Once one of the top programs in the SEC, South Carolina digressed under Will Muschamp. Now, under Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks start a new chapter in Columbia.

ESPN’s FPI projections are out for the 2021 season, and if they’re correct, it will certainly be a transitional year for South Carolina. It is projected to finish 5-7.

FCS Eastern Illinois kicks off the schedule on Sept. 4 at Williams-Brice Stadium, with the Gamecocks being given a 98.8 percent chance of victory in what’s overwhelmingly their easiest game of the year, followed by a trip to East Carolina. Then comes the SEC opener at Georgia, with South Carolina given a 6.9 percent chance of victory.

The annual Palmetto Bowl matchup on the last Saturday of November shifts to Columbia this year, but Clemson is a heavy favorite to beat their in-state rivals once more.

Below are the FPI’s game-by-game predictions for South Carolina:

  • Sept. 4 vs. Eastern Illinois: 98.8 percent chance of winning
  • Sept. 11 at East Carolina: 68.4 percent chance of winning
  • Sept. 18 at Georgia: 6.9 percent chance of winning
  • Sept. 25 vs. Kentucky: 42.5 percent chance of winning
  • Oct. 2 vs. Troy: 61.1 percent chance of winning
  • Oct. 9 at Tennessee: 31.2 percent chance of winning
  • Oct. 16 vs. Vanderbilt: 81.7 percent chance of winning
  • Oct. 23 at Texas A&M: 6.8 percent chance of winning
  • Nov. 6 vs. Florida: 22.1 percent chance of winning
  • Nov. 13 at Missouri: 29.8 percent chance of winning
  • Nov. 20 vs. Auburn: 25.2 percent chance of winning
  • Nov. 27 vs. Clemson: 5.4 percent chance of winning