Alabama Football: Post-Spring game-by-game predictions for 2019

Alabama’s SEC opener is against a team it hasn’t faced since 2010. Could history repeat itself in an early season matchup between the Tide and Gamecocks? South Carolina stunned undefeated, and defending national champion Alabama in Columbia 35-21 nine years ago on the heels of an otherworldly performance from senior quarterback Stephen Garcia.

That of course was a Steve Spurrier coached Gamecocks club, but senior quarterback Jake Bentley has the ability to have a Garcia-esque performance. He’s been a much more heralded passer during his time in Columbia, anyway.

Losing Deebo Samuel to the NFL Draft is a big blow to the offense, but the Gamecocks return talented receivers Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith, along with a talented stable of running backs who should share the workload and keep each other fresh.

South Carolina had a breakthough under Will Muschamp in 2017 by winning nine games, and many figured the Gamecocks would be Georgia’s main competition in the SEC East last season, but they instead regressed to a disappointing 7-6. Muschamp is now just 22-17 in his three seasons in charge, and he’ll need a positive step forward in 2019 or the heat will stark cranking up.

It’s tough for me to see lighting striking for a second time in Columbia. The first true road game can always be tricky, but Tua Tagovailoa and company should prove to be too much for a South Carolina defense that surrendered 424 yards-per-game last season.

Pick: Alabama 45, South Carolina 17

Record: 3-0 (1-0)