As Oklahoma gears up to face South Carolina this Saturday, college football analyst Greg McElroy has revealed his pick for the highly anticipated matchup — and he isn’t expecting fireworks from either offense.
The Sooners are coming off their first loss of the season, a rough outing against Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Quarterback John Mateer returned from injury but struggled to find rhythm, throwing for just 202 yards and three interceptions. Oklahoma’s offense failed to reach the end zone all game — and didn’t put a single point on the board in the second half.
On the other side, South Carolina is coming off a 10-point road loss to LSU. It’s been a frustrating campaign for the Gamecocks, but a home victory over a ranked Oklahoma team could flip their season narrative. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers remains the heartbeat of Shane Beamer’s offense. Though his numbers haven’t always jumped off the stat sheet, Sellers’ athleticism and leadership give South Carolina a chance in every game.
McElroy sees plenty of parallels between the two teams.
“They both struggle to protect their quarterback, have little to no run game, and their defensive fronts are the stars of each team,” McElroy explained.
He also pointed out that Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia isn’t exactly the ideal spot for Oklahoma to find its footing again.
“South Carolina is not an easy place for a rebound game,” McElroy noted.
Still, the ESPN analyst is leaning toward the Sooners.
“I’ll take Oklahoma in a bounce-back here, but it does not feel good laying the points on the road,” McElroy said. “I still think Oklahoma’s defense is legit. I also think this is going to be a game that goes way under the total of 44. So, I don’t see either offense having a ton of success in this matchup.”
McElroy’s call? Oklahoma to win, but in a low-scoring grind-it-out battle.
All eyes now turn to Saturday to see if his prediction holds up under the lights in Columbia.
