South Carolina will travel to No. 7 Alabama for an intriguing SEC matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This is the 17th meeting between the two teams all-time and the first since 2019. Alabama owns a 13-3 lead in the series and hasn’t lost to the Gamecocks since 2010.
But if recent results have taught us anything, it’s that winning streaks don’t mean much in this chaotic season. Alabama is reeling after losing 40-35 to Vanderbilt in Week 6, its first loss to the Commodores since 1984 and just the fourth time in program history that the defending national champions lost to an unranked team.
As a result, Alabama fell from the top spot to No. 7 in the latest AP Poll Top 25, the biggest drop by a No. 1 team since 2010, when Ohio State fell to No. 11 after a road loss to Wisconsin. The lesson: Don’t take anything for granted.
On the other hand, SEC play hasn’t gone well for South Carolina so far. The Gamecocks started the year by beating Kentucky 31-6 and generating a lot of buzz, but then they lost to LSU and lost 27-3 to Ole Miss. Those three points are the fewest points scored by South Carolina under coach Shane Beamer since Nov. 27, 2021, when Clemson shut them out.
How to watch Alabama vs. South Carolina live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12 | Time: Noon ET
Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (try free)
Alabama vs. South Carolina: Need to know
History says Alabama is ready to bounce back: A week before the Crimson Tide’s impressive win against Georgia, Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt was certainly shocking. However, history is on Kalen DeBoer’s side. Alabama hasn’t lost consecutive regular-season games since 2007 — Nick Saban’s first year with the program — and it has won 79 straight home games against unranked opponents, the longest such streak in 30 years. South Carolina has also lost its last seven games against ranked opponents, a streak that runs through the end of 2022.
The key is the line of scrimmage: South Carolina quarterback Lanorris Sellers hasn’t performed as well as many would have expected. However, it’s not due to a lack of talent. He simply hasn’t had much help — and he was also injured a few times early in the season. He’s also taking a lot of hits. South Carolina is the only SEC team, and one of only three FBS programs, to allow more than 20 sacks so far. The Gamecocks have allowed opposing defenses to get to the quarterback 22 times, more than any other school in the country.
However, Alabama’s pass rush has been inconsistent this year. The Crimson Tide have 11 sacks, which ranks 11th in the SEC. They haven’t been able to put much pressure on Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and haven’t been able to put him on the ground once, even though the Commodores played ball possession and took their time with their offensive approach. This same Alabama front allowed three sacks against Georgia and four in a game against South Florida. As mentioned above, the Gamecocks are vulnerable. It’s not a stretch to say SEC games will be decided in the trenches, but it will be interesting to see which team gives up first.
What will Ryan Williams do this week?:
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has garnered headlines as the nation’s premier freshman phenomenon — and he deserves it, because he’s a special player — but Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams has been just as impressive. Williams’ 544 yards receiving in five games are the most for a true freshman since Michael Crabtree gained an absurd 920 yards in 2007. He is tied with Smith for the most touchdowns through the air among freshmen, and his astounding 28.6 yards per catch are the highest in the country.
It’s worth watching games to see what he does. Did you know he is only 17 years old?
Alabama vs. South Carolina prediction, picks
South Carolina doesn’t have the offensive weapons Vanderbilt has to pick Alabama apart, but the Gamecocks are much better defensively. Especially along the line, where they should be athletic enough to keep Milroe in the pocket (at least for the majority of the game) and force him to throw. I actually expect this to be a very low-scoring game and, although South Carolina is equipped to cover a big spread, Alabama should still pull out a comfortable win. Pick: South Carolina +21.5 (-115)
