SEC football returns to Tuscaloosa this weekend as No. 7 Alabama takes on conference rival South Carolina at home in Week 7 of college football on Saturday. Here's what to look out for on the pitch, along with our updated prediction for the game.

Alabama lost its No. 1 ranking last week after a historic loss to unranked Vanderbilt, which has exposed head coach Kalen DeBoer to intense criticism early in his tenure and the selection committee in formulating its final 12-team playoffs take into account will give seeds.

South Carolina is 1-2 in conference play after suffering a 27-3 loss to Ole Miss last weekend in which the offense averaged less than 5 yards per pass and suffered two turnovers, and now faces its second of four Back-to-back SEC games against ranked opponents.

What can we expect from this weekend's matchup between the Crimson Tide and the Gamecocks?

Here's what to look for as Alabama and South Carolina meet in this SEC matchup, along with our updated prediction for the game.

1st third down. Alabama struggled to stop its opponents in scoring position, but played well with less money and finished 9th in the FBS by giving up just 23 conversions on 82 attempts (28 percent). Conversely, the Gamecocks rank just 122nd nationally, converting 21 of 70 chances for a 30 percent success rate.

Carolina plays a powerful pass rush up front, but if their offense can't stay on the field and is limited to short, unproductive attacks that quickly force the defense back on the field, those tacklers will be exhausted over time facing each other need longer possessions against Alabama's elite skill threats.

2. On the line. South Carolina is a credible pass-rushing threat up front, ranking 14th in the FBS with 15 sacks and 24th in the country with 35 tackles for loss, thanks in large part to the line's ability , masking their pressure, generating speed on the edges, and supporting his line play inside with some aggressive downhill linebacker play.

Alabama has allowed 8 sacks in its 5 games this season, but 4 of those have come in the last 3 games, and the lineup has improved from last season when it ranked 129th among 133 FBS teams with 49 sacks documented.

3. On the other hand… South Carolina can't stop opposing rushers from getting into its business. It ranks last among the 134 FBS schools in allowing more than 9 tackles for a loss per game, with 10 given up to Ole Miss last week, a major reason for the offense's inability to generate longer drives, and Alabama's front seven should face little resistance as they push the Gamecocks up front.

Most analytical models favor the Crimson Tide vs. the Gamecocks this week.

This includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times to determine winners.

Alabama is projected to win the game outright in the overwhelming 91 percent of recent computer simulations.

That leaves South Carolina as the expected winner in the remaining 9 percent of Sims.

According to the model's latest projection, Alabama is expected to be 21 points better than South Carolina with the current makeup of both teams on the same field.

More… Alabama vs. South Carolina Prediction: What the Analyzes Say

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Alabama is a 21-point favorite against South Carolina.

FanDuel set the total score for the game at 50.5 points.

And the moneyline odds to win outright are -1800 for Alabama and +1000 for South Carolina.

There's a lot to like about the Gamecocks' edge-rushing ability and their two mobile quarterbacks, LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford, who can extend drives with some off-the-record runs that keep the Tide's defense on the backfoot more often than it would like .

But Carolina's other weaknesses clash with Alabama's strengths and should erase those relative advantages as the game progresses.

Expect the Crimson Tide to be aggressive from the start to bounce back from the Vandy loss, and they have the player skills to expose the Gamecocks' weak spots anywhere on the field.

Alabama has the better protection, the more efficient dual-threat quarterback and the receivers who can easily get behind Carolina's vulnerable secondary.

College football headquarters chooses…

More…Alabama vs. South Carolina Score Prediction by Expert Model

When: Sat., Oct. 12
Time: 12pm Eastern
TV: ABC Network

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The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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