College Football Odds: SEC Week 9 picks against the spread
Oct 24, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Kyle Allen (10) during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi Rebels beat Texas A&M Aggies 23-3. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
- Date: Saturday October 31, 2015
- Time: 12PM Eastern
- Location: College Station, TX
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Spread: Texas A&M -16.5
- Over/Under Total: 57
The Texas A&M Aggies went from the top ten to unranked in two weeks following back-to-back losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, which is eerily similar to the midseason swoon A&M suffered last season – as is the uncertainty at the quarterback position.
Last week, the Aggies were dreadful on offense and managed only 192 total yards against a banged-up Ole Miss defense. Quarterback Kyle Allen looked completely out of sorts and threw for a season-low 88 yards on 12-for-34 passing, which included 14 straight incompletions and an 0-for-13 third quarter.
Allen was benched late in the game, and surprisingly, head coach Kevin Sumlin turned to Jake Hubanek instead of season-long No. 2 Kyler Murray. The three signal callers have been battling this week in practice for the right to start Saturday against South Carolina, and Sumlin is expected to make a decision Friday.
Regardless of who starts at QB for Texas A&M, the Aggies should be much more successful moving the football against South Carolina. The Gamecocks have allowed 414.4 yards of offense per game this season, with an SEC-worst 200.2 coming on the ground. That’s great news for A&M running back Tra Carson, who has 524 rushing yards this season, but averaged just 47 yards in losses to Alabama and Ole Miss.
South Carolina is coming off a solid defensive performance in a 19-10 win over Vanderbilt two weeks ago, and interim head coach Shawn Elliott has had extra time to prepare for the Aggies, but expect Texas A&M’s usually explosive to look more like the unit it was in the team’s five victories and for the Aggies to get back on track.
Next: Ole Miss at Auburn