South Carolina Gamecocks vs. LSU Tigers: Desperate Bayou Bengals Could Be Tough

As a follower of the Gamecocks, I feel very confident in South Carolina's ability to walk into Baton Rouge and come out with a victory.

However, it's not going to come as easy as people think.

This is still LSU, at home, at night, after a tough loss.  They are 4-0 at home this year, and they haven't lost at home since Oct 10th, 2009 (to No.1 ranked Florida).  This is no gimme, no matter how good the Gamecocks looked on Saturday against Georgia.

Taking a look at various message boards, LSU fans aren't confident in a victory. One fan with the user name ATLTiger has a post with the ways to beat South Carolina. Some are legitimate, but his last three are pretty hilarious: Get a (Jadeveon) Clowney voodoo doll, get Brandon Winey some more eligibility and pray.

South Carolina fans are cautiously optimistic, as they should be.

The team has to stay hungry and focused, or the magical season could end. This will not be an easy task. LSU's defense is still incredibly talented, ranking fourth in the nation, with two potential first round draft picks on the defensive line in Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan.

Scoring will not be easy. Opponents are only averaging 13 points per game.

Obviously, LSU has major problems on offense.  It is currently ranked 77th overall.  It can barely complete a forward pass right now.  They rank 94th in that area. However, it still has a stable of talented runners. If the offense gets hot, it can move the ball and control the clock, much like it did in the 63-14 win over Idaho this year.

The Tigers are going to be hungry and desperate for a victory. They have heard the "news" that they just aren't very good.  They struggled against a bad Auburn team and allowed Towson to score 22 points on their vaunted defense.  The loss to Florida tipped the scales. 

They are hearing it from all sides.  They just aren't very good right now, it seems. 

However, this is no time for the Gamecocks to get cocky. I hope each and every player prepares for this game like it's the national championship game—because from here on out, with the Gamecocks sitting at No. 3 in the country, that's what they are fighting for.

It's time for the Gamecocks to stand and show their worth.