Why UF will beat South Carolina

Gators will beat Gamecocks by double digits; more Week 8 bold predictions

Updated: October 18, 2012, 1:43 PM ET

By Phil Steele | Special to ESPN Insider

While the Pittsburgh Panthers let me down last week by not upsetting Louisville, I was pretty satisfied with my bold predictions, including Wisconsin destroying Purdue on the road 38-14 to improve my toss-up game record to 6-1 on the year.

Here are my bold predictions for Week 8:

1. Florida will beat South Carolina by double digits
The Florida Gators have been featured in this column on almost a weekly basis, and all they have done is go a perfect 6-0, earning the No. 2 spot in the first BCS standings on the strength of their quality wins over Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU. This week is yet another test for them, as they welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks and former coach Steve Spurrier in a game that could determine the winner of the SEC East division.

There are many reasons why I think Florida will win this easier than expected. Let's start by looking at the schedules these two have played to date.

To read the rest of Phil Steele's bold predictions for Week 8, you must be an ESPN Insider.