Ranked Auburn vs. ranked South Carolina for the first time ever: Three thoughts heading in + game notes

AUBURN -- For the first time ever, it's ranked Auburn vs. ranked South Carolina. No. 13-ranked Auburn (19-5, 8-3 SEC) hosts No. 11-ranked South Carolina (21-3, 9-2 SEC) on Wednesday evening at Neville Arena. The Tigers are 3-3 in league play after a 5-0 start, losing some tough conference road games. The Gamecocks have won seven straight after starting league play 2-2. Auburn has won six straight in the series and remains the only team in the SEC unbeaten at home. The Tigers have won 15 straight games inside Neville Arena. Auburn leads the series against South Carolina 30-19 all-time, including 13-8 in games played in Auburn and 6-1 at Neville Arena. The Tigers have won six straight games over the Gamecocks, the last five of those by double digits. Auburn leads the series 14-9 in games played at South Carolina and 3-2 at neutral sites, including 3-1 in the SEC Tournament. T-Rank gives Auburn an 86 percent chance of winning, projecting the score 74-63 in favor of the Tigers. Here are three thoughts heading in, plus game notes...