Texas A&M's Week 9 bye was reportedly focused on "internal things," according to third-year coach Mike Elko, as the Aggies will return to the field against South Carolina in Columbia on Saturday afternoon, hoping that two full weeks off will result in better play and a chance to defeat one of the hottest teams in the SEC.

Last Wednesday, Elko announced that he will stick with senior quarterback Marcel Reed as the team's starter, despite his continued struggles, while saying backup quarterback Brady Hart must "earn" his opportunities in practice, sending a clear message that the sophomore isn't ready to take over midseason.

Sitting at 4-4 and 1-4 in SEC play, Texas A&M isn't expected to win another game this season, and as crazy as that sounds, facing Tennessee at home, Oklahoma in Norman, and Texas at home after taking on South Carolina is as tough as it gets in the conference.

If the Aggies finish 4-8, I fully expect drastic changes to the coaching staff and roster, starting with Marcel Reed's likely departure and first-year OC Holmon Wiggins either being demoted or leaving the program. This is all speculation, and Saturday's result will tell us a lot about the Aggies' trajectory.

Texas A&M did not play last Saturday and has stayed at No. 56 in the latest USA TODAY Re-Rank, while Ohio State's blowout road loss to USC dropped the Buckeyes nine spots to No. 10, and SMU fell 14 spots to No. 32 after losing to unranked Syracuse.

Texas A&M will face South Carolina on Saturday, November 7, and will air on ESPN at 2:00 p.m.