South Carolina Football Bowl Projections: Predicting Gamecocks' postseason fate
Off an impressive 9-3 campaign, South Carolina looks like it will fall just shy of the College Football Playoff. Even a 12-team field might not be enough to get three-loss SEC teams into the college football promised land. Still, all is certainly not lost for an overachieving South Carolina squad.
South Carolina opened its season just 3-3, including close losses to LSU and Alabama and a blowout defeat to Ole Miss. But then the Gamecocks caught fire and won the last six games of the season in a row.
South Carolina's late-season surge included victories over Vanderbilt, Missouri and archrival Clemson. The Gamecocks missed a bowl a season ago under Shane Beamer. But in 2024, they're definitely in. However, the path to a 9-3 team playing in the College Football Playoff looks unlikely.
Here's a closer look at where the Gamecocks might end up.
Which bowl will South Carolina play in?
The Citrus Bowl is the optimistic bowl pick for the Gamecocks. Assuming that Carolina doesn't make the CFP, the top non-playoff SEC team ends up in the Citrus Bowl.
To make the Citrus Bowl, Carolina probably needs Alabama to make the playoff. While the Crimson Tide's 9-3 mark is the same as South Carolina's, Kalen DeBoer's team always moves the needle as a name. If Alabama is out of the picture, it's likely Carolina versus Ole Miss for the Citrus Bowl. Both of those teams are also 9-3, but it's not hard to imagine the Gamecocks getting the nod over Ole Miss.
The game, to be played in Orlando on Dec. 31, would pit Carolina against a Big Ten team. One ESPN analyst has the Gamecocks facing Illinois in the game. Athlon Sports and Action Network all agreed on that proposition.
After the Citrus Bowl, the SEC's bowl picture is much murkier. The next six games are all picked in conjunction with the SEC office, with no clear pecking order among the teams involved. This is the floor for Carolina's bowl hopes, and a few media projections think the Gamecocks fall this far.
The Gator Bowl is another possibility. CBS Sports puts Carolina here and has them taking on ACC foe Syracuse. That game, played in Jacksonville, takes place on Jan. 2. Carolina is 0-5 all-time in the Citrus Bowl. 9-3 Syracuse would come in hot off an upset win over Miami.
One ESPN picker placed Carolina in the Music City Bowl against Minnesota. That game is played on Dec. 30 in Nashville. It's an interesting proposition as Carolina just played in Nashville with a road game against Vanderbilt. Still, Minnesota is far from a stout opponent and could present the most favorable matchup for the Gamecocks.
What do you think of South Carolina's possible bowl destinations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.