Things looked bleak for the Gamecocks at midseason last year, but a shakeup in the offensive backfield led to a strong finish. That’s one reason why there is no shortage of optimism in Columbia, and South Carolina is being mentioned as a dark horse candidate to win the SEC East.

Building on the offensive strengths from last season while coach Will Muschamp further re-builds the defense that struggled at times in 2016 will be the keys this season.

Here are the dream and disaster scenarios for South Carolina:

Dreaming the good dreams

1. Jake Bentley has (another) career season. Take Bentley’s sensational partial season from 2016 and expand it across a full season, and there would be plenty of celebrating in Columbia. At that pace, Bentley easily would be mentioned in the same conversation as Connor Shaw and Steve Taneyhill among great Gamecocks quarterbacks. He already is first on the school’s career completion percentage list at 65.8. He passed for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions.

2. Skai Moore stabilizes defense. The perennial leading tackler and 2015 team captain returns from a neck injury and adds credibility to a defense that lost plenty of talent and experience. A career season would mean he would become the first Gamecock to lead the team in tackles in four seasons, an accomplishment done just 14 times in NCAA Division I history.

3. A healthy Deebo Samuel. The veteran has battled ongoing hamstring issues, but is still the top returning receiver on the team with 71 career catches for 944 yards. In the bowl game loss to South Florida, Samuel accounted for 14 catches and 190 yards, and while that shouldn’t be expected regularly, it shows his potential. The other improvement Gamecocks fans are hoping for is Samuel to convert more catches into touchdowns.

4. An upgraded defensive line. Muschamp singled them out at SEC Media Days, and the Gamecocks’ pass rush could use a boost from the likes of Dante Sawyer, Taylor Stallworth and Ulric Jones. That group has experience (all are seniors) and should help the defense improve on last season’s team sack total of 21, which was tied for 11th in the SEC.

5. Running back depth. Along with Rico Dowdle and A.J. Turner, North Carolina transfer Ty’Son Williams will add another option in the backfield. Dowdle started the final five games of the regular season. Williams (6-foot, 220 pounds) was South Carolina’s scout team back and will add speed to Dowdle’s power. If that’s not enough, throw Caleb Kinlaw, a former Wisconsin running back, into the mix after coming from Pearl River Community College.

Nightmare scenarios

1. They struggle to replace Darius English. On top of the pass rush struggles from a year ago, the Gamecocks lost sack leader Darius English, who had nine sacks from the Buck position. His replacement is D.J. Wonnum, who had 1.5 sacks last season. Daniel Fennell and Bryson Allen-Williams are other options at the Buck, but if Wonnum can’t get a consistent pass rush, it will likely turn the defensive alignment upside down.

2. Offensive line struggles continue. New assistant coach Eric Wolford was brought in to fix a unit that continued to struggle in 2016. In fact, it’s been an issue for several years for South Carolina, which hasn’t been in the top 5 in the SEC in rushing yards since 2013, also the last time they had a 1,000-yard rusher (Mike Davis). The trouble for Wolford is motivating and changing the mindset of a unit that struggled but returns every starter but Mason Zandi.

3. Newcomers in secondary struggle. The Gamecocks had a feast-or-famine secondary in 2016 when it seemed as if there was a highlight play sandwiched around a targeting call or two nearly every game. The Gamecocks return three starters, but also added six DBs in the most recent recruiting class. Given the current alignment, the Gamecocks would need at least one of those newcomers, and more realistically several, to contribute.