David Pollack is calling for an upset in Columbia.
The former Georgia All-American linebacker turned college football analyst isn’t buying Tennessee’s ranking, its 3-game winning streak or even the momentum that comes with last week’s home win over Alabama. On his See Ball Get Ball podcast this week, Pollack said the No. 11 Volunteers are walking into a tough spot Saturday when they face South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Tennessee is 6-1 and heads into the Week 8 matchup as the higher-ranked team, but Pollack sees trouble waiting in an SEC road game that kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. South Carolina, meanwhile, is 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the SEC, yet Pollack believes the matchup plays directly to the Gamecocks’ strengths.
“This is full on red alert. This is South Carolina’s wheelhouse.
Tennessee doesn’t create a lot of big plays. You know what South Carolina’s defense does a pretty good job of?
Stopping the run. You know what South Carolina does a really good job of?
Running the football, staying out of obvious third down,” said Pollack, who pointed to the running exploits of quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Matt Fuller giving Tennessee fits on Saturday.
He framed the game as a physical battle in the trenches and said South Carolina has the kind of style that can spring the surprise. “These feels like a trench war.
I told you before the season that South Carolina was going to get somebody. They gonna get somebody.
This is gonna be a great game. But I think it’s the run game of South Carolina.
It’s the breaking tackles, making extra plays. South Carolina wins by seven.”
In Other News...
South Carolina Presents A Tougher Test Than Tennessee Fans May Expect
South Carolina gets Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN, and Josh Heupel made it clear this is not the kind of SEC trip the Volunteers can treat casually. The Tennessee coach pointed to the Gamecocks recent play and the benefit of a bye week as reasons to expect a sharper, more prepared opponent than some fans may anticipate.
Heupel said the challenge starts with understanding what South Carolina does well, especially on the defensive side, where the Gamecocks have shown clear strengths. For Tennessee, the assignment is as much about preparation as it is execution, because this matchup offers the kind of road test that can tighten quickly if the visitors are not ready from the start. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina May Have Found A Freshman Anchor Up Front
Freshman offensive lineman Darius Gray has already become one of the more interesting early developments for South Carolina this season. Named to On3s Midseason True Freshman All-America team, Gray has started all six games while bouncing between both tackle spots, a notable workload for a first-year player on an offensive line asked to keep the Gamecocks moving in the SEC.
Grays value has shown up in more than just durability. He has helped anchor a rushing attack that has been among the leagues best, and Pro Football Focus has him graded as one of the top pass protectors among true freshman offensive tackles this season. For a South Carolina front still taking shape, that kind of early reliability is exactly the sort of foundation coaches hope to find, even if the long-term ceiling remains only partly in view. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Defense Faces Its Real Test After Florida Turnaround
South Carolinas defense finally looked like itself again against Florida, and the improvement showed up in the kind of plays that change games. The Gamecocks got to the quarterback for three sacks, forced a fumble, picked off multiple passes and held the Gators to 19 points, a sharp step forward after a shaky stretch that had put the unit under the microscope.
Now comes the tougher part. Tennessee brings a strong running offense into the matchup, which means South Carolina has to prove the Florida turnaround was more than a one-game reset. The players and coaches have pointed to cleaner execution and better accountability as the reasons for the bounce back, and the real question is whether that same standard holds up when the Vols start leaning on the ground game. [Read more 🡒]