No. 10 Texas A&M heads off to play South Carolina this week, but it already feels like two different seasons for the Aggies. Maybe it’s because he’s going back and forth between two different quarterbacks.
The Aggies lost at home to Notre Dame in their opening game of the year, showing a lackluster performance. Serious questions arose as to whether this team was going to seriously contend in the SEC. Since then, Mike Elko’s team has been nothing short of a win as they went from Connor Weigman to Marcell Reed and back again to Connor Weigman and Marcell Reed. Last week against LSU, Reed replaced Weigman and was the spark for the A&M offense that lifted the Aggies into the top 10 with a 38-23 win. According to the sports betting app, the Aggies are a +110 bet to advance to the College Football Playoff. Fan Duel.
Reid is expected to start this week, but whoever is lined up at QB will be up against it. South Carolina’s defense has been one of the most troublesome teams in the nation this season, and it boasts one of the best fronts in college football. There’s nothing easy about this unit. Considering the night game atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium, this game could go anyone’s way.
Texas A&M vs. South Carolina: What you need to know
Texas A&M is dominating this young rivalry. That said, the game could go either way, but recent history suggests it’s more likely to go one way or the other. The SEC made this a protected rivalry when the Aggies joined the conference, but no one bothered to defend South Carolina. The Aggies are 9-1 against the Gamecocks, with six of those wins coming by at least two points. South Carolina’s only win came under coach Shane Beamer, and this was the last game played in Columbia.
Mike Elko is off to the best start as an Aggies coach in more than a century: Mike Elko’s Aggies are off to a 7-1 start, but Texas A&M was the last to win their first seven games. Eight games in College Station, where you have to go back a long way to find a coach. That coach was Dana Bible. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because his first season was in 1917. Aggies fans surely know that. That’s because Bible ranks third all-time in wins with the program with 72. Only RC Slocum (123) and Homer Norton (82) trail that number.
South Carolina has lost eight straight against teams ranked in the Associated Press poll. An eight-game losing streak isn’t fun, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the streak hasn’t lasted as long as the numbers suggest. Three of those eight losses came this season, and the first five all came last year. South Carolina ended the 2022 season with a 31-30 victory over rival Clemson, which was ranked in the top 10 at the time.
How to watch Texas A&M vs. South Carolina live
Date: Saturday, November 2 | Time: 7:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Location: Williams-Brice Stadium — Columbia, South Carolina
TV: ABC |Live stream: fubo (free trial)
Texas A&M vs. South Carolina predictions, picks
I know Marcell Reed was great last week, he was very impressive in his first start of the season against Florida, but he looked even more mediocre in the next two games. His presence won’t surprise South Carolina this week. I think Texas A&M will win this game, but I have much more confidence in both defensemen on the field, so I’d rather bet on the under than anything else. Pick: Under 44.5
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