Tennessee is out of the running for the SEC Championship, but a trip to the College Football Playoff might be even easier at this point in the year. If the Vols go 11-1 with a sole loss against the best team in the country, it would be hard to exclude them.
However, this narrative does not matter if the Vols lose another game. To remain in contention, Hendon Hooker will have to carry the Vols through the rest of this season. In fact, emphatic wins might be necessary for style points when you compare Tennessee to teams like TCU and the loser of Michigan and Ohio State.
The next team trying to stuff Hooker and the Vols is South Carolina. The Gamecocks are bowl eligible, but they have much more to play for. With two games against ranked opponents to end the regular season, South Carolina has a chance to make a statement to wrap up a bumpy year.
However, Tennessee is favored by over three touchdowns at the best sportsbooks. An upset would be mindboggling, but a cover may be in the cards for the Gamecocks. So, can South Carolina stop Hendon Hooker and the Vols? Here are some key details for this game before making our college football picks.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Saturday, November 19, 2022 – 07:00 PM EST at Williams-Brice Stadium
Heisman Moment or Bust for Hooker
At this point, a Heisman Trophy for Hendon Hooker is a realistic expectation. Even with the dull performance against Georgia, Hooker has done enough through the air and on the ground to deserve contention for this award. However, it will be hard to have a Heisman moment without playing in the SEC Championship.
Because of this, Hooker is running out of time to have a November Heisman moment. He needs to shine in this game with stellar throws and massive stats. The numbers have to be big enough to counterbalance anything CJ Stroud could do against Michigan or in the Big Ten Championship.
If you think this is going to happen, it would likely coincide with Tennessee covering the spread. While Tennessee doesn’t have the best defense, it is unlikely that South Carolina keeps up if the Vols are firing on all cylinders offensively.
Can Spencer Rattler Surge?
Spencer Rattler has not lived up to his elite rating as a high school recruit, and he is on his second college team. However, he is not holding South Carolina back by any means. The defense is lacking, and there are plenty of mistakes in every facet of football for this team.
Rattler may not be the biggest problem for South Carolina, but he has to be the biggest solution against the Vols. You can’t expect to win with ball control and a steady run game. You have to make explosive plays down the field.
Rattler needs to be what everyone thought he was going to be to beat Tennessee. If that is not possible, he needs to at least be extremely efficient to keep this one close. A quarterback can erase gaps in talent across the board, but you need something stellar from Rattler for this to happen.
Keys to Cover
South Carolina Gamecocks
Outside of a stellar performance by Rattler, South Carolina needs the rush defense to step up. This did not happen against Florida, and it is why the Gators dominated for four quarters.
Against Hooker and these skill players, you need your defensive front to stop the run without extra defenders in the box.
Tennessee Volunteers
For Tennessee to cover, they need to win the turnover battle and force mistakes by Rattler. He is a volatile quarterback, and his performance will determine how close this game is.
If he dazzles, this game could get interesting. If he becomes a turnover machine, the Vols will run the Gamecocks out of their own stadium.
The Picks
Despite playing at home, I don’t expect South Carolina to keep this one close. Giving up 3 touchdowns at home in the SEC is wild, but the talent of Tennessee warrants that.
I have the Vols covering at the NCAAF odds due to an explosive performance by Hendon Hooker. I expect at least 4 passing touchdowns from the Heisman candidate.
In terms of the total, give me the Under. While the Vols offense is capable of putting on a clinic, the Gamecocks are too volatile for me to trust. I find it more likely that they sputter. I expect a score close to 45-21, which would have Tennessee covering while the Under still hits.
NCAAF Pick: Tennessee -21.5 (-105) at FanDuel
NCAAF Pick: Under 66.5 (-110) at BetMGM
