Entering the 2024 season, South Carolina shares a lot of similarities with its USC brethren (the one in Southern California). From a talent perspective, there is plenty to get excited about in Columbia (and Los Angeles). The reason so many pundits are down on the Gamecocks and Trojans is their respective schedules, not the talent. According to 247Sports, South Carolina attracted the No. 18 class of incoming freshmen and transfers. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, that doesn't even put them in the top-10 of the SEC. We'll see what Shane Beamer is able to do in conference play in a couple weeks, but none of that will matter in Week 1 when the Gamecocks host Old Dominion. Coach Beamer will not have to look very hard to keep his team focused because the Monarchs have pulled some impressive upsets in recent years. On paper, the 2024 version of ODU looks a far cry from prior versions that beat Virginia Tech. Those 247Sports talent rankings that we referenced earlier? Old Dominion is No. 118 in the country. The Monarchs are No. 96 in returning production, but they do have one of the best linebackers in the country in Jason Henderson. ODU's weakness will likely be on the offensive line where the Monarchs produced over 100 negative-yardage plays last season. South Carolina's defensive front is going to cause a lot of havoc in this one, and ODU quarterback Grant Wilson figures to have his scrambling shoes on. Williams-Brice Stadium is capable of being one of the hottest venues in the country on any given Saturday. Look for things to slow down considerably in the second half of this one, and we wouldn't be shocked if the Monarchs were held to a single-digit tally on the scoreboard.