Georgia football: Who will challenge UGA for the SEC East crown first
South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina has a lot going for them. Spurrier didn’t leave them in a good position in 2015. They lacked talent and fundamentals. Which made them an unattractive target for top-notch recruits. That showed in Will Muschamp’s first year as his Gamecocks finished 6-7. But they bounced back last year to end the year 8-4.
They even played Georgia close as the final score was 24-10, but closer for much of the game. If they had found a way to beat Georgia, they would have been the SEC East Champions. As hard as that is to believe, it’s true assuming we still lose at Auburn.
Great receiver Deebo Samuel returns from a season ending injury. Serviceable quarterback Jake Bently is still in town. And they have a solid corps of running backs. With Muschamp as head coach, you know the Gamecocks are going to play some defense. They gave up 20.7 points last year, but that’s down drastically from 26.5 in 2016. Plus, they’re recruiting better these days as well.
Georgia has to play in Columbia this year. That’s proven to be a chore since 2010. The Dawgs only have won one game in Williams-Brice Stadium since then. The game returns to its usual week two spot and both team’s have favorable schedules after that game. Meaning the winner will have control in the SEC East race until they squander it on their own.
All signs point to South Carolina being Georgia’s first true challenger in the SEC East as early as this year. The SEC East is still weak, and the Gamecocks only have to deal with Texas A&M and Ole Miss. An easier SEC schedule than Georgia considering they host A&M while the Dawgs travel to LSU.
Next: Georgia football's former rivals from the early 1900's
They’re built like a budding championship contender. Solid defense with a safe quarterback and weapons on offense. They play Georgia in their stadium. And they have a coach with a Carolina-sized chip on his shoulder. For the next few years, the Georgia-South Carolina rivalry looks like the most important one in the SEC East.