Staff Picks: South Carolina vs. Texas A&M, other Week 10 matchups

South Carolina is back in action this weekend coming off its second and final bye week of the season. The Gamecocks will take on No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.

The GamecockCentral and 107.5 The Game staffs shared their predictions for the game between the Gamecocks and Aggies as well as other Week 10 matchups from around the country.

[See the Gamecock discussion on The Insiders Forum!]

George Bagwell: I firmly believe that South Carolina is the best defense the Aggies have faced this season, by a wide margin. Is Marcel Reed and the run-heavy Texas A&M offense ready for a 1-2 combo of Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard? I don’t think they are. There’s a reason the game spread, as of Wednesday, is just 2.5 points. I like the Gamecocks to win at Williams-Brice, just like they did last time the Aggies came to town. South Carolina 28, Texas A&M 17.

Peyton Butt: I think the matchup will be close with the strength of South Carolina’s defense going up against the Aggies pass rushing. But I think Nic Scourton will be a major threat to LaNorris Sellers and the offense and if the Gamecocks don’t get on the board early, I think it will result in a loss. Texas A&M 36, South Carolina 24.

Elijah Campbell: I have one major concern with this Gamecock offense that I need to see rectified one more time before I can believe they have turned a corner into the realm of trustworthiness: taking care of the football. I applaud the ability to play it safe at Oklahoma and preserve the lead that the defense gave. They MUST do it again to beat an A&M team that is nasty up front and is the SEC’s best run defense during conference play. A&M will try to run the ball all game and if the Gamecocks stop the Reed Option (see what I did there?) and force the A&M OL to have to pass protect more than they have to, I like Carolina’s chances. I just don’t trust this offense to take care of the ball well enough and I have a hunch that A&M will get just enough on the ground to score the required amount to win. Texas A&M 27, South Carolina 19.

Chris Clark: Points should be at a premium in this matchup, as both team’s defenses are strengths. I think the Gamecocks make one or two more key plays in this fourth-quarter affair. South Carolina 21, Texas A&M 20.

Terry Ford: The Gamecocks will win a rock-fight by winning the field position, turnover battle. If you love defense this is your game! South Carolina 23, Texas A&M 20.

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Griffin Goodwyn: Saturday will mark the third time this season that South Carolina has welcomed a top-25 SEC opponent into Williams-Brice Stadium. Texas A&M will present the Gamecocks with some challenges, given they have the conference’s second-best rushing attack in the SEC (221.5 rushing yards per game) and a disruptive defensive line. But South Carolina has a strong defensive line, too, and has gotten an extra week to recover from a dominant road win over Oklahoma. A sell-out crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium should also play a role in what will be the Aggies’ toughest road contest of the 2024 campaign – and one where the Gamecocks could pull off an upset. South Carolina 21, Texas A&M 17.

Tyler Head: This is a huge matchup for the Gamecocks and a pivotal one for the direction of the final five games. Defense will need to dominate with quarterback pressures and forcing takeaways, two things they’ve done well all season. Sellers and the offense must keep the chains moving and keep mistakes to as close to zero as possible. South Carolina 17, Texas A&M 16. 

Wes Mitchell: I don’t necessarily love some of the matchups in this one for South Carolina but I do think it’s going to be a tight one and on paper should be low-scoring. Williams-Brice at night is the difference. South Carolina 24, Texas A&M 21. 

Jay Philips: This game is a tricky one to pick. A&M is coming off a huge win for their team and program, and they did it while changing quarterbacks. The Aggie defense was also spectacular in the second half against LSU, forcing some crucial turnovers. Can they bring all those things to Columbia? The Gamecocks are coming off another bye week and are chomping at the bit to get their own defense back on the field after a brilliant showing in Norman. If they keep that level up, and the offense simply limits its own errors (a common theme) then Carolina wins a tight one. If not then I believe the Aggies will win a slow burn type game. Williams-Brice will be packed and electric, and Carolina MUST use that to their advantage all night. South Carolina 27, Texas A&M 23.

Kendall Smith: Good things happened the last time South Carolina welcomed Texas A&M to Willy B, but bad things happened after South Carolina’s last bye week. I’m thinking the Oklahoma momentum will continue though, and the Gamecocks defense will come out strong again and will pick up some points for South Carolina. Will it be tough potentially seeing 2 QB’s? Sure. But it’s nothing this group can’t handle. Night game in Columbia? Give me the Gamecocks all day- South Carolina 28, Texas A&M 17. 

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Mike Uva: South Carolina could win out and I wouldn’t be surprised because their defense is that talented. But, that’s only if their offense is able to be more consistent this down the stretch. I expect this game to be a slugfest with the defense keeping them in it until the end. I just hope I’m wrong about who wins. Texas A&M 24, South Carolina 20.

Jack Veltri: Texas A&M presents a boatload of problems for South Carolina. This is a very good football team, no question about it. However, there is something to be said about a night game at Williams-Brice Stadium with a lot on the line. November has been a strong month for the Gamecocks under Shane Beamer. Couple that with the fact that the Aggies are coming off a big home win and will be playing in a tough environment could spell trap game. Until I see A&M prove that it can be a consistent top dawg in the SEC, I’m going with South Carolina this weekend. South Carolina 26, Texas A&M 24.

Chris Wellbaum: This is partly to keep my reverse jinx going, but also A&M seems to be hitting its stride, while South Carolina is utterly unpredictable. A&M is unsettled at quarterback, though, so the Gamecock pass rush gives South Carolina a chance. Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 17.

Kevin Miller: South Carolina has not lost a home night game against an SEC team since 2021, Shane Beamer’s first year at the helm of the Gamecock program. Clayton White’s unit has a real chance of making this passing-deficient Texas A&M team one-dimensional, and if they do, the Gamecock defense will have the chance to play fast and downhill against a talented Texas A&M rushing attack. With both teams sporting stronger defenses than offenses, this game could get ugly at times, so All-American punter Kai Kroeger could be a major factor in this one. If South Carolina can do anything with the ball, they should have a good chance to win. In the end, a raucous home environment could be what pushes the Gamecocks over the top. South Carolina 23, Texas A&M 20.

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	Ohio State at Penn State	Ole Miss at Arkansas	Minnesota at Illinois	Chattanooga at Western Carolina	Wisconsin at Iowa	Southern Cal at Washington	TCU at Baylor	Pittsburgh at SMU
George Bagwell (43-38)	Ohio State	Arkansas	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Washington	TCU	SMU
Peyton Butt (42-39)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Southern Cal	TCU	Pittsburgh
Elijah Campbell (52-29)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Minnesota	Chattanooga	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	Pittsburgh
Chris Clark (45-36)	Penn State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	Pittsburgh
Terry Ford (59-22)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Chattanooga	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	SMU
Griffin Goodwyn (55-26)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Chattanooga	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	SMU
Tyler Head (46-35)	Ohio State	Arkansas	Illinois	Chattanooga	Wisconsin	Washington	TCU	SMU
Wes Mitchell (52-29)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Washington	Baylor	Pittsburgh
Jay Philips (54-27)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Chattanooga	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	Pittsburgh
Kendall Smith (47-34)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Washington	Baylor	SMU
Mike Uva (50-31)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Chattanooga	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	SMU
Jack Veltri (50-31)	Ohio State	Arkansas	Minnesota	Western Carolina	Iowa	Southern Cal	Baylor	Pittsburgh
Chris Wellbaum (46-35)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Wisconsin	Washington	TCU	Pittsburgh
Kevin Miller (24-12)	Ohio State	Ole Miss	Illinois	Western Carolina	Iowa	Southern Cal	TCU	SMU

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