There’s no question that it has been a disappointing season for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

A preseason top-10 ranking had South Carolina fans envisioning their favorite team competing for championships at the end of the year, but reality set in quickly following a season-opening blowout loss to Texas A&M and then again with conference losses to Missouri and Kentucky.

So while the preseason goals are no longer possible for Steve Spurrier and his team, the lack of pressure could easily benefit the Gamecocks heading into their toughest matchup of the season — on the road against No. 5 Auburn.

Auburn finds itself on the other side of the spectrum compared to the Gamecocks. Gus Malzahn’s team suffered a tough road loss to the No. 1 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs a couple of weeks ago, but the Tigers largely still have all of their goals in front of them and are very much in the College Football Playoff hunt.

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With postseason playoff hopes at stake, there’s no doubt all of the pressure will fall on Auburn’s shoulders Saturday night. Not only are the Tigers expected to rout South Carolina (Auburn is currently a 19-point favorite), but they also have a very crucial top-5 ranked game on the road next week against Ole Miss.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Auburn’s minds were elsewhere Saturday night, focused on the Rebels instead of the Gamecocks.

Spurrier believes the loose atmosphere among his players will benefit his team as they head into what can only be described as a low-risk, high-reward scenario.

“We’re loose,” Spurrier said. “There is no pressure on us except to go to Auburn and see if we can pull of the upset.”

Of course, the task of actually pulling off the upset will be easier said than done. Auburn’s one of the most complete teams in the country and the Gamecocks will absolutely need their best game of the season if there’s any realistic chance of getting a win in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Auburn is a good team as we all know. They run the ball extremely well and are certainly capable of throwing the ball,” Spurrier said. “Their defense is very solid… we have to bring our “A” game and see if we can get a break or two and see what happens at Auburn Saturday night.”

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There’s isn’t much precedent for South Carolina beating Auburn, however. During Spurrier’s time with the Gamecocks, the HBC is 0-5 against Auburn and the lone program win in this series came all the way back in 1933.

South Carolina is hoping some changes made on the defensive front will help stymie the high-powered Auburn offense. Senior captain and defensive tackle JT Surratt will be ready for tomorrow night’s game after he was originally doubtful at the beginning of the week due to a hamstring injury.

The Gamecocks will also shift freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams to defensive end for the rest of the season, hoping his team-leading four QB hurries will spark what’s been a rather low-impact season from the defensive line.

The feeling is if South Carolina can keep the game close and keep pace with Auburn’s offense, the team who is playing with nothing to lose will be in a better position to pull out the victory. All in all, Spurrier is just hoping for more improvement from his team in what will be a hostile environment.

“You have to believe that you can have a chance, if your team plays very well,” Spurrier said of his 4-3 Gamecocks. “We’re going in with the idea that we’ll battle with them. But like I said last week, only pressure on us is to play the best we can. Try to play the best we can. Try to coach the best we can and see what happens.”

“We have nothing to lose in this ball game.”

South Carolina and Auburn kickoff Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on SEC Network.