SEC Bowl Previews: From Auburn to Vanderbilt

Thursday, Dec.29

USF (10-2) vs. South Carolina (6-6), Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, AL (ESPN/2 p.m. ET)

Judging by record alone this game seems like a mismatch. But if you pay attention to what the Gamecocks did in the second half of the season, their record belies hidden success. Freshman QB Jake Bentley took over the job in midseason and the team closed the season on a 4-2 run including a win over then-ranked #18 Tennessee. The good news with Bentley is he has only two picks in six games. The bad news? He has no touchdowns in his last three. Granted, two of those games were against elite defenses in Florida and Clemson.

The Bulls, who just hired Charlie Strong after Willie Taggart took the Oregon job, have one of the most prolific offenses in the FBS, led by their rushing game. QB Quinton Flowers is 11th in CFB in rushing yards with 1,425 yards and only behind Louisville’s Lamar Jackson for most as a quarterback. He is also the AAC Player of the Year. How does South Carolina fare against the run game? Not great. They allow 2-2 yards per game, 89th in FBS.

Arkansas (7-5) vs. #22 Virginia Tech (9-4), Belk Bowl in Charlotte, NC (ESPN/5:30 p.m.)

Virginia Tech almost flipped the college football playoff picture on its head when it nearly beat Clemson in the ACC championship game. The Hokies are 5-2 in their last seven and behind QB Jerod Evans, they have a shot at getting a 10th win on the season. Evans is 19th for all QBs with 3,309 passing yards to go with 27 TD and seven INT. As you might expect from a ranked team, the Hokies don’t have glaring weaknesses. Their defense is good enough to stop an Arkansas team isn’t sure about its identity.

If one guy is being tabbed to break through the VTech defense, it’s RB Rawleigh Williams III. He led the SEC with 1,326 rushing yards on the season, including seven games with 100+ rushing yards. He’ll look to replicate his game against Miss. St when he ran for four touchdowns and 205 yards. However the Razorbacks Achilles Heel is their defense. They’ve given up 30 points per game, which can be the opening Evans needs to lead his team to victory.