South Carolina Cocks Up Georgia's March to the CFP

This wasn't the day for a College Football Playoff favorite to be mailing it in.

The Georgia Bulldogs certainly weren't looking past 21-point underdog South Carolina to next week's foe, 3-3 Kentucky.

Dudes just showed up as the lesser-prepared team and promptly got their patooties paddled in double-overtime.

 

South Carolina's offense did what seems to be the trending thing this year -- get injuried down to their third-string slinger -- but their defense took up the slack.

Led by Israel Mukuamu and his three picks, that crew bottled up a fizzled Bulldog attack, keeping their team in this game until fate smiled in their direction.

 

It came in the second overtime after the 'Cock D stuffed Jake Fromm & Co yet again.

It left Georgia's usually accurate kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to misfire on a tying field goal and sending Gamecock Nation into a 20-17 state of delerium.

 

Do not insert a four-eyes snarkment here. You'll tick off the majority of America.

The real issue is why the Bulldogs were even in that position.

Dudes came out flat, South Carolina sensed it, and even the game-ending injury to freshman Ryan Hilinski -- playing because starter Jake Bentley was already shelved for the season -- wasn't gonna deny them a shot at knocking off the SEC East favorite.

 

Hilinski was merely functional while he was in there -- 15-for-20 passing for 116 yards and a touch -- but that's all he needed to be.

Replacement Dekereon Joyner had spent most of the week nursing an angry hamstring, but all he had to be was merely less functional to keep the 'Cocks in it.

 

It means that reality is alive and well in the wake of 2019's biggest upset to date.

Dude maintained, and as a result, the division is now in a legitimate four-way battle for its title. That total, though, means that Missouri will have put down its cupcakes and South Carolina -- with its two converence losses -- would have to run the table.

But hell, after this result ...

 

And prepare some more. Next up for the 'Cocks is Florida.

The Gators, fresh off that pull-away loss at LSU, will be focused and cranky. They'll be taking nothing for granted.