When SEC football schedules were released last fall, everyone in Columbia and Athens, Georgia, circled one date on the calendar: Oct. 8.
Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs will make the trip to Williams-Brice Stadium to take on South Carolina and renew a heated rivalry. In six of the last seven meetings between these two teams, the winner has scored at least 35 points, and four of the games have seen both teams put at least 30 on the board.
The last meeting in Columbia was particularly wild, as the Gamecocks came up with a late stop deep in their own territory to secure a 38-35 win in 2014. This rivalry has been one of the more intense showdowns in the SEC over the last several years, and coming into Saturday's matchup, it feels like anything can happen.
Let's take a look at the best case, worst case and most likely scenario for South Carolina against the Bulldogs Saturday.
Best case scenario
In a rowdy primetime atmosphere, Georgia's true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason lets his inexperience show, failing to command the huddle, taking sacks and making poor reads. Eason's struggles allow the Gamecock defense to key on tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, slowing the run game enough to come up with key stops. Offensively, the Gamecocks are able to establish a downfield passing game to exploit a weak Georgia secondary. In their returns, Bryan Edwards and Deebo Samuel record strong games as the Gamecocks cruise to a two-score victory on the back of the home crowd.
Worst case scenario
Georgia comes out fighting mad after last week's heartbreaker against Tennessee, and the offense is clicking with Eason rolling and the backs consistently reaching the second level of the defense. South Carolina rotates Perry Orth and Brandon McIlwain in and out of the game, and neither is particularly effective, stifling whatever run game the Gamecocks may have been able to develop. Will Muschamp's defense ends up on the field for close to 40 minutes, tiring out in the late stages of the game as the Bulldogs run up the score.
Most likely scenario
Both of these teams have shown shortcomings on offense this season, but in this kind of rivalry, it seems like the scoreboard will be lit up all night long. Eason will make some freshman mistakes, but not enough that the Gamecocks can hone in on the Georgia run game, and Chubb and Michel consistently rip off solid gains. On the South Carolina offense, Orth and McIlwain both play, but the majority of the snaps go to Orth, as he's better able to attack a below average Bulldog secondary. The game comes down to which team is able to avoid mistakes, and Georgia comes out with the win. The Gamecocks haven't been trustworthy on special teams, and the defense struggled to tackle Kentucky's Boom Williams and Benny Snell, Jr. in a loss two weeks ago. Chubb and Michel make up the most dynamic duo in the SEC, and Eason won't have to try to do too much, which should help Georgia hold on to the ball and secure the victory.
With teams that have put together good and bad performances this season, it's tough to gauge exactly how things will play out between the lines on Saturday. But regardless of which, if any, of three scenarios take place, this matchup seems to bring out the best in both teams, and fans will be the real winners.