Ad Disclosure
USC has a good opportunity against No. 11 Florida on Saturday. The Gators are coming off a last-minute win over Vanderbilt and have already secured a trip to the SEC title game.
Florida still has aspirations of making it to the College Football Playoff and South Carolina would love to salvage a signature win. The Gators are 10-point favorites, so a blowout isn’t expected.
Vanderbilt’s defense contained Florida RB Kelvin Taylor last week, forcing QB Treon Harris to try to make big plays. Harris struggled, finishing the game with 156 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
South Carolina co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke probably will have his unit focus on stopping the run to make the Gators one-dimensional.
Would a win actually salvage USC’s season?
Probably not.
In the SEC, most teams can win on any given week. While it would be a nice reward to knock off a nationally ranked rival and derail its hopes of making the playoff, the excitement would be short-lived.
The Gamecocks defense has played better in recent games, but the future of the offense depends on who is hired as coach for 2016. Shawn Elliott is likely just a caretaker.
Beating Florida would give the Gamecocks a pleasant experience in a forgettable season. But no matter the outcome, this will be a memorable season for USC for the wrong reasons.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
