By Ritch
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

South Carolina will travel to Gainesville, Fla., for a winner-take-all battle for the SEC Eastern Division championship against the Florida Gators.

The Gamecocks are 6-3 (4-3 SEC) and are tied with the Gators – also 6-3 (4-3 SEC) – for first place in the SEC East with this final league game to be played after USC lost to Arkansas last week and the Gators beat Vanderbilt.

This game marks the 31st game in the series between USC and UF that dates back to 1911. Florida leads the series, 23-4-3, including a 12-0 mark in games played in Gainesville. The Gators have won four in a row in the series but this game is special and throw out the record books.

In a game like this with so much on the line, it comes down to who wants it more. Will Carolina finally rise to the top and play at the high level necessary to take the crown that has eluded them since they joined the SEC or will the Gators do what the Gators do and get their crown for the fourth time in five years.

South Carolina comes in limping after a blistering by Arkansas and must right the ship. They can win this game if their three-headed offensive monster (Garica, Alshon and Lattimore) play the way they are capable. For Florida, it is about protecting the home turf and winning as usual.

South Carolina will win this game and here are three reasons why:

1. Florida is down this year. Florida just annihilated Vanderbilt and beat Georgia in overtime, so they must be back to their usual form, right? Not necessarily. Florida had an impressive game against a weak Vanderbilt team, but it took them overtime to beat Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In that game against Georgia, Florida was the recipient of 4 Bulldog turnovers and had a +3 ratio. If these Florida Gators were as good as the Gators of yore, they’d have beaten Georgia by at least 20.

2. Carolina defensive line play. The key to any game is the play of the lines. In years past South Carolina’s defensive lines haven’t had the depth or breadth of talent that this team does. Cliff Matthews and Devin Taylor are All-SEC caliber defensive ends, and the interior line play has been better than expected this season. If the defensive line has a good day and slows down the Gator running attack, the Gamecocks will be in the game at the end.

3. Urban Meyer is worried. Nobody knows this Florida team better than Urban Meyer, and he is sending signals that perhaps he’s a little worried. The clearest one yet is his call for a blue out. I don’t think he wants a special atmosphere in the Swamp because he wants to rub in the blowout. He knows he’s going to need every advantage he can get, so he is pulling out all the stops.

Coach Spurrier is looking forward to this game to “one-up” his old ball club. He would enjoy nothing more than to beat his old team to claim the first SEC East crown for USC. The key for Carolina is two things – good tackling on defense and winning the trench battles. Carolina will be playing inspired football. This is a statement game for the program. The statement will be a win and the score will be close, look for a 20-17 victory.