20 Dec 10 SEC Championship Preview: How South Carolina Will Beat Auburn

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThe Line: Auburn -4Over/Under: 62.5 The No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers will look to stay perfect in the 19th SEC Championship Game today against the No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina has never played for an SEC Championship, but Steve Spurrier coached seven of them with the Florida Gators. His all-time record in the game is 5-2. This game marks the fifth time that two teams have played each other in the regular season and then again in the SEC Championship; a meaningless stat. When these two teams met in September, it was Auburn that emerged victorious. I'm not so sure the same will happen Saturday in Atlanta. South Carolina took a 27-21 lead into the fourth quarter earlier in the year against the Tigers. The Gamecocks' offense proceeded to turn the ball over on all four possessions in the quarter. After two fumbles by Gamecocks' quarterback, Stephen Garcia, Spurrier decided to pull him in favor of freshman Connor Shaw. Shaw managed to drive inside the Auburn 30-yard line twice before throwing an interception to end both drives, and ultimately the game. Auburn showed the same resolve that they have displayed several times this season: They step up when it matters the most. What South Carolina Must Do to Win South Carolina faces the task of Reebok Minnesota Vikings #69 Jared Allen Realtree camo Jerseystopping Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers' offense. A tall task indeed.Few teams have slowed this offense down—none have succeeded at completely stopping them. The key for the Gamecocks lies in their offense. Protect the Ball The Gamecocks are going to have to avoid turning the ball over. They succeeded in not turning the ball over in the first matchup, before turning it over four times in the 4th quarter. They will diminish their chances of winning with each turnover they make. Auburn is not a team to give away points to. Get the Ball to Alshon Auburn isn't the only one with a defensive mismatch. Auburn's secondary really has no answer for Alshon Jeffery. He torched them for 182 yards on nine catches in their first meeting. Other NFL caliber receivers have also done the same to Auburn this season, but it has been to no avail. Still, the overwhelming mismatch should draw double coverage and open some other areas up Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey for the Gamecocks offense. Run the Ball Marcus Lattimore must get the ball early and often. Auburn has been stingy against the run lately, but if South Carolina can open up the holes early, they will be able to keep the Auburn offense on the sideline. Lattimore is the ex-factor for South Carolina. Iexpect Jeffery to wreak havoc on the secondary, but Lattimore can deliver the knockout punch.He's going to need at least 20 touches. South Carolina has made a habit of not feeding him the ball when they lose—they can't this time. What Auburn Must Do to Win The Tigers didn't have any trouble running the ball against South Carolina earlier in the year. I expect the Tigers to pound it out on the ground once again. Put the game in the hands of Cam Newton and you can do no wrong. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesStay True to Your Game I noticed that Auburn ran the I-Formation against Alabama on a 3rd and short situation early in the Iron Bowl--only to get stuffed.It was quite a perplexing move that begged the question: why didn't Cam Newton get that carry? They just need to do what they do best--and that's run the football. Convert Red Zone Opportunities The Gamecocks are tough to score on inside the 20-yard line, but Auburn converted 4 of 5 opportunities earlier in the year.Auburn is a very difficult team to Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jerseystop in the Red Zone, converting 50 of 57 Red Zone attempts this season. Auburn will need that same kind of success. Even one stop could mean the difference in this game. Avoid Big Plays on Defense The Tigers defense allowed 10 plays of 15 yards or more earlier in the year to South Carolina. If they can find a way to neutralize Jeffery or Garcia, they will be one step closer to beating the Gamecocks. The Outcome Both teams are capable of winning this game. Interestingly enough, that can be said of a lot of Auburn's games this season. They are a battle-hardened squad that have survived what most championship teams usually go through in a season. South Carolina had Auburn where they wanted them in their previous match-up, and are certainly capable of doing the same thing on Saturday. The Gamecocks are third in the nation in sacks per game. As evidenced by Alabama, you have to blow this team up at the line of scrimmage. The team that does that will win. It takes a lot to rattle Cam Newton, but if the Gamecocks at least harass him for the entire game—he will lose confidence. I don't think Auburn will have an answer for Alshon Jeffery. On the flip-side, South Carolina doesn't have an answer for Cam Newton. Which skill players will step up the most? We will be in for an entertaining match-up that will likely go back and forth. South Carolina is eager to exact revenge on the Tigers. The Gamecocks win this one, 37-28.