Alabama vs. South Carolina bold predictions for college football Week 9
Alabama puts their perfect conference record on the line in Week 9 against South Carolina, and we make bold predictions on the game.
Alabama looks to keep its win streak going as it hits the road to face South Carolina. Alabama is on a six-game winning streak, ever since Kalen DeBoer switched back to wearing the black hoodie on the sideline. Black hoodie or not, Alabama comes in as a big favorite in this game, and there are bold predictions to be made on the contest.
Alabama has moved to 6-1 on the year and is one of the top teams in the nation. After falling in Week 1 to Florida State, the team has been great. This includes wins over four straight ranked teams. They defeated Georgia on the road, then Vanderbilt at home, and Missouri on the road. Last week, the Crimson Tide faced Tennessee. Alabama dominated early, including taking an interception back for a touchdown on the last play of the first half. They went on to win the game 37-20.
Meanwhile, South Carolina may be one of the worst teams in the SEC this year. South Carolina got off to a 2-0 start with wins over Virginia Tech and South Carolina State, but is just 1-4 in SEC play. The only win was a 35-13 victory at home over Kentucky. Last time out, the offense struggled heavily. South Carolina faced Oklahoma, and a second-quarter touchdown kept the game close early, with the Gamecocks down just seven at halftime. Regardless, the third quarter saw three three-and-outs plus an interception, as South Carolina fell 26-7.
Jam Miller gets going again
The Alabama offense has been solid this year. They are 19th in the nation in points per game while sitting 34th in yards per game. While the offense has been good, the run attack has not been. Currently, Alabama is 94th in the nation in rushing yards per game this year. Alabama also has just two players with over 100 rushing yards this season.
One of those is Kevin Riley. Riley has 181 yards on the year and has played in all seven games. He started the year strong in place of Jam Miller, running for 100 yards over the first two games, but has not done much with limited opportunities since then. Miller is the other one over 100 yards this season.
He has run for 282 yards over four games, after missing the first three of the season due to injury. In his first game back, Miller struggled, running the ball 16 times for just 46 yards. The next two weeks were better, running a total of 44 times for 221 yards and a touchdown. Last week was back to struggles, though. He ran the ball 12 times for 15 yards and one score.
South Carolina is allowing over 160 yards per game on the ground, which is 86th in the nation. This is a perfect chance for Miller to get going again, and he will. Expect him to have nearly 100 yards and to score in this game.
Ty Simpson strengthens his Heisman campaign
Ty Simpson is starting to get some major Heisman buzz. He has been great this year, leading Alabama to the 11th-ranked passing attack in the nation. He has completed 153 of 218 passes for 1,931 yards and 18 touchdowns. He does have one interception, but has also scored twice on the ground. Meanwhile, he has thrown for over 200 yards in every game this year and accounted for at least two touchdowns in each game.
The South Carolina defense, as a whole, has been solid. They are 29th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 39th in opponent yards per game. The passing defense has been great as well. South Carolina is 22nd in the nation in opponent passing yards and ninth in interception rate.
Just last week, South Carolina held John Mateer to just 18 of 26 passing for 150 yards and one touchdown. They also held Beau Pribula of Missouri to just 171 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Ty Simpson is going to prove to be different in this one. He has yet to have a game under 200 yards of passing, and will not in this one either. Further, he is also not going to lose his streak of multiple touchdown passes. Simpson may not throw for 300 yards, but he is still going to have the best game a quarterback has had against this defense this year.
Alabama gets the shutout
The Alabama offense has been solid, but the defense has been just as good. They are currently 16th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 17th in opponent yards per game. Moreover, they are third in opponent red zone score. Finally, they are 18th in the nation in 19 takeaways per game.
Meanwhile, South Carolina has struggled on offense. They are 121st in the nation in points per game while sitting 122nd in yards per game. They have not been good in the red zone, sitting 127th in red zone scoring this year. They also give the ball away a lot, averaging 1.3 turnovers per game this year.
In the last four losses, South Carolina has scored over ten points just one time. Meanwhile, the team has been held to just seven points twice, and while Oklahoma and Vanderbilt have good defenses, Alabama is better.
Alabama has been allowing a fair amount of points recently, allowing 14 or more points in each of its last four games. Regardless, that was agaisnt four ranked opponents, and the lowest total was against Vanderbilt.
This gam is a complete mismatch. Where South Carolina struggles, Alabama can exploit. Where South Carolina is good, Alabama is elite. South Carolina has won three of the last seven times these two teams have faced off. They have also won two of the four times at home. The Crimson Tide is just too good in this one. Alabama is going to win this game with ease and take the shutout in the process.
Richard Jefferson Makes Bold Warriors Prediction
After the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team in nearly half a century to win an NBA championship, the Golden State Warriors are betting on age and experience to bring them back to the top of the Western Conference.
This offseason, the Warriors went against the league-wide youth movement by adding 39-year-old veteran Al Horford, a five-time All-Star who continues to defy Father Time.
And while some skeptics question whether the “old but gold” Warriors can still hang with emerging contenders like Oklahoma City,
Jefferson Compares Horford to Past Warriors Bigs
“It feels like every time we talk about an NBA season, it comes down to health,” Jefferson told Heavy Sports during a media conference call. “If this team is healthy, there’s no drama. That being said, that team is deep. That team has a lot of talent.”
Jefferson, who played for the Warriors during the 2012-13 season before defeating them in the 2016 NBA Finals with the Cavaliers, said Horford’s arrival has stabilized the team’s structure on both ends of the floor.
GettyAl Horford signed a two-year $11.6 million deal to join the Golden State Warriors over the offseason.
“Al Horford, we’ve seen him plug and play with so many teams,” Jefferson said. “When we did their game, it felt like when they had David West, when they had Andrew Bogut. They had a defensive big next to Draymond Green that made their game so much easier.”
Horford’s leadership and court vision have already impressed Steve Kerr’s staff during training camp. Though the veteran big man played limited minutes in the preseason, he has given the Warriors a defensive anchor and a steadying presence on offense.
Championship Hopes Ride on Health and Depth
Jefferson said the Warriors still belong in the championship conversation — but only if the core of Stephen Curry, Green, Jimmy Butler, and Horford can stay healthy through the grind of an 82-game season.
“If they’re healthy, this Warriors team has a chance to be one of the top teams in the West,” Jefferson said. “The West is loaded. They could play great and still lose to OKC in six. That’s still a great season. They could go to the Conference Finals.
“Are they a championship team? That would take a tremendous amount of health for a team that’s a little bit older. But they’re definitely in the mix.”
Warriors Already Battling Injuries Ahead of Opener
The Warriors’ health is already being tested before the season even starts. Butler missed the team’s final three preseason games with a sprained ankle, Moses Moody is doubtful for opening night with a calf strain, and De’Anthony Melton continues to rehab from last year’s ACL injury.
Golden State closed the preseason with a narrow 106-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. They’ll open the regular season Tuesday night against the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Kerr said he remains optimistic Butler will be ready for opening night, noting how the six-time All-Star’s presence changes the team’s offensive rhythm and defensive poise.
Without Butler, however, the Warriors reverted to sloppy habits.
“I think Jimmy solves a lot of that,” Kerr said after Friday’s game. “Remember last year — we were 25 and 26 without him. We turned it over frequently. But after we got him, the game made a lot more sense. There was more control, fewer turnovers, and we started winning. No coincidence.”
