South Carolina vs. Oklahoma Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 9

A pair of 4-3 SEC teams face off in Week 9 of the college football season, as both the South Carolina Gamecocks and Oklahoma Sooners are fighting to get themselves back in the top-25 in the AP Poll.

LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks have pulled off back-to-back wins over ranked opponents – Florida and Tennessee – putting them back over .500 in 2026. After a rough start to conference play against Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky, the Gamecocks and their offense (No. 17 in adjusted EPA/Play) have righted the ship.

Sellers is one of best quarterbacks in the country when he’s one, but he’ll have a tough test against a Sooners defense that is No. 2 in adjusted EPA/Play and success rate this season.

Oklahoma has some impressive wins, including an upset in the Red River Rivalry against Texas, but it also struggled against top SEC squads like Georgia (No. 3 in the country) and Kentucky (No. 9 in the country). The Sooners and John Mateer simply have not scored enough to be considered a College Football Playoff contender, ranking 121st in the country in offensive success rate.

These teams have very differing styles, and oddsmakers have decided to set the Sooners as favorites at home. Can their defense lead them to another win?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, a player to watch and my prediction for an interesting SEC matchup in Week 9.

South Carolina vs. Oklahoma Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

South Carolina +5.5 (-112)
Oklahoma -5.5 (-108)

Moneyline

South Carolina: +164
Oklahoma: -198

Total

44.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

South Carolina vs. Oklahoma How to Watch

Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Time: 4:15 p.m. EST
Venue: Memorial Stadium (Norman, OK)
How to Watch (TV): SEC Network
South Carolina record: 4-3
Oklahoma record: 4-3

South Carolina vs. Oklahoma Key Player to Watch

LaNorris Sellers, Quarterback, South Carolina

A potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, Sellers didn’t have his best game throwing the ball last week against Tennessee, but he dominated on the ground.

Sellers finished with 210 passing yards, one score and one pick, adding 18 carries for 96 yards and two scores on the ground. He’s up to 507 rushing yards in the 2026 campaign, averaging a whopping 6.0 yards per tote.

The dual-threat ability of Sellers not only makes him an intriguing prospect, but he’s a nightmare for opposing defenses. After a slow start this season, South Carolina has won back-to-back games over ranked teams (Florida and Tennessee) and it only has one loss in SEC play by more than one score (to Alabama).

Can Sellers solve a tough Oklahoma defense in Week 9?

South Carolina vs. Oklahoma Prediction and Pick

Oklahoma is a top-five defense this season in EPA/Pass and EPA/Rush, which should make things tough on the Gamecocks on Saturday. South Carolina's defense has not been on the same level (119th in success rate in 2026), but that may not matter.

Even though Mateer was a Heisman candidate at one point last season, Oklahoma has not had any success on the offensive side of the ball, scoring less than 30 points in six straight games, including every game against an SEC opponent. The Sooners are just 128th in EPA/Rush and 83rd in EPA/Pass offensively posting a worse success rate (121st) than the South Carolina defense.

There’s a legitimate case to be made that South Carolina can win this game outright, especially if Sellers is able to get going on the ground. While the Sooners have shut down some SEC opponents, Sellers may be the best quarterback they’ve faced all season.

I’ll take the points with the Gamecocks since the Oklahoma offense hasn’t shown an ability to run up the score against a Power Four team all season.

Pick: South Carolina +5.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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