Looking to repeat

Can USC pull off upset again?

COLUMBIA — Georgia vs. South Carolina has an ESPN GameDay visit written all over it. What, Ohio State visits Southern Cal that weekend? All right, well, maybe not.

But it's still big.

It's the first division-deciding battle of the SEC season, in either division. Florida and Tennessee, LSU and Auburn follow soon after.

After the Gamecocks' 16-12 victory last season in Athens, Steve Spurrier said it wasn't like USC beat "some big, powerful" team. Then, Georgia lost just once more afterward and nearly got into the national championship discussion.

Now are the Bulldogs a great team?

In truth, at least in terms of 2008, we won't know until after the USC game — since Georgia opens with Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. South Carolina's opposition might have been a touch tougher, but we'll understand the Gamecocks much better after they get a visit from a legit top 5 team.

And one with a vendetta, considering the USC loss kept UGA from bigger things in 2007.

The breakdown

Georgia offense vs. South Carolina defense

Matt Stafford was erratic last year against USC. He was high, he was low, he was off. That's just atypical for the strong-armed QB from Texas. And back Knowshon Moreno hadn't turned into the unstoppable beast that he evolved into late in the year.

Expect both to be in fine form by Game 3, even if the competition to date hasn't exactly been SEC-caliber.

Clearly, what Georgia's missed in recent years is a go-to receiver. The Bulldogs certainly are hopeful that Summerville's A.J. Green is that guy, and they're hopeful that he will be immediately.

Don't look for him to make much of an impact against USC, though, with All-SEC defensive backs Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook lurking in his workspace.

And remember that several Gamecocks — especially on defense — are from Georgia. Guys like Eric Norwood and Jasper Brinkley value this game highly. It's a pride thing.

And all's not perfect this summer for the UGA offense.

They'll be without fullback Brannan Southerland (foot) the first five games. There's also a chance the offensive line could be hit with suspensions related to recent arrests.

South Carolina offense vs. Georgia defense

Like Moreno, Geno Atkins — possibly the best tackle in the league — wasn't the buzz name that it became as the season went along.

South Carolina could get away with so-so quarterback play from Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley (yes, they'll both play) against N.C. State and Vanderbilt, but not against Georgia's front seven.

This is when errors are magnified, when missteps become incredibly evident.

We'll know infinitely more about the Gamecocks' line after it matches up with the Bulldogs.

Keep this in mind: The fourth quarter of last year's Georgia game was the best performance of the season for USC's line. It pushed the Bulldogs off the ball and sealed the game. Perhaps the offensive meetings that week should have the footage on loop.

Against Georgia, Kenny McKinley had the first of his four 100-yard games in 2007. He's an Atlanta native, so perhaps he's got a little of that Georgia pride fueling him, as well.

The crystal ball

Not to beat this one into the ground, but this isn't the same Georgia team you saw last September. (Just ask Hawaii. Or Florida. Or Auburn.)

Georgia-Florida will be the game in the division, conference and perhaps country.

Most everyone anticipates the Dawgs and Gators will get to Jacksonville unscathed.

But the Gamecocks will prove to be more than a speedbump to the Cocktail Party. They'll be pesky, threaten for a time, but Georgia just has too much talent.

Think about it: A year ago, the Bulldogs were essentially inept offensively and still only lost to USC by four. South Carolina can play a better game, too, but contrary to Spurrier's barb a year ago, this is some "big, powerful team."

Prediction

Georgia 27, South Carolina 17

Saturday

Wofford at South Carolina

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks.

Tigers hope to extend streak

CLEMSON — It wasn't long ago that North Carolina State's collection of talent was considered superior to Clemson's.

With guys like Philip Rivers, Jerricho Cotchery, Manny Lawson, Mario Williams, John McCargo and others, the Wolfpack attracted big-time talent even if it didn't translate into big-time seasons.

That talent infusion nevertheless helped N.C. State enjoy success against Clemson from 1998 to 2003, when the Wolfpack took four of six over the Tigers.

But the days of Clemson being outclassed by its rivals from Raleigh appear long gone. The Tigers have upgraded their recruiting in a big way over the last few years, and the Wolfpack's hauls have taken a dip since Chuck Amato lured all those blue-chip prospects to N.C. State.

The Tigers have won four straight in the series, their longest streak since the early 1980s. And last year's 42-20 trouncing of the Wolfpack in Raleigh left little evidence that things will change in Death

Valley this year.

The breakdown

N.C. State offense vs. Clemson defense

The Wolfpack might find a way to be serviceable on this side of the ball in 2008. They managed to look pretty good during a four-game winning streak late last season.

But it's hard to imagine this group coming into Death Valley and lighting it up against a good defense in the third week of the season — two weeks after a difficult trip to South Carolina, by the way.

The Wolfpack boasts an explosive trio of tailbacks in Andre Brown, Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene, but who's gonna block for them? It'll probably be next season at the earliest before things are the way second-year coach Tom O'Brien wants them up front, which probably means a lot more sub-100-yard rushing games.

The Wolfpack had nine of those last year on the way to finishing 110th nationally in rushing offense at 89.2 yards per game.

And then there's quarterback. Talented incoming freshman Mike Glennon will be given every opportunity to win the starting job over a group that includes veterans Daniel Evans, Harrison Beck and Justin Burke.

Whoever ends up being the guy at quarterback isn't going to have any proven threats at receiver. Last year's most productive Wolfpack wideout, John Dunlap, is gone. And so is Darrell Blackman, who was a threat to score each time he touched the ball.

Tight end Anthony Hill is back after missing last year with a knee injury, and he's definitely good enough to create some matchup problems for Clemson's linebackers.

Clemson offense vs. N.C. State defense

Last year in Raleigh, the Tigers made the Wolfpack's defense look absolutely silly. They rolled up 608 yards, 358 of them rushing. And it could have been worse.

It was by far N.C. State's worst defensive showing of the season. But failure to stop the run was a common theme for the Wolfpack in 2007, when opponents averaged 186.4 yards per game on the ground.

N.C. State lost seven starters off last year's defense, and that's a recipe for trouble this early in the season against a team that's loaded at the skill positions.

There's some hope for the Wolfpack, though. Their front four has the potential to be good, led by end Willie Young and tackle Alan-Michael Cash. If these guys can create some penetration against Clemson's suspect offensive line, the Tigers could have some problems moving the ball.

But the defensive line can't do it all, and they're probably gonna have to given that N.C. State lost all three starting linebackers from last season (LeRue Rumph, James Martin and Ernest Jones) not to mention its top two safeties (DaJuan Morgan and Miguel Scott).

If you're Wolfpack defensive coordinator Mike Archer, you aren't getting much sleep the week before this one. And when you do, you'll have visions of James Davis and C.J. Spiller running circles around your back seven.

The crystal ball

There's ample reason to believe O'Brien will eventually get things rolling in Raleigh. We just don't see it happening this year — and certainly not this early in the year.

Clemson should win this game handily for the same reason it won last year's game handily: The Tigers have a lot more talent, and that's why they'll improve to 3-0.

Prediction

Clemson 31, N.C. State 13

Saturday

S.C. State at Clemson

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/