South Carolina 2023 Future Odds: National Championship

Last year has to be considered a success for the South Carolina Gamecocks. With a win total of just 6.5, South Carolina went 8-4 during the regular season. The Gamecocks knocked off No. 6 Tennessee and No. 13 Clemson, but fell to Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Another brutal SEC schedule could make duplicating last year’s success tough. The 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks stats should be fairly comparable as to what they were in 2022.

At A Glance

South Carolina Can Move the Ball, Can’t Stop the Opposition

The good news for South Carolina is that the offense has a number of returning starters. South Carolina’s offense came to life at the end of the year. The Gamecocks averaged 32.2 points per game last season. However, that average was helped by scoring 50 points against South Carolina State and Charlotte. The Gamecocks were 7-5-1 against the college football point spreads and 9-4 in totals. The totals record is a testament to a good offense and a weaker defense.

Spencer Rattler returns at quarterback, and he threw for over 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns a year ago. He was intercepted 12 times. Rattler had his lowest quarterback rating of his career last NCAAF season after coming over from Oklahoma. With a year in Shane Beamer’s system, it wouldn’t be a surprise to the 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks stats get a boost from the passing game. All-SEC receiver Antwane Wells returns and he led the team with 68 receptions for 928 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Trey Know comes in from Arkansas, and he’s solid.

The rushing attack averaged just 119.6 yards per game, and leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd transferred to USC. No matter who is carrying the ball, the Gamecocks need more from the offensive line. South Carolina didn’t protect Rattler very well, and running backs were trapped behind the line of scrimmage too often.

The Gamecocks needed to improve at stopping the run, allowing 198 yards per game. That led to South Carolina allowing 28.8 points per game and 32.0 points in SEC games. Making matters worse is that some of the Gamecocks’ better defenders have moved on, with Jordan Burch and Gilber Edmond transferring elsewhere. Zacch Pickens, Cam Smith and Darius Rush have taken their talents to the NFL.

Several players who missed time last season due to injuries are expected to return. But defense is a far bigger concern than the offense heading into the season. If the 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks stats look the same defensively, the offense will need to shine weekly.

National Championship Odds: No Chance for Gamecocks

South Carolina comes into the season with championship odds of +15000, the same as last season. Once again, the Gamecocks have no chance of winning the title. In September, road games against Georgia and Tennessee Tennessee in September will remove South Carolina from playoff contention.

Conference Odds: Gamecocks Will Wind Up in Middle of Pack

South Carolina was +12500 to win the SEC last year. The Gamecocks are +12500 to win it this year, which is probably a bit on the low side. If South Carolina played elsewhere, it would have a better shot at winning a title, but the Gamecocks play in one of the toughest NCAAF conferences around. A .500 mark in SEC play is a realistic goal for the Gamecocks.

Regular Season Wins: Gamecocks Have Mixture of Likely Wins and Losses

The South Carolina schedule isn’t what you would call middle-of-the-road. It’s littered with games that appear to be sure wins, such as Furman, Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt. It also has several games that are likely losses, such as road games at Tennessee, Georgia and Texas A&M. It’s how the Gamecocks do in those remaining games that will decide their season win totals bet.

The non-conference schedule is a mixture of soft and tough teams. In addition to Furman and Jacksonville State, Clemson and North Carolina are penciled in. The opening game against North Carolina will be a big test for the defense and give a clue if the unit has improved or not since last year.

In the SEC, the Gamecocks have Mississippi State, Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt at home, which are four very winnable games. South Carolina will likely have to win one game against UNC, Clemson or at Missouri to get to seven wins, and it’s capable of doing just that. Seven wins is the most likely outcome for the Gamecocks, so there is a little bit of value in taking the over 6.5 wins for South Carolina.

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