One of the first games of the Saturday slate sees Jacksonville State host Sam Houston State. This is a battle between two of the top three teams, record-wise, in Conference USA, but while I think the home team is legitimate, I've got some questions about the visitors.

Sam Houston State is 8-2 overall and 5-1 in-league, but I'm just not sold on the Bearkats. Their current three-game win streak has been exclusively against bottom-level CUSA teams, and last week's 23-17 win over 1-9 Kennesaw State had no business being as close as it was. It actually went to overtime, where the Bearkats escaped with a victory over one of the worst teams in the country.

Jacksonville State seems like a terrible matchup for them. They've shown they can put up points in bunches, and given SHSU's recent offensive struggles, I don't think the visitors can hang with the hosts in a track meet. If Rich Rodriguez's squad gets going offensively, I think it'll be a long day for the Bearkats.

Take the Gamecocks giving 5.5 points.