Maybe it's the swamp gas, maybe it's the tens of thousands of screaming fans, or maybe it's a combination of both. Whatever the reason, the Florida Gators play much better at home. Two weeks ago, Florida routed Ole Miss 52-28 in The Swamp, only to head to Missouri and suffer an even worse beating themselves, 45-17. I always say, "Some teams just don't travel well," and it appears the Orange and Blue are one of those teams. They'll be safely back at home this Saturday, but that doesn't mean victory is guaranteed. Standing in their way is a formidable and hungry South Carolina Gamecocks team.
South Carolina enters Saturday's matchup at 2-3, but they're nowhere near as bad as their record suggests. Two of their losses came by seven points or less, including a one-point defeat to a very tough and potent Kentucky team. The Gamecocks also pushed #17 Mississippi State to the wire before falling 41-34 at home, further demonstrating their toughness and ability to compete with quality opponents. While only one of their first five games has come on the road, that trip proved to be an added challenge, as Alabama handed them their largest defeat of the season in a 49-18 loss. Arguably, an equally daunting road test awaits this weekend when they travel to Gainesville to meet the gators in the Swamp.
The Gators climbed all the way to No. 8 in the rankings after their impressive win over Ole Miss, but their stay in the Top 10 was short-lived. The lopsided loss to Missouri dropped Florida back to No. 16 and serves as a reminder that this team still has something to prove. They'll certainly be in for a fight against Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks, but I see the Gators using this opportunity to show they're still a Top-10-caliber team. Expect Florida to come out with plenty of urgency and play with every ounce of fury they can muster. I have the Gators winning by two touchdowns or more, making the current -12.5 number too tempting to ignore.
Florida vs South Carolina prediction: Florida -12.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -14.5 (-105).
