Staff picks: South Carolina-Georgia State, other week one games

South Carolina football season is here and with it, the GamecockCentral staff picks are back.

The Gamecocks kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET against Georgia State, a tough early-season matchup for South Carolina.

Here’s how the GamecockCentral and 107.5 FM staff see this game going, plus a few picks for other big games this weekend.

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Chris Clark: The Gamecocks may have a few tense moments in game one against a quality Sun Belt opponent, but South Carolina’s size, athleticism, and skill advantage will carry through for the win. Although I’m picking just a 14-point margin of victory, I think fans will be able to feel fairly good about a win by the fourth quarter. South Carolina 31, Georgia State 17.

Terry Ford: South Carolina 33, Georgia State 20.

Pearson Fowler: South Carolina 42, Georgia State 20.

Joe Macheca: Gamecocks get out to an early lead and Clayton White’s veteran defense holds strong. Boring pick, but all goes to plan in Beamer’s second-season debut. South Carolina 35, Georgia State 14.

Wes Mitchell: Georgia State is a team that can hang around if you let them, and Game 1s can of course be a bit sloppy. The Panthers will bring enough to make the game interesting, and Gamecock fans will have to sweat just enough, but Carolina has too many weapons and will control the game for the most part. South Carolina 37, Georgia State 20.

Jay Phillips: South Carolina 34, Georgia State 24.

What channel is the game on? The definitive how-to guide to watching South Carolina football vs. Georgia State

Michael Sauls: Spencer Rattler dots up the Georgia State defense but South Carolina’s run defense allows two touchdowns on the ground. South Carolina 35, Georgia State 21.

Kendall Smith: A sell-out crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium along with the added updates to the facility will make for an unbelievable atmosphere in Columbia on Saturday. In fact, it may be one of the best season opener environments we’ve seen in a long time.

Don’t get it twisted though, as Georgia State is not going to be a walk-in-the-park type of opponent. Quarterback Darren Grainger is a threat to any defense, and something that South Carolina was so good at last year in forcing turnovers is something Grainger excels at avoiding.

Last year he had just 4 interceptions in 228 attempts. I think the Georgia State offense will hang tough for a bit, but the Panther’s defense is not overwhelmingly impressive. I think the crowd, the hype, and South Carolina’s SEC-level play will just be too much for Georgia State. South Carolina 34, Georgia State 13.

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Collyn Taylor: This game could certainly be one decided in the second half, most importantly the fourth quarter. Georgia State is really good and won’t be fazed by the moment. South Carolina offensively should be able to put up points. The big question is if the defense can contain Georgia State’s backs. They should, and the Gamecocks use a late score to pull away and cover. South Carolina 34, Georgia State 20.

Mike Uva: Since this is the season opener there’s a lot of unknowns. But something we do know is that pom-pom season is over. Now it’s time to apply the hype to the field. There’s been more buzz this offseason about this program than there’s been in quite some time. With the addition of Spencer Rattler, Austin Stogner, Christian Beal-Smith, and company after a seven-win season in Shane Beamer’s first year, the apathy from two years ago has been nearly erased. South Carolina 34, Georgia State 13.

Jack Veltri: As Shane Beamer alluded to, Georgia State is a better week one opponent than Eastern Illinois. The Panthers have been competitive against the SEC in the past and I expect nothing different this weekend. While their run game could cause problems for South Carolina’s defense, I think the Gamecocks will manage to pull away late. South Carolina 31, Georgia State 20.