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Next · vs South Carolina · Sat, Sep 26, 7:00 PM · ESPN

Gameday picture · Week 4 · SEC

SC at BAMA

Sat, Sep 26, 7:00 PM · ESPN · Bryant–Denny Stadium

Six days out. Market: Alabama −11.5, total 53.5. Implied 33–21; desk projection 33–21. Win% ~81. Sat Sep 26, 7:00 p.m. ET ESPN at Bryant–Denny. SC is 2–1 after a 16-point collapse. Alabama just hung 50 and still wants to start faster. Sell the panic if the secondary leaks early; buy the two-deep if Russell is on schedule before Sellers finds Harbor.

Opponent last out

Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34

Gamecocks blew a 16–0 lead in the SEC opener. Bryant–Denny is the first road Saturday.

  • South Carolina led 16–0. Mississippi State outscored them 41–7 over the next 24 minutes.
  • LaNorris Sellers 25-of-40, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT.
  • Kamario Taylor 4 TD passes. Fluff Bothwell 115 rush.

Spread

BAMA -11.5

Market desk line

Total

53.5

Win

81%

South Carolina

21

desk projection

Crimson Tide

33

Market implied 3321 · BAMA −420 / SC +330

Kick weather

82°F

Warm Saturday night · lo 64°F

20% precip

Window

ESPN

Sat Sep 26, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN. SEC home opener at Bryant–Denny.

Sellers on the road after a 16-point collapse

Unit matchups

Quarterback

BAMA 8 · 7 SC

Russell vs LaNorris Sellers. Dual-threat vs dual-threat. Alabama's supporting cast is the gap.

Offensive line

BAMA 8 · 6 SC

Lloyd–Sanders–Delgatty–Carroll–James vs a front that just gave up 41.

Receivers

BAMA 8 · 6 SC

Brooks 101 vs FSU. Harbor is still SC's mismatch if Peak keeps Sellers clean.

Front seven

BAMA 7 · 6 SC

Wommack has to fix the 377. Stewart and the SC edge are the road answer.

Secondary

BAMA 6 · 6 SC

Sellers 282 vs MSU. If Alabama's secondary leaks again, 81% walks down.

Special teams

BAMA 7 · 6 SC

Talty has been automatic. Orsan just hit two 50s in Columbia.

Players to watch

  • LaNorris Sellers QB

    Sellers 25-of-40, 282, 2 TD, 2 INT vs MSU. Russell just posted 320.

    SC
  • Matt Fuller RB

    Hill plus Brown/Crowell. Fuller a 6-yard score and a 25-yard TD pass.

    SC
  • Nyck Harbor WR

    Harbor is still the SC mismatch. Brooks just went for 101.

    SC
  • Jacarrius Peak OL

    Peak was Available for MSU. Protecting Sellers on the road is the game.

    SC
  • Keelon Russell QB

    Sellers 25-of-40, 282, 2 TD, 2 INT vs MSU. Russell just posted 320.

    BAMA
  • Daniel Hill RB

    Hill plus Brown/Crowell. Fuller a 6-yard score and a 25-yard TD pass.

    BAMA

Key injuries

  • Jeremiah Beaman DL · BAMA

    Torn ACL, late-August practice. Out for the season.

    out
  • Noah Rogers WR · BAMA

    A-Day injury. DeBoer still had him in a return window as of FSU week.

    out
  • AK Dear RB · BAMA

    Ankle. Missed ECU, Kentucky, and FSU. Week-to-week after that.

    questionable
  • Aubrey Walker WR · BAMA

    Undisclosed. Uncertain vs South Carolina.

    questionable
  • Keelon Russell QB · BAMA

    23-of-30, 320, 3 TD plus a 57-yard rush score vs FSU. Full go.

    available

Opponent injury report not cited yet.

What the tape says

  • Start faster. Two three-and-outs vs FSU is the tell Sellers will script to.
  • Sellers designed runs as answers, not as a survival plan — Wommack has to set the edge.
  • Harbor vs Zabien Brown / Dijon Lee. Don't let one shot flip 81%.
  • Hill on first down. If Alabama is 2nd-and-4, Grubb can play the call sheet.

History

  • South Carolina is 2–1, 0–1 SEC after blowing a 16–0 lead in a 41–34 home loss to Mississippi State.
  • Alabama 3–0, 1–0 SEC, No. 10. 15–1 at home under DeBoer. 90-game Bryant–Denny streak vs unranked.
  • SC's first road game of 2026. Beamer 5-of-6 losses in SEC openers now sits in the tape.

Roster advantage · vs South Carolina

BAMA holds the two-deep

Starter-vs-starter grades for Shane Beamer's South Carolina. Tap a card for stats and reasoning.

Net grade

+8

6 BAMA · 2 even · 0 SC