Tennessee will head to Columbia this weekend for a big SEC game against South Carolina.

The Vols are looking to move to 7-1 after an impressive win over Alabama last weekend.

South Carolina, meanwhile, had a bye last Saturday. The Gamecocks are hoping to pick up where they left off two weeks ago when they blew out Florida 38-19.

Tennessee hasn’t fared well in Williams-Brice Stadium over the years. The Volunteers are 2-6 in Columbia since 2008. One of those wins came in overtime in 2014. The other win came in 2020 when fan attendance was limited due to the Covid pandemic.

Our A to Z Sports writers made their final score predictions for Tennessee vs South Carolina ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Tennessee 30 South Carolina 20

Tennessee through seven games is one of the biggest surprise teams in college football. If they had started George McIntyre against the Texas Longhorns, I think we’re talking about a 7-0 team here. The Vols’ defense is for real, which was shown last week against Alabama. LaNorris Sellers has moments of very volatile quarterback play and I think this matchup is a bad one for South Carolina.

If Tennessee can limit the damage Dylan Stewart does, and not allow him to be a game wrecker as they did with Colin Simmons, I don’t think this game will be close. Now, if Stewart has a big impact and the Gamecocks can force a couple of turnovers overall on defense, they’re going to have a shot to pull a home upset. I’ll take the road team by a couple of scores in the end, despite the betting line being so close. – Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Ohio State

Tennessee 24 South Carolina 10

I know some may view this game as a trap game for the Vols, and every week has so much parity in the SEC and in college football in general, but I don’t see the Vols slipping up here. South Carolina has a notable win over Florida, but that team has struggled on offense with LaNorris Sellers in a new system, and despite having a premier NFL Draft prospect like Dylan Stewart, the team simply can’t stop people. With the rushing attack led by DeSean Bishop up next, things could get ugly for the Gamecocks. Give me Tennessee, comfortably. – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama

Tennessee 24 South Carolina 21

Will the real Gamecocks please stand up? At 3-3, we still have zero idea what this team is now and moving forward. Will it be the team who blew two games to two-point conversions or the one that smoked the Florida Gators during their homecoming?

I think Tennessee is the better team, and it’s not all that close when you look at how well they’ve played in all phases this season. However, when the Gamecocks are humming, they can compete with anyone. This screams close game that comes down to the wire. – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Florida

South Carolina 21 Tennessee 20

South Carolina pulls off a hard-fought 21-20 win over Tennessee in a game where the Gamecocks lean on LaNorris Sellers to make just enough plays to get across the finish line.

Sellers looks like he’s finally turning a corner, showing more confidence as a passer while using his athleticism to create problems for the Vols’ defense. South Carolina doesn’t need him to be perfect, but it needs him to deliver in the biggest moments. Sellers comes through with one or two explosive plays that swing the momentum, giving the Gamecocks the offensive spark they need in a game that could easily go either way.

Tennessee’s defense does its part to keep the Vols in the game, making life difficult for Sellers and preventing South Carolina from pulling away. The problem is that the offense struggles to find any consistency, leaving too many points on the field and putting pressure on the defense to carry the load. The Vols manage to make things interesting late, but their offensive struggles ultimately prove costly. South Carolina makes the necessary stops down the stretch, survives a tense finish and walks away with a 21-20 victory. – Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports Notre Dame

Tennessee 23 South Carolina 20

The last time both of these teams stepped onto the field, they each made a loud statement. The Gamecocks thoroughly handled Florida two weeks ago 38-19, stonewalling the Gators’ ground game and dominating their defense. Tennessee physically overwhelmed Alabama in a complete 26-10 win last weekend.

Tennessee’s fortunes in Columbia haven’t been great in recent years outside of 2020. But this Vols team has two aspects that travel well: a strong run game and a suffocating defense. Tennessee gets ahead and leans on its ground game for three double-digit minute scoring drives, and the defense makes a crucial late stop to hold on. -Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Tennessee

Tennessee 24 South Carolina 13

The last time Tennessee went into Columbia, no one in the state of South Carolina even thought the Gamecocks were going to pull off the win. It’s a different vibe this time. Nearly everyone in the national media has the Vols on upset alert this week. There’s no chance anyone in Knoxville is overlooking this game.

Still, it’s hard for me to pick Tennessee in this game given their history in Williams-Brice Stadium, but I’m a big believer right now in the Derek Owings effect. Tennessee’s new strength coach has this team at a different level physically than what we’ve seen from the Vols in the past. It was unbelievable to see how they pushed around Alabama in the trenches last week. I think Tennessee’s formula will stay the same and the defense will keep South Carolina’s offense in check. – Zach Ragan, A to Z Sports Tennessee