Desperate times for South Carolina vs Georgia

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier, right, greets East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill, left, at midfield after an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina won 33-23. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier, right, greets East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill, left, at midfield after an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina won 33-23. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

By Associated Press September 10, 2014 4 min read

Consider what No. 24 South Carolina is facing Saturday when it plays No. 6 Georgia.

The Gamecocks entered the season with championship hopes, from the SEC East to the national title. A loss on Saturday at home, and that’s all gone – on Sept. 13.

Brutal.

South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC) would already have two conference losses and be essentially three games behind Georgia, if you include the tiebreaker the Bulldogs would hold. By Saturday night, a Capital One Bowl bid might be the best the Gamecocks can do.

The annual early-season matchup between South Carolina and Georgia has become one of the SEC’s biggest, a game with national implications, thanks to the Gamecocks’ rise to national power under coach Steve Spurrier.