South Carolina-Texas A&M prediction: The last glimmer of hope on the line
Texas A&M is near-about in the position South Carolina hoped to see itself at this point of the year.
The Aggies and Jimbo Fisher had an easier bottom end of the schedule and a top end that was right up there with USC’s. A&M has taken care of the business it needed to and is looking good to win a seventh game of the year at home before visits to two top-10 teams to finish out the season.
But in a battle of teams that faced the preseason Nos. 1, 2 and 3 squads, South Carolina is ailing, and not because of its performance in those contests.
The Gamecocks split Georgia and Alabama, a feat in itself, but losses to Tennessee, App State, UNC and Missouri have derailed South Carolina’s fourth season with Will Muschamp. USC needs an upset here and against top-five Clemson just to reach a bowl game.
This week, they’ll have to contend with a program notably stronger than its record on the wrong end of a 10-point spread.
The Aggies are a bit like they were last year, solid on both offense and defense, but not exceptional at either. The offense seems to have found a back in Isaiah Spiller (217 yards last week), and quarterback Kellen Mond has been good, though maybe hasn’t taken as big a step forward this year as expected.
On defense, A&M is top-25 level against the pass and just solid against the run.
The Gamecocks defense has been solid to very good much of the year, but the offense is struggling. The run game sputtered against App State, and QB Ryan Hilinski was again left on an island, this time with very little in the way of help from receivers.
On the road, the odds are long for South Carolina. The last gasps of bowl hopes are on the line, and it would be a tall, tall task to keep them going.
The pick: Texas A&M 24, South Carolina 13
