Fate of season for Hogs, Gamecocks at stake?

Two teams needing an SEC win in the worst possible way meet Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina.

Well, the Gamecocks have one win over Missouri earlier in the year, but they’ve also dropped a couple of games they felt they could have won.

The Razorbacks feel like they let one get away in Arlington against Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago.

So, you have two teams who lost by seven points to the same team over a two-week period.

Which means it should be a fairly evenly-matched game, right?

Which means nobody should be surprised if it turns into another route one way or the other. Oh, you won’t find any predictions of that here. Nope, we’re going to take the conservative approach and figure on a close game.

Which is what we also figured in a few other games the last few weeks that have gone south on us in a hurry.

Yes, this may be the season of wackiness in the SEC.

In reality, the league has seen what appears to be a giant separation from the top where Alabama and Georgia are light years ahead of everybody else.

At least that’s the view this week.

Nothing with the Crimson Tide will change. I think we’re headed towards Alabama-Clemson III in Atlanta in January. That may be the game that rockets college football up the interest ladder, considering the public relations faceplants the NFL is doing these days … and the fact both teams are short drives away.

If that happens it will be a scene probably like never seen before for college football.

Neither Arkansas or South Carolina will be candidates for that game.

But this weekend’s matchup is big because the loser is going to be facing a giant problem, particularly the Razorbacks.

The Hogs don’t have an SEC win. The Gamecocks have one, plus they already have two losses overall.

Considering they have Georgia, Florida and Clemson left to play they can’t afford another loss to avoid a hold-your-breath scenario to make a bowl game. They do have a break before the final five games.

Arkansas starts a row of games with no breaks of South Carolina-Alabama-Auburn-Ole Miss. The Hogs have to go at least 2-2 in that stretch or it’s going to be make-or-break every week.

By going 2-2 that sets them up at 4-4 with four to go and that includes likely wins against Coastal Carolina and Missouri.

The wildcards are LSU and Mississippi State. Both of those teams are so bipolar there’s no telling what the Hogs will be facing in mid-November.

But there are no breaks for Arkansas, either.

They’ve got to win four of the next eight to get bowl eligible. That’s the straight up numbers. It’s a much easier road if they beat South Carolina on Saturday.

The Gamecocks will likely have a defense unlike anything the Hogs have seen. Will Muschamp tends to come up with some special looks when he has to and he’s in a position where he will likely be sticking his nose into the defensive meeting rooms a couple of time.

They’re 3-2 with seven to go and that means they’ve got Tennessee the next week (and who knows what that situation will be after a bye week in Knoxville).

A loss to the Hogs and Vols puts them at 3-4 with having to pull three wins out of a run of Vandy-Georgia-Florida-Wofford-Clemson. I can see two, but getting a third is going to be tough.

Which is why they need a win Saturday.

And why this game is so important to both teams.

It should be close.