Auburn is riding high, ranked No, 9 in the nation after an SEC-opening win against LSU as almost all cylinders are firing for the Tigers. South Carolina sits at 9-3 with losses to Princeton, Coastal Carolina and Clemson. It looks like a game where Bruce Pearl's team should roll with ease.

Not exactly, the Auburn coach said.

"We've struggled at South Carolina," Pearl said. "Played well a couple of times but don't have a great record there. We won last year, but we've lost three prior."

Yes, Colonial Life Arena hasn't been the friendliest of places to the Tigers over the years, and a lot has to do with Gamecocks' coach Frank Martin and the physicality his teams bring on the floor. It's no different this season as South Carolina puts out a big lineup that can take advantage of one of the few weaknesses this Auburn team has shown: giving up offensive rebounds.

"They've got big guards," Pearl said. "Then they send their fours and fives in particular … they send them to the boards. So, 14.5 offensive rebounds a game is a lot; that's just a lot. They're really athletic. They're really long. They're really big. They're strong."

And it's not like the Gamecocks haven't had their share of good wins, beating Western Kentucky, UAB and Florida State. And, as typical with a Martin-led team, the defense causes plenty of problems for opponents. South Carolina ranks 11th in field goal percentage defense, and, as Pearl points out, running an effective half-court offense against the Gamecocks will be crucial.

"They're going to make your catches difficult; ball pressure will bother you," the coach said. "They're very physical on the inside."

It's just another test of many to come as the Tigers go on the road with big targets on their backs with the high ranking and SEC title expectations. Pearl expects the best from South Carolina in an arena where success has been hard to come by for the Tigers.

"This will have to be a game where we have our most physical game in order to take away what they're good at."