National predictions ahead of South Carolina-Clemson rivalry
It’s rivalry week. For South Carolina football fans, that means it is Clemson Hate Week. For Clemson fans, the inverse is true. The Palmetto Bowl always holds tremendous value in the state. However, this year, the stakes are higher.
Both the Gamecocks and the Tigers hold onto at-large College Football Playoff hopes. Clemson could get in via the ACC Championship, but that would require Miami losing to Syracuse. As far as both teams can control on Saturday, a win is paramount.
The two rivals sit in the College Football Playoff Rankings’ top 15 (USC is 15th, CU is 12th) and are each firmly on the CFP “bubble.” A loss pops that bubble and eliminates either from at-large consideration.
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National predictions for the matchup are somewhat mixed, but South Carolina is the trendy pick.
Official betting lines have settled around the -3 number in favor of the home Clemson Tigers. With home teams typically getting a 3-point benefit of the doubt, this game is, for all intents and purposes, a pick ’em.
ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) analytic predictor gives South Carolina a 43.2% chance to win. However, the outlet’s SP+ model has the Gamecocks covering the spread in a tight 27-26 loss.
The College Gameday Podcast duo of Rece Davis and Pete Thamel were split on the Palmetto Bowl. Davis picked the Gamecocks. Thamel, though, went with the Tigers in a close game. Neither Davis nor Thamel felt much conviction in their selections.
National analyst Josh Pate thinks this weekend’s matchup will be a great game. In the end, though, he projects a win for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
On3’s JD PicKell also picked USC and added that the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will have a lot to think about regarding the Gamecocks.
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College Football News’ Pete Fiutak foresees a 26-24 Carolina win. College Football Network’s Will Helms picks a similar 27-26 win for the ‘Cocks.
FoxSports’ artificial intelligence pick is for the Gamecocks. According to the AI predictor, South Carolina will win 28-26.
The local media favors the Gamecocks, too. Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News predicts a 30-27 win for Shane Beamer’s squad. She is joined in that pick by The State‘s Jordan Kaye; Kaye, though, has Carolina winning 38-30.
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A win on Saturday for South Carolina will make the College Football Playoff Ranking update on December 3rd and the subsequent College Football Playoff Selection Show (December 8th) extremely interesting.
The Gamecocks and Tigers will take the field in Memorial Stadium at noon. ESPN will broadcast the game, and the ESPN app also will make it available for streaming.
