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The Texas A&M Aggies take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Check out our college football odds series for our Texas A&M South Carolina prediction and pick.
The Texas A&M Aggies have had a rough ride this season, and in light of the injury to quarterback Max Johnson, it won't get any easier. It is true that coach Jimbo Fisher has had to deal with quarterback injuries in each of the past two seasons. He is unlucky in that regard. However, given that A&M pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2022, and given the resources he has at his disposal in College Station, it is more than fair to expect that Fisher can have a backup quarterback of considerable quality, such that when the QB1 goes down, the QB2 enables the offense to perform at a high level. That is plainly not the case.
Alabama could not have given A&M more chances than it did to steal a win two weeks ago, but the Aggies and their limited passing game could not take advantage. A&M is undeniably unlucky, but the Aggies have plainly not developed the depth they need to compete at a national championship level.
South Carolina has been in this situation before. More precisely, the Gamecocks have been in this situation very recently.
Earlier this month, South Carolina went up against a team which was playing a backup quarterback. The Gamecocks went into Lexington and smothered Kentucky, limiting a weakened Wildcat offense to just 14 points on a night when UK did not have starter Will Levis on the field. Spencer Rattler did not make big mistakes. He allowed his defense to win the game. He didn't try to be the hero. South Carolina won, 24-14. That's a good foundational basis for this game, in which South Carolina once again faces an opponent whose quarterback is not especially talented, and whose offense is therefore not particularly potent. The formula for victory could not be clearer: Run the ball, convert third downs, make simple plays, win the field position and time of possession battles, and let the defense do most of the work.
Here are the Texas A&M-South Carolina NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Texas A&M-South Carolina Odds
Texas A&M Aggies: -3 (-110)
South Carolina Gamecocks: +3 (-110)
Over: 44.5 (-112)
Under: 44.5 (-108)
Why Texas A&M Could Cover the Spread
The Aggies have a defense which can put the clamps on Spencer Rattler and the South Carolina passing game. We have seen A&M win games this year against struggling offenses and underperforming quarterbacks, a representative example being the 17-9 win over Miami and Tyler Van Dyke. Texas A&M can replicate that formula against South Carolina. It won't be pretty, but it can certainly be effective.
Why South Carolina Could Cover the Spread
The Texas A&M offense is going to struggle. South Carolina took advantage of Kentucky when the Wildcats didn't have Will Levis, and that win was achieved on the road. Now South Carolina can feast on A&M's offense in a home night game. The Gamecocks don't have to be creative or original. They just need to tend to the basics and not make key mistakes.
Final Texas A&M-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
This game is likely to be very low scoring, so instead of picking a team, the best play is most likely the under. South Carolina-Kentucky, a game in which South Carolina's opponent did not have its best quarterback on the field, was a 38-point game. Take the under once again.
Final Texas A&M-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: Under 44.5
