South Carolina is hosting No. 14 Oklahoma for a Week 8 matchup on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Sooners are listed as 4.5-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 42.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for this SEC matchup between South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma vs. South Carolina prediction, preview
Oklahoma Preview
The Sooners need a bounce-back win after losing their first game of the season to Texas last week. Oklahoma managed to survive the games that they were missing star quarterback John Mateer. Mateer made his triumphant return sooner than expected against Texas, but things did not go well. Mateer did not look like the same player as the guy who was the Heisman favorite before his injury. Texas has an elite defense, which didn’t help, but Mateer was not sharp at all. The Sooners still have everything in front of them, with a chance to make the College Football Playoff. They can’t afford to let one loss turn into two against one of the more beatable teams on their SEC schedule. The good news is, the Oklahoma defense is one of the best in the country and can be relied upon by Brent Venables.
South Carolina Preview
South Carolina has had a tough season so far, sitting at 3-3 heading into this game. The Gamecocks had a special 2024 season and entered this season with high expectations. They returned one of the most highly touted quarterbacks in the country, LaNorris Sellers. However, they lost so much talent to the NFL from last year’s team that the regression has hit hard. Despite losing so much NFL talent on the defensive side of the ball, the defense has not been the problem this season. The offensive line has been a disaster for the Gamecocks, and they have no skill position players stepping up to the plate. The lack of an offensive line has made it so the Gamecocks have no real run game, and Sellers is running for his life on most dropbacks. Against a loaded Oklahoma front, this could be a major problem for the Gamecocks.
Oklahoma vs. South Carolina pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is the under 42.5. South Carolina’s defense has been solid, holding LSU to just 20 points last week and Kentucky to 13 points the week before. The Sooners hope John Mateer will look more like his pre-injury self this week, but after his performance against Texas, it’s hard to trust Oklahoma to score. Even when Mateer was healthy and playing at a high level, Oklahoma never scored more than 24 points against an FBS opponent. They are a run-heavy team that likes to use up the clock and control the tempo. After Mateer’s multiple turnovers last week, Oklahoma should have a conservative offensive game plan against a Gamecock defense that is adept at forcing turnovers. On the other side, the South Carolina offensive line stands no chance against the Oklahoma defensive line. An already poor unit is dealing with multiple injuries. Oklahoma should give LaNorris Sellers no time to create plays. If either team can get to 20 points in this game, that could be enough to win it.
