Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#32 South Carolina Gamecocks 7-5 SU; 6-6 ATS

Fargos Take Steve Spurriers return to the NCAA ranks was considered a success after leading the Gamecocks to its first bowl game since 2001. An 8-4 record would have looked a lot better than the 7-5 mark they finished with, no thanks to blowing a 21-point lead to Missouri in the Independence Bowl. Spurrier has the majority of his pieces back in his fun and gun offense that should show major improvements in its second season in Columbia. The defense is where there is the most concern as only four starters are back in 2006 from the unit that ranked 47th in total defense and 40th in scoring defense. It might be too soon for South Carolina to make a run at the SEC East title with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia all ranked in the preseason top 20 but there are enough winnable games on the schedule for the Gamecocks to make it back to a bowl game at the end of the season.

Returning Starters on Offense 6 The Gamecocks finished just 100th in total offense and 75th in scoring offense last season, very uncharacteristic for a Spurrier led team. However, it was the first year in the new system and with a year under everyones belt, the offense has the chance to be one of the best in the conference. Quarterback Blake Mitchell is back to run the offense and he is blessed with numerous playmakers to aide him. Wide receiver Sidney Rice led the team with 70 catches for 1,143 yards and 13 touchdowns and will be a force once again despite a thumb injury in the spring. The best news could be in the running game, which finished 108th in the nation last year. Running back Cory Boyd returns after missing all of 2005. He was second on the team in both rushing and receiving in 2004. The offensive line must replace four starters from 2005 but the unit was extremely inconsistent so change could be good.

Returning Starters on Defense 4 There is only one senior on the entire two-deep chart so South Carolina will experience a lot of growing pains early on in the season. Gone are the top seven tacklers but defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix, who will be in his first full season, is confident that the unit wont digress. The defensive line struggled stopping the run last season but spring drills brought out the best from the front four and they should improve on their 85th ranking against the run. The linebackers all need to be replaced but JUCO transfers and twin brothers Jasper and Casper Brinkley are expect to make huge impacts right away. The secondary was the strength a season ago and while the cornerbacks will be solid once again, the two safety positions are a concern.

Schedule The schedule is both top and bottom heavy with the biggest breaks coming in the middle of the season. The Gamecocks head right into conference action out of the gate as they travel to Mississippi St. to open the season before hosting Georgia the following week. Two straight non-conference games are next at home against Wofford and Florida Atlantic before another SEC test with Auburn coming to town. The next four games provide somewhat of a break with games at Kentucky and Vanderbilt followed by home games against Tennessee and Arkansas. The much anticipated trip to Florida and the season finale at Clemson are sandwiched around a home game against Middle Tennessee to close out the season. The best part about the slate is that LSU and Alabama are absent.

You can bet on When it comes to college ball, Spurrier just wins as he has been to 12 straight bowl games. It will be 13 after this season as long as the Gamecocks can protect their home field and win at least five of the seven games. Three road games are almost sure wins so surpassing last years seven wins is likely. Last season, South Carolina had its first non-losing campaign against the number since 2001 and that was with an overvalued team because of the return of Spurrier. After going 8-16 ATS in 2002-2004, the Gamecocks went 5-3 ATS in SEC games in 2005 and they will try to keep that run going in the first two games of the year this season. They are favored on the road at Mississippi St., the first time they have been in that role since the middle of the 2004 season.