Grab The Points In Top 25 Matchup Saturday

Missouri vs. South Carolina, 4:15 ET

Missouri vs. South Carolina, 4:15 ET

This isn’t the biggest game of the day, but it is one of the few that are actually between ranked opponents. I always like the ranked matchups because frankly there are too many teams in College Football for me to try and figure out great matchups every week – just tell me who is good! Sure, I still look at every game, but do you really want to read about the lesser-known teams facing each other and the angles on those games? Maybe. I’m sure you just want winners either way, and I hope to give you a winner here as Missouri takes on South Carolina. 

It isn’t too late for Missouri, that is certainly the good news. The team is 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC. They are unlikely to make the College Football Playoffs, but I suppose if they win out the remainder of the season they at least need to be in consideration for it. Both of the losses came in the past five games with one happening against Texas A&M, and the other against Alabama. Texas A&M rolled them, a beat down of 31 points, but it was a road loss. The same can be said about their loss to Alabama two weeks ago when they went into Tuscaloosa and lost by 34. These are both somewhat explainable losses and reflect on the fact that Missouri is closer to a top 12 team than it would be to a top five team. In this game, they will need to find a way to attack a South Carolina team that has been pretty good on defense. There are certainly holes, but they have done an admirable against their past three opponents. The Tigers have a decent rushing attack with Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll. The two headed monster has combined for eight touchdowns and close to 1,000 yards. 

Nov 9, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer and his team celebrate the win with their fans against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Gamecocks are in a similar situation to Missouri in that they are a team that is hopeful to make the College Football Playoffs, but it would require a lot of help. Losing this game, for either team, will likely result in them eliminating any possibility of playing. For the season, South Carolina is 6-3 overall, but 4-3 in the SEC. They’ve played well over their past three games, winning each of them and beating Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Their losses were against a talented LSU team, Ole Miss, and Alabama. All three teams are good and it is reasonable for South Carolina to be on the losing end against them. It should be noted that in two of the three losses, the Gamecocks were actually very good. They lost by 3 to LSU, and lost by 2 to Alabama. Quarterback LaNoriss Sellers does a bit of everything for South Carolina, throwing for 1,450 yards with nine touchdowns and rushing for 391 yards and scoring four times. The running game is very good for South Carolina and I think could be a point of leverage over the Missouri team.

This should be one of the better games of the day. No, not just because they are both ranked teams, but mostly because they are still vying for a great Bowl game even if they don’t make the playoffs. Additionally, they both have flaws and both have some talented players on the roster. When you get these close matchups it is usually best to take the points. I think it is reasonable to expect that the Tigers keep it close enough and we should take the two touchdowns in this one. I do like the Gamecocks offense better, and even the defense, but I think Missouri can at least make this a one-score game. 

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