mostly due to where that game falls on each team's schedule this year. Carolina will head to Knox after 2 home games with UK & Troy.

UTK has consecutive road games at UF & Missouri prior to USC visiting - and will lose both. Lane Kiffin will step foot in Knox for the first time since he abandon the vols for Southern Cal - the weekend after the Gamecocks visit. every local talking head will have their fans - and possibly their team - looking past Carolina for Ole Miss/Kiffin.

I also believe USC is better along both LOS than UTK this season and I have no doubt the Gamecock RBs are better than what Heupel has in Knox - even with Tiyon from Hartsville now on their roster.

UTK's leading returning tackler is their FS. their LBs - even with the Longhorn transfer - are arguably a bigger concern for them compared to what our LB issues are. USC also has a guy named Enagbare and UTK doesn't.

UTK also lost its most experienced OL (32 games played) last week to surgery and is out indefinitely. they did get the Mays brother from UGA cleared but overall I think I saw that 10 of their 16 OL are RS Soph & younger.

the VT QB transfer is probably their best option, but he threw 3 INT in a loss to Wake Forest last season. the Mich QB transfer from FL has accuracy concerns as well. both are built to play TE in the NFL, not QB in college.

USC was the better team last year against UTK - but couldn't overcome the Mushcamp's ability to coach to lose a game.

This post was edited on 8/20/21 at 1:40 pm