It didn’t take long for us to get our first huge SEC game of the 2018 season, as Georgia heads to South Carolina on Saturday for Week 2 action.

Many expect the game between the reigning SEC champion Bulldogs and the upstart Gamecocks to be a de facto SEC East title game, so the stakes are certainly high.

Recently, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit shared his thoughts on the big-time matchup on his “Herbstreit & Fitzsimmons Read & React” podcast:

“I love the Georgia-South Carolina game every year. I don’t care who’s on the roster. It’s just one of those games I kick up my feet, and I just take it in. I just love how hard hitting it is. I love the nastiness of it. I love how it typically sets the tone in the SEC East early.

“Georgia is a team — let’s face it — with Kirby there and what they did last year, they’re kind of a perennial power in the East and everybody’s trying to knock them off. This is where we’re going to find out 2017 is over. It’s 2018 — a new Georgia team that lost Roquan Smith and some other great players off that team. Got to go on the road for the first time. Great opportunity to remind everybody that the Georgia Bulldogs are still the big boys of the SEC East, and this is a great challenge against Jake Bentley. Deebo Samuel’s back looking outstanding. So, they got a lot of weapons, and I’m telling you now, I’ve seen it before — I remember when Alabama went in there No. 1 — that is a hostile environment, and Jake Fromm has got to take care of the football. They’ve got to avoid those disastrous plays.

“It’s going to be a great game, and I think it’s maybe closer than what many people expect. But I do think Georgia is clearly the team to beat and the better team there, even though they’re on the road.”

Will the Bulldogs manage to make a statement victory? Or will the Gamecocks pull off the big upset? Tune into CBS at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday afternoon to find out.