The ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference, the toughest conference in all of college football, is set to begin the new season with an absolute bang on August 28 as No. 9-ranked South Carolina host No. 21 Texas A&M.
The Gamecocks and the Aggies lost some considerable talent to the NFL Draft in the summer with stars Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel leading the list, but both teams still possess enough talent to begin the season ranked in the Top 25.
Catch up with the rest of the conference in our SEC conference preview, check out our compilation of experts’ predictions for the 2014-2015 college football season, and read on for more on this curtain-raiser down south.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks Prediction and Betting Preview
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
When: Thursday, August 28, 6:00 PM ET
Line: Texas A&M (+10.5) at South Carolina (-10.5); total 57.5 –view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on Texas A&M
[sc:NCAA240banner ]With Johnny Manziel now off doing his thing in the NFL, sophomore Kenny Hill will have the unenviable task of replacing him as the Aggies’ quarterback this season. Hill, who went 16-for-22 with one touchdown last season as Johnny Football’s backup, also won’t have wideout Mike Evans and tackle Jake Matthews, who followed Manziel to the NFL.
But Hill will be aided by the fact that he’ll have the tools to exploit South Carolina’s two possible weaknesses in defense.
Hill will have a towering target in the 6-5 Ricky Seals-Jones, a redshirt freshman, and this year’s No. 1 wide receiving recruit in Speedy Noll, as his receivers to go up against a South Carolina secondary short on experienced cornerbacks. And even without Matthews, Hill will expect to have excellent pass protection from the Aggies’ outstanding O-line to take on the Gamecocks’ pass rush that lost Jadeveon Clowney.
The offense looks like it might survive without Manziel, but it’s the defense that will need to take a major step forward this season. The Aggies defense was dead last in the SEC in points allowed (32.2 points/game) and total yards allowed (475.8 yards/game) last season. The unit also lost starters defensive tackle Isaiah Golden and linebacker Darian Claiborne, who were dismissed after being charged with aggravated robbery.
The young Aggies will also have an uphill battle to reverse last year’s trend of subpar road performances. Texas A&M lost its last two road games of the year to LSU and Missouri, and lost their last four in a row against the spread.
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Betting on South Carolina
Not to be outdone by Texas A&M’s departures, South Carolina lost their own star quarterback in Connor Shaw, as well as key defensive linemen in Clowney and Kelcy Quarles. The defensive departures are especially concerning for the Gamecocks, whose excellent scoring defense (20.3 points allowed/game, second in the SEC) relied upon their outstanding pass rush.
But while head coach Steve Spurrier reshapes his defense, he’s set to unleash running back Mike Davis on the opposition. Davis had 1,183 yards and 11 TDs last season, and is garnering some Heisman buzz (he’s priced at +2,000 to win the award) ahead of his junior year. Davis should have a field day cutting through an Aggies defense that gave up an SEC-worst 222 rushing yards/game last season.
The ground game is almost sure to be great, but there’s far more uncertainty with the passing game, as senior Dylan Thompson steps up to take Shaw’s place at quarterback. For what it’s worth, Spurrier has liked what he’s seen, and Thompson will have decent receivers along with a solid O-line (which allowed just 17 sacks in SEC play in 2013) to help him succeed.
Thompson will also have a pretty substantial homefield advantage to help him through any opening game jitters. How substantial? The Gamecocks have won 18-straight games at Williams-Brice Stadium, the longest streak in the country.
Writer’s Prediction
Hill fails to impress in his debut, while the Aggies defense doesn’t corral Davis, as South Carolina runs over Texas A&M. Take the Gamecocks -10.5 at home.
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