South Carolina vs. Arkansas: Who Has Better SEC Title Shot in 2012?

In any other week, this game could have College GameDay attending, but with LSU vs. Alabama taking place on the same day, this great game has gotten swept under the rug.

Neither team looks like it has the stuff to oust the winner of this game as the SEC champion, so unfortunately for their fans, it looks like they will have to wait until next year.

But when that time comes, who will have the upper hand?

With two fantastic coaches leading these teams, it all comes down to returning talent and both teams lose some big playmakers.

The deep Razorback receiving corps will largely be gone with Jarius Wright, Cobi Hamilton, Joe Adams and Greg Childs all being seniors. They also lose their outstanding linebacker Jerry Franklin to graduation.

Those are their top three receivers and their top tackler.

For the Gamecocks, Alshon Jeffrey will likely declare for the NFL draft as will Stephon Gilmore and do-it-all defensive end Melvin Ingram is a senior.

Fortunately for both teams, their star running backs will return from season-ending injuries, as well as a bunch of their other playmakers.

Marquel Wade has been a freshman sensation returning kicks this year and he and quarterback Tyler Wilson both return on offense which should make a fantastic trio with Knile Davis back at running back.

Connor Shaw should improve now that he has sole possession of the top spot on the depth chart and Jadeveon Clowney is only a freshman and he’s still averaging over a half a sack per game.

For the most part, these teams are pretty equal in the talent that they lose and the talent that they keep which means that it will ultimately come down to who has the easier road to get to the SEC championship—and that advantage lies clearly with South Carolina.

The SEC East is still in rebuilding mode and while Georgia should be a very good football team, no one else really stands out as a major threat while LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M will all be in the SEC West. Any of those teams could challenge for the conference title.

It will be much tougher for Arkansas to win the SEC next as compared to South Carolina.