People easily forget that the year the Gamecocks won their first SEC East Title, they did it with three SEC Losses. It all came down to a showdown at Florida and the Gamecocks came away with a victory, winning big 36-14.

Here are some things the Gamecocks need to happen before the can grab that East Title.

First Things First

The Gamecocks have not won a game against the Auburn Tigers since 1933. They have played 7 times after that game and have lost every single game. South Carolina goes on the road to play Auburn on October 26th and is a must win. They have no other choice but to break the Auburn curse if they want to keep their hopes alive. With a strong performance from their running game, led by Mike Davis, the Gamecocks very well may come out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a W. Auburn leads the series 9-1-1.

The Defense Needs Change

''If we make one stop in the Missouri game and one stop in the Kentucky game, we're sitting at 5-1 and leading our division," said South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward, "But we didn't, and that's very frustrating. But it's not all players. It's us as coaches, too." 

If the Gamecocks want to think about having any chance at winning the SEC East, their defense needs the most work. South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in total defense, in sacks, and in opponent fourth-down conversions, giving up a perfect 7 for 7. The Gamecocks are 13th in scoring defense, 12th against the run and against the pass, and are allowing an average of 35 points and 441 yards per game. There is almost no pass rush, and every team that plays South Carolina knows that, but the run defense is actually a bigger problem than the pass defense. Kentucky ran, ran, and ran all over South Carolina. It looked like they were running he same play over and over again, which led to touchdowns. It seems like South Carolina will need change about every aspect of their defense if they still want to compete.

Feed The Beast

Give Mike Davis the football, period. Even though Davis has not been in as much as he would like to due to nagging injuries, he has made quite the comeback. He has 103 carries for 551 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 games with over 100 yards. Mike Davis had his highest stat of the year with 183 yards at Kentucky, who looked like he could not be stopped. There are a lot of things that South Carolina could have done to prevent the loss at Kentucky, but one thing should have been fairly obvious. Do not stop giving the ball to the guy who could not be stopped, with 2:30 left on the clock. instead of giving Davis the ball, the playcaller decides it best that they throw. That turns into incomplete passes and a pick six to end the game. If Mike Davis cannot be stopped, please, feed the beast.

The Scenario

Here's a look at the potential scenario that could leave South Carolina atop the SEC East standings.

  • Missouri Really Does Look Bad - After watching Georgia beat up on Mizzou like they did, without Todd Gurley, it is evident that more losses are are on the way for the Tigers. South Carolina may luck out and have Missouri as no longer a threat to the SEC East.
  • Kentucky May Have Just Gotten Lucky - A loss from Kentucky stings but considering they are just now getting into the heat of things with their schedule, the road looks long and difficult for the new amped up Wildcats. Kentucky has already dropped a game to Florida and still has to play LSU, #1 Mississippi State, and the high powered Georgia team, who looks to be just fine without their star running back.
  • Georgia Will Need to Have Surprise Losses - South Carolina beat Georgia earlier this year, which gives them the advantage in case of a tie. The Bulldogs could lose two more games and the Gamecocks would be over them. Georgia has to play Arkansas away from home which could be a tough test considering how close the Razorbacks played Alabama a week ago, with their new revamped running game. And a game against a tough Auburn team could be a deciding factor on whether or not the Gamecocks take the East.
  • It Could All Come Down To Another Showdown In Gainesville - History has a way of repeating itself, and another likely scenario is that both Florida and South Carolina win out the rest of their SEC schedule and it could all come down to one game. Of course, the other scenarios mentioned above would, of course, have to play out exactly the way the Gamecocks need them too.