up to play one last game for his school. Hurst, a first-team all-SEC selection, is second on the Gamecocks with 41 catches and 518 receiving yards. Look for him to add significantly to those numbers in Tampa.
9. D.J. Wonnum will make a name for himself
The sophomore defensive end has quietly had a solid season, leading the Gamecocks in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (13), contributing five pass breakups and even blocking a kick. Expect more of the same against the Wolverines as Wonnum seeks to establish himself as the big name on South Carolina’s defense upon Moore’s graduation.
10. Jim Harbaugh will coach his finale at Michigan
He has mocked talk of him leaving his alma mater to go to the NFL in the run-up to this game. Of course he has. But note that there was no denial in what he said, either. So many college coaches wind up wanting to at least try the NFL life, and Harbaugh has already been there, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl berth in the 2012 season. It’s just a guess, but the guess here is that he wants another crack at the NFL, especially if he draws interest from Indianapolis, where he once was a solid quarterback.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a copy editor and writer with SaturdayDownSouth.com.
