Florida vs. South Carolina: Spread Info, Line, BCS Impact and Predictions

The No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Florida Gators on Saturday in an effort to keep pace in the SEC East Division.

South Carolina has been strong at 7-2 despite the loss of star running back Marcus Lattimore to a season-ending knee injury. The Gamecocks were beat pretty handily by the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks last week, but will look to rebound against Florida.

The post-Tim Tebow era has continued to be a struggle for the Gators, as they sit at 5-4. While Florida has feasted on lower-level competition in the SEC, top teams like LSU and Alabama have had no trouble disposing of it.

Florida doesn't stand much of a chance to play in the SEC Championship Game, but it will have the opportunity to play spoiler on Saturday. South Carolina needs the game, but the Gators certainly won't go down without a fight.

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

When: Saturday, Nov. at 12 p.m. EST

Watch: CBS

Spread: South Carolina (-4)

Although the Gators pulled out a win over Vanderbilt last week, this has been a tough season for them. Florida hasn't been overly competitive against ranked teams in the SEC, and I expect that to continue on the road against South Carolina.

I don't think the Gamecocks will blow out Florida by any means, since both teams have pretty stout defenses, but I think a seven-point win and narrow cover is pretty likely.

Over/Under: 39

While 39 is an awfully low over/under, neither Florida nor South Carolina have been scoring much lately. Also, both teams rank in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense. When you combine those factors, this game has all the makings of a low-scoring slugfest. Go with the under, but just barely.

Florida Key Injuries

Questionable: OL Chaz Green (ankle), DL Lerentee McCray (shoulder), LB Jelani Jenkins (undisclosed), DB Jeremy Brown (knee)

Probable: RB Chris Rainey (ankle)

South Carolina Key Injuries

Out: RB Marcus Lattimore (knee—out for season)

Questionable: QB Connor Shaw (concussion), RB Jacob Baker (knee), DB DeVonte Holloman (concussion), DB Antonio Allen (neck), DB Corey Addison (concussion)

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications

With four losses already against them, Florida is unlikely to ascend into the BCS rankings unless it can possibly find a way to win out. Even then, it is certainly no guarantee, This game will be absolutely vital to South Carolina's positioning, though, both in the polls and in the SEC.

The Gamecocks are currently a half game back of Georgia in the division and must continue to win in order to keep pace. South Carolina's only avenue to a BCS Bowl game appears to be winning the SEC at this point, and while it seems unlikely that they could knock off LSU in the title game, they have to at least get there to have a chance.

Keys to Florida Win

For Florida, it will be paramount to stop the run on defense and effectively run the ball on offense to prevail on Saturday. Although Marcus Lattimore is out for the Gamecocks, they still like to to establish the run. Running back Brandon Wilds was very effective against Tennessee a couple weeks ago and will likely be featured heavily.

On offense, the Gators have relied on the run all season long, and this game should be no different. The combination of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps has been excellent, and Florida will have to use both backs. Quarterback John Brantley has been little more than a caretaker on offense, and while it would be nice if he made some big plays, it isn't a necessity.

Keys to South Carolina Win

South Carolina has been ravaged by injuries and team dismissals in the case of quarterback Stephen Garcia, so there have been a lot of adjustments on offense. The Gamecocks certainly aren't explosive as they once were with running back Marcus Lattimore out of the lineup, but they have made due and been fairly successful.

The Gamecocks will have to get Brandon Wilds going on the ground as they did two weeks ago. Also, quarterback Connor Shaw has to loosen the shackles a bit and take some risks. Shaw has one of the best weapons in the country at his disposal in wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, and if he can find a way to get the ball in his hands, then South Carolina's chances go up exponentially.

Prediction

South Carolina 21, Florida 14