The SEC finally released the 2012 football schedule with the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M. There have been a few changes to the normal schedule to accommodate the two new teams.
Here is USC’s conference slate:
SOUTH CAROLINA
Aug. 30: at Vanderbilt
Sept. 22: MISSOURI
Sept. 29: at Kentucky
Oct. 6: GEORGIA
Oct. 13: at LSU
Oct. 20: at Florida
Oct. 27: TENNESSEE
Nov. 10: ARKANSAS
Breaking it down further….
What has changed:
The first change you will notice is USC will not play UGA at the beginning of the SEC schedule like normal but now in October. The next big change is, Mississippi State will not make the return trip to Columbia this year as that spot was filled by Missouri coming to Columbia on September 22.
Just as before, Auburn rotates off the schedule and LSU is added as our floating SEC West opponent. The other big change is Florida will now be in the middle of October instead of our last SEC opponent of the season. Arkansas will now be our final SEC opponent of the season.
Overall thoughts of the 2012 schedule:
At first glance of the schedule is…South Carolina is going to have one heck of a hard schedule in 2012. The month of October is going to be brutal. Not sure how the SEC figured out the schedule but it would have been nice to have at least a buy week between LSU and Florida. If the SEC East race comes down to the final game of the season, the Gamecocks will be at a disadvantage playing Arkansas as they should once again be one of the best teams in the SEC West next year.
The SEC schedule will never be easy and you have to play the games you are given. USC, given its’ talent in 2012, should be able to step up and make it interesting as we noted earlier today in our snap judgements that included some predictions.
