South Carolina is one win away from bowl eligibility, and the projection market is already buzzing around where the Gamecocks might land if they get there.
At 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC, Shane Beamer’s team heads to Texas A&M on Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN with a chance to secure its sixth victory - and a fourth straight.
The Gamecocks also remain in the College Football Playoff conversation after checking in at No. 21 in the initial rankings on Nov. 3.
If South Carolina does punch its ticket to the postseason, it would mark the program’s fourth bowl under Beamer in six seasons.
Different outlets are split on where the Gamecocks could end up, with several landing on familiar postseason destinations and a few pointing to matchups South Carolina hasn’t seen in decades.
USA TODAY has South Carolina headed to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Virginia Tech. That game is set for Dec. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Gamecocks last played in that bowl in 2021, when they beat UNC in Beamer’s debut season.
Sports Illustrated and On3 both project South Carolina to the Las Vegas Bowl, with Arizona on the other side. That game is scheduled for Dec. 31 at Allegiant Stadium.
It would be the Gamecocks’ first appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl and their first meeting with Arizona. The Wildcats are 6-2 and host TCU on Nov.
CBS Sports also sends South Carolina to Las Vegas, but with Oregon as the opponent. That would be another first-time matchup for the Gamecocks.
The Ducks are 5-3 and travel to No. 10 Ohio State on Nov.
ESPN’s projections go in two different directions. Kyle Bonagura has South Carolina facing Miami (Ohio) in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, which is set for Dec. 15 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. Mark Schlabach projects the Gamecocks to the Music City Bowl against Wisconsin, scheduled for Dec. 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
A trip to the Salute to Veterans Bowl would be a first for South Carolina, and it would also mean the Gamecocks would face the RedHawks for the first time since 1983. ESPN notes it would be South Carolina’s second bowl game against Miami (Ohio).
The Music City Bowl would also be new territory for the program. South Carolina’s only previous game against Wisconsin came in a win in the 2014 Capital One Bowl.
Athlon Sports has the Gamecocks in the Music City Bowl as well, but against Nebraska. South Carolina last played Nebraska in the 2012 Capital One Bowl, which remains the Gamecocks’ only win over the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska is 5-3 and visits Illinois on Nov. 6.
College Football News projects South Carolina to the Las Vegas Bowl against Southern Cal. That would be the Gamecocks’ first game against the Trojans since 1983.
Southern Cal is 7-2 and ranked No. 17 after its win over Ohio State, and it has an open date before visiting No. 3 Indiana on Nov.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Heads To South Carolina With Two Key Pieces In Doubt
Texas A&M arrives in Columbia with a little more uncertainty than usual, and that matters for a South Carolina team trying to size up an opponent that has already had to juggle some injury issues. The SECs initial availability report lists running back KJ Edwards and linebacker Noah Mikhail as questionable for Saturdays matchup, while three other Aggies have already been ruled out because of injuries.
The game is set for 2 p.m. CT on ESPN, and the status of those two players could shape how Texas A&M approaches both sides of the ball. For South Carolina, it adds another layer to a conference game that already carries plenty of weight, with the next availability update likely to draw as much attention as the kickoff itself. [Read more 🡒]
LaNorris Sellers Could Push Texas A&M To Its Breaking Point
LaNorris Sellers has become the kind of quarterback defenses have to account for on every snap, not just because of what he can do through the air but because of how quickly he can turn a broken play into a gain on the ground. Through eight games, the South Carolina quarterback has piled up 603 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and his knack for slipping out of trouble has made him one of the more difficult players in the league to corral.
Texas A&M knows exactly what is coming into this matchup, and the Aggies have spent plenty of time studying film and sorting through ways to keep Sellers from taking over the game. That task has extra weight because their defense has already had trouble against the run this season, and slowing Sellers may be the clearest path to keeping South Carolina from dictating the tempo. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina's Backfield Suddenly Faces A Test That Could Define This Stretch
Matt Fullers season-ending left ankle injury has forced South Carolina to reshuffle its backfield at a time when the Gamecocks can least afford another hit to their depth. Fuller was ruled out for the rest of the year and is scheduled for surgery, leaving a noticeable void in a rotation that had to adjust on the fly against Oklahoma.
Jabree Coleman, Christian Clark and Isaiah Augustave handled the load in Fullers absence, giving the staff some immediate answers as the group prepares for what comes next. Fuller has still been around the program, attending team meetings and practices as a spectator, but the bigger question now is how South Carolina sustains that backfield production over the next stretch without one of its more reliable options. [Read more 🡒]