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ESPN’s Football Power Index unveiled its weekly college football predictions Sunday, and it provided its take on who it thinks will come out on top in this week’s pivotal swing game between Missouri and South Carolina.
The FPI gives the Gamecocks a 69.8% chance to win the Mayor’s Cup in Columbia, which would extend their current win streak to 4 games.
Indeed, South Carolina has been one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past month. Since losing to Ole Miss in a disappointing 27-3 game, Shane Beamer’s squad pushed Alabama to the brink in Tuscaloosa and then reeled off impressive wins over Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt most recently.
The rushing duo of LaNorris Sellers and Raheim Sanders has worked wonders, while the South Carolina defense features one of the best pass rushes in the nation and has been lights out. With a closing slate of Mizzou, Wofford and Clemson, the Gamecocks are well-positioned to finish the season on a high note and push for eight wins out of one of the nation’s toughest schedules.
Missouri stands in their way of doing that, and the Tigers figured to deliver another thriller in this rivalry clash. In Mizzou’s last two games against non-Alabama teams, it has scored touchdowns in the closing minutes to knock off Auburn and Oklahoma respectively.
The health of Brady Cook will be worth monitoring throughout the week, as he did not play in the win over the Sooners after exiting the Alabama loss with a hand injury. He has dealt with multiple ailments this season. Backup quarterback Drew Pyne tossed three touchdowns in Cook’s absence Saturday.
The Tigers and Gamecocks battle for the Mayor’s Cup at 4:15 ET on Saturday, and it will be broadcast by the SEC Network. The two teams compete for the trophy because they both hail from the city of Columbia in their respective states.
Current Missouri student entering my third year of covering Tiger football and basketball. Contributor to The Transfer Portal CFB and overall college athletics enthusiast.
