South Carolina is coming off their biggest win of the season and continued their November success under head coach Shane Beamer. The win against No. 10 Texas A&M meant so much more with the fact that it was just the second win ever over the Aggies, the first coming in 2022 also under Beamer.
Vanderbilt is currently having one of the best seasons they have had in a while, as they are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018. A lot of it is thanks to the great play of quarterback Diego Pavia and the culture this team has built.
Vanderbilt found themselves in the rankings this week after a big win over Auburn, making Pavia 3-0 against Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. So, with the Commodores in the Top 25 yet again, this will make for the second week in a row South Carolina will face a ranked opponent and their fifth matchup of the season.
Even though Vanderbilt is the ranked team in this matchup, South Carolina has opened as an early favorite, a 3.5-point favorite to be exact.
the win over Texas A&M has shown that if you take away a handful of bad plays against ranked LSU and Alabama, the Gamecocks could have just one loss on the season and still be in the running for the College Football Playoff. The only game this season that South Carolina truly did not look their best was against a ranked Ole Miss team where the Gamecocks were never able to get much going both offensive or defensively.
This should be a great matchup between two very spirited teams. South Carolina believes they should be one of the top teams in the conference, while Vanderbilt is trying to prove they aren't just the little brother of the SEC anymore.
With the Gamecocks being such a slight favorite, the line could move at any point this week, and that is something to keep an eye on. This should be an exciting game and one that could end up being very close in the end.