I’ve always enjoyed the over/under part of football. Not necessarily from a gambling standpoint, but because it forces you to put a number on what you actually believe is going to happen.

Anybody can say, “I think South Carolina is going to play well.”

Okay. How well?

Anybody can say LaNorris Sellers is going to have a big game.

Fine. How big?

So, with that in mind, I’m putting some numbers on Saturday’s game against Kent State. These aren’t necessarily Vegas numbers. These are my numbers, based on what I expect to see when South Carolina takes the field.

LaNorris Sellers — 275 Total Yards

OVER

I’m going over, and I don’t think he necessarily has to play four quarters to get there.

I expect South Carolina to let Sellers throw the football early and get comfortable. But what makes him so difficult to defend is that 275 total yards doesn’t have to come through the air. He can give you 225 passing and another 60 or 70 with his legs before you realize what happened.

This is the kind of game where I expect him to look like one of the better quarterbacks in the country.

South Carolina Rushing — 200 Yards

OVER

This is one I want to see.

South Carolina should be able to physically control Kent State up front. There’s no reason to dance around that.

If this offensive line is what I think it can be, the Gamecocks should establish the line of scrimmage and run the football effectively. I’m not looking for 4 yards and a cloud of dust, either. I want to see some explosive runs.

Give me the over.

Gamecock Sacks — 3.5

OVER

I may regret putting this number this low.

South Carolina should be able to create pressure without having to manufacture it. And when you’ve got guys like Dylan Stewart coming off the edge, quarterbacks tend to start getting uncomfortable pretty quickly.

Four sacks feels very realistic.

Five or six wouldn’t shock me.

Kent State Points — 13.5

UNDER

This is probably the number I feel strongest about.

If South Carolina is going to be the football team I think it can be this season, Kent State shouldn’t score 14 points.

Period.

Maybe they get something late when the game has already been decided and South Carolina has emptied the bench, but against the Gamecocks’ primary defense, I don’t expect Kent State to have much success.

South Carolina Turnovers — 1.5

UNDER

This matters more to me than people might think.

Games like this are about developing habits.

Protect the football. Don’t give an inferior opponent short fields. Don’t make stupid mistakes that keep a team hanging around longer than it should.

One turnover? It happens.

Two or more?

I’m not happy.

Give me the under.

Gamecock Explosive Plays of 20+ Yards — 5.5

OVER

This is where I think the difference in athletes begins showing up.

There should be opportunities down the field, opportunities after the catch and opportunities in the running game.

South Carolina has too many athletes for me to believe we’re going to watch them grind out 12-play drives all afternoon.

I’m looking for explosives.

Give me six or more.

Margin of Victory — 36.5

OVER

This isn’t disrespect toward Kent State. It’s about what South Carolina should be capable of doing.

If you’re talking about becoming a legitimate SEC contender, then there are certain opponents you simply have to put away.

Don’t let them hang around.

Don’t give them hope.

Don’t turn a game that should be over at halftime into something we’re still discussing in the fourth quarter.

I think South Carolina wins this one comfortably enough to cover that number.

Total Points — 53.5

OVER

If I’m taking Kent State under 13.5 and still taking the total over 53.5, you can probably figure out where I think most of those points are coming from.

I expect South Carolina to score.

And score quite a bit.

How Many Quarters Before This Game Is Effectively Over? — 2.5

UNDER

This might be the most important over/under on my list.

By halftime, I want this thing decided.

Not technically decided. I’ve watched football too long to say a game is mathematically over after two quarters.

I mean football decided.

I want to look at the scoreboard, look at what is happening on the field and know Kent State isn’t coming back.

Because Saturday isn’t really about Kent State.

It’s about South Carolina.

It’s about seeing whether this team looks disciplined. Whether the offensive line controls the line of scrimmage. Whether Sellers looks comfortable. Whether the defense dominates. Whether the Gamecocks play like a team that expects to compete with the heavyweights later on the schedule.

Kent State is the opponent.

South Carolina’s expectations are the real measuring stick.

And Saturday, we start finding out just how high those expectations should be.