Tennessee vs South Carolina Picks and Predictions for Saturday, October 24, 2026

Tennessee heads to Columbia on Saturday with three straight wins and a chance to keep climbing in the SEC. South Carolina will host the game at Williams-Brice Stadium, with kickoff at 3:30 pm ET on ESPN. No. 11 Tennessee is 6-1 and tied for third in the conference at 3-1. The Volunteers knocked off Alabama 26-10 last weekend. South Carolina sits tied for 13th with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-3 SEC mark. The Gamecocks last played October 10, beating Florida 38-19 after losing three straight. Cash in a winner with our free NCAAF picks.

Tennessee Has Found a Way to Win Close Games

Tennessee lost a tight one at home to Texas, 20-17, in September. Since then, the Volunteers have beaten Auburn, Arkansas and Alabama without allowing more than 17 points in any of those games. The Alabama result stood out most: Tennessee won 26-10 after holding the Crimson Tide to just one touchdown. The offense hasn't been piling up passing yards, but the running game has carried a heavy load. Through seven games, Tennessee has rushed for 1,520 yards and 18 touchdowns. The defense has helped by getting to quarterbacks 30 times.

DeSean Bishop has carried the ball 139 times for 837 yards, and 10 of those runs have ended in touchdowns. He's averaging six yards a carry. Daune Morris has chipped in 344 yards, while Faizon Brandon has thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception. Mike Matthews has 481 receiving yards, with Braylon Staley adding 203. On the other side, Tyree Weathersby has 6.5 sacks, and Xavier Gilliam has five. Dejuan Lane has picked off three passes. Those defenders will have their hands full with South Carolina's quarterback.

Injuries: B. Brady, W. Moe Jr. and J. Harmon are out.

South Carolina Can Make This a Close One

South Carolina's trip to Florida went much better than its previous three games. The Gamecocks won 38-19, breaking a losing streak that included a 35-34 overtime defeat to Kentucky. Alabama had beaten them 49-18, and Mississippi State escaped Columbia with a 41-34 victory. Scoring has rarely been the biggest problem. South Carolina put up at least 34 points in three of its last four games, but the defense hasn't always held up. Its ground game has produced 1,394 yards through six outings, averaging six yards per carry.

LaNorris Sellers has two ways to hurt defenses. He's thrown for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, then added 411 rushing yards and two more scores. Matt Fuller leads the backfield with 485 yards and five touchdowns, and Jabree Coleman has four rushing scores. Nyck Harbor has 278 receiving yards, while Donovan Murph has caught three touchdown passes. Justin Okoronkwo has 43 tackles for the defense. Anthony Addison leads the pass rush with three sacks. The challenge is containing Bishop without leaving Sellers too much work to do.

Injuries: D. Stewart, J. Sellers and J. Gibson are out. M. Bennett Jr., J. Peak, L. Anderson III and G. Brownlow-Dindy are questionable.

Key To The Game

Tennessee has recorded 30 sacks, nearly twice South Carolina's 16. Sellers can escape the pocket, but the Volunteers will try to get him throwing under pressure. South Carolina also has to deal with Bishop, who already has 10 rushing touchdowns.

Tennessee vs South Carolina Pick

• Tennessee +2.5

South Carolina earned a good win at Florida, but Tennessee has beaten Auburn, Arkansas and Alabama in succession. Bishop has been difficult to slow, and the Volunteers' defense has allowed only 41 points across those three wins. Sellers can keep South Carolina competitive with his arm and legs. Still, Tennessee has been more reliable in close conference games and will win outright, covering the 2.5-point spread as the road underdog.

Tennessee vs South Carolina Over/Under Pick

• Under 50.5

South Carolina has scored 34 or more in three of its past four games, but Tennessee's defense is a tougher assignment. The Volunteers held Auburn to 14, Arkansas to 17 and Alabama to 10. Bishop's rushing workload also gives Tennessee a way to use up the clock. Sellers will create some opportunities, but this won't turn into a scoring contest. The game will finish under 50.5 points on Saturday afternoon.