South Carolina’s playoff buzz is no longer just local chatter. After the first College Football Playoff rankings dropped Tuesday night, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit made it clear the Gamecocks have his attention.
South Carolina landed at No. 21, the highest spot among three-loss teams, and it comes with the kind of momentum that gets people talking. The Gamecocks have won three straight, knocking off Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma to climb back into the conversation.
Herbstreit pointed to the edge South Carolina is playing with right now, and to the confidence coming from the quarterback spot.
“I don’t think we need to forget about South Carolina sitting down there at No. 21,” Herbstreit said on the podcast.
“There is something about a team that is playing with urgency and playing angry and with a quarterback playing with confidence. Can they maintain it, who knows?
“I just love to see teams that were down and out, coach needs to be fired, and then they win three in a row. The only people who believe in South Carolina are the guys in that locker room.
And I hope they are able to keep that chip (on their shoulder) that they were able to create over these last three weeks and don’t lose that. If they keep it, they can be a serious factor.”
That surge has followed an early stretch that had people questioning Shane Beamer’s future after South Carolina opened 2-3. Now the story is different, and much of it runs through LaNorris Sellers.
Against Oklahoma on Oct. 31, Sellers put together what Joey Galloway called the Gamecocks’ most complete game of the season. He threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns and added 96 rushing yards and two more scores in a 42-25 win.
The numbers over South Carolina’s last four conference games tell the same story. Sellers has thrown for 1,016 yards and rushed for 359, with 15 total touchdowns.
Galloway said the quarterback’s recent stretch changes the way the Gamecocks are viewed.
“If LaNorris Sellars continues to play the way he’s playing now… they have a chance to beat anybody,” Galloway said. “In the past couple of years, when you talked about LaNorris Sellers and his draft ranking, it is always that he is one of top few quarterbacks in the country.
And you watch him play, then you say I don’t necessarily see it. These past few weeks, you see it.
You start to see the playmaking ability, the arm, the explosiveness. He is probably the closest to Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss quarterback) when he is on.
“... If they can run this schedule with Georgia on it, they will be right in the mix.”
South Carolina gets Texas A&M next, then travels to Arkansas, hosts Georgia and finishes at Clemson. For now, though, the Gamecocks have already done enough to get a national audience paying attention.
In Other News...
Charleston Southern Showed Something South Carolina Fans Will Want To Track
Charleston Southern handled Columbia International University 86-49 on Nov. 5, and the result offered a useful early-season snapshot for South Carolina fans keeping an eye on regional opponents. Anthony Ruffolo led the way with 31 points, while Lase Olalere added 14 points and 16 rebounds in a game that never really got away from Charleston Southern once it settled in.
The Buccaneers have now won all 7 meetings with Columbia International, a reminder of how comfortably they have controlled that matchup. Their next test comes Nov. 10 at Wake Forest, which should provide a much clearer read on where this team stands as the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Punting Edge Is Becoming A Bigger Story Than Expected
South Carolinas special teams quietly have become one of the steadier parts of the operation, and Mason Love is a big reason why. The Gamecocks punter has landed on the Ray Guy Award Midseason Watch List, putting him in the mix for the honor that goes to the nations top FBS punter after a strong start to the season.
Love has punted 24 times for 1,037 yards and is averaging 43.2 yards per kick, with nine punts landing inside the 20 and five traveling more than 50 yards. The next checkpoint comes Nov. 13, when semifinalists are announced, before the award winner is revealed during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 11. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A&M With More Than Bowl Eligibility At Stake
South Carolina heads into its matchup with Texas A&M riding a three-game winning streak, and the timing gives this one a little extra weight. A win would not only extend the run, it would also push the Gamecocks into bowl eligibility, a meaningful marker after a season that has started to find its footing. The recent stretch has changed the feel around the team, and now the next step comes against an opponent that has already been part of the conversation for a while.
Shane Beamers earlier prediction about the Gamecocks playoff prospects has added another layer to the week, even if the immediate task is much more straightforward. There is also the memory of last years game against Texas A&M, which gives South Carolina a little added motivation as it tries to keep building on its momentum. For a team that has finally put together some positive results, this is the kind of late-season game that can shape how the rest of the year is remembered. [Read more 🡒]