The schedule matters here too. South Carolina hasn't played since the Florida game, so Beamer gets 2 weeks to prepare for one opponent. Tennessee gets 6 days to come down from its biggest win of the year, and it plays its first road game since Arkansas. The win over Alabama was a statement, and the Vols now have to follow it up on the road.
Towson45-9The Vols have won 3 straight, and the scores tell you how they do it: 24-14, 24-17, 26-10. They don't win by lighting up the scoreboard. They win by keeping the other team in the teens. The only loss was 20-17 at home to Texas. South Carolina is the opposite kind of team. It scores 34 and still loses. The Gamecocks lost to Mississippi State by 7 and Kentucky by 1 before the Florida win ended an 8-game SEC losing streak. One caveat on the Florida game: ESPN noted that Sellers' 4 touchdown passes came against the worst passing defense in the league.
Both teams have injury questions in the backfield and up front. Tennessee has lost OG W. Moe Jr. and LB J. Harmon for the season, and RB J. Gordon has been questionable with a leg injury for weeks. That makes Bishop even more important. South Carolina has lost 2 receivers for the year, J. Sellers and J. Gibson. That's why the Florida game mattered: Sellers spread 4 touchdown passes across Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett Jr., Donovan Murph and Lex Cyrus. Saturday, October 24 will show whether that passing game holds up against a defense that just held Alabama to 149 yards.