Week 10: Tennessee
I'd be lying if I said that I said that I didn't enjoy seeing Tennessee have the same issues with 4th Quarter collapses that we did last year. Pharoh Cooper delivered one of the best performances in school history against Tennessee in 2014, and choking that game away in the final minutes was difficult to swallow. I wasn't alone:
Considering that Tennessee currently has a 4-4 record, them being 17-point favorites against SC may seem a tad unreasonable. The fact is, however, that Tennessee is the type of team that the Gamecocks just don't appear to match up well against. That is to say that with Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurd in the backfield Tennessee is capable on offense, and any team that is remotely capable on offense will be able to put points up on the scoreboard against the Cocks. I think Tennessee will get at least 250 yards rushing in this game. The Gamecocks offense should be able to score, especially given the recent improvements seen on that side of the ball. If USC can keep it close until the end of the 3rd Quarter, they'll have a chance to win it against a Tennessee defense that lacks depth and tends to fade late. Prediction: USC 24 - Tennessee 35