ESPN documented in April that the SEC faces the weakest non-conference schedule in the country during the 2015 season.

The Worldwide Leader did however acknowledge South Carolina as a team set aside from the rest, facing a slate comparable to other treacherous schedules outside of league play. Featuring three bowl teams from a season ago including preseason ACC favorite Clemson, the Gamecocks’ path to bowl eligibility, much less Atlanta, won’t be easy.

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Can South Carolina overcome an uphill climb in the SEC to continue Steve Spurrier’s multi-decade streak without a losing season?

Analyzing South Carolina’s 2015 schedule, here’s a closer look:

FAVORABLE MATCHUPS

By our estimation in August, South Carolina will be favored in at least six games this season, barring a horrific start. There’s four games we feel comfortable charting in the win column now, but as the Head Ball Coach put it recently, ‘stranger things have happened.’ We’ll call these favorable matchups, but in actuality, they’re must-wins for a program hoping to exceed Vegas’ projected win total of seven this season.

  • vs. Kentucky, Sept. 12
  • vs. UCF, Sept. 26
  • vs. Vanderbilt, Oct. 17
  • vs. The Citadel, Nov. 21

BIGGEST GAMES

Two annual rivalry games and the program’s first meeting with LSU since 2012 highlight this season’s ‘big games’, potential swing matchups if the Gamecocks have any hopes proving doubters wrong this fall. Beating Georgia between the hedges means South Carolina has the early edge in the Eastern Division, a luxury that didn’t help this club last season thanks to an unexpected loss to Texas A&M in the opener. The Palmetto State war at the end of November could determine a postseason berth for the Gamecocks and it’s a game Spurrier loves to win (he’s done it five times since 2010).

  • at Georgia, Sept. 19
  • vs. LSU, Oct. 10
  • vs. Clemson, Nov. 28

ROUGH PATCH

Three weeks, three SEC opponents. If the Gamecocks want to squeeze into a Florida bowl game this season, they’ll need to win at least two games from this late-season set. Splitting the road contests and beating the Gators would be the likeliest scenario, but even without an intimidating offense, Florida has given South Carolina all it can handle over the last three seasons.

  • at Texas A&M, Oct. 31
  • at Tennessee, Nov. 7
  • vs. Florida, Nov. 14

TOUGHEST TILT

Georgia, LSU and Clemson will all be ranked higher than Texas A&M when South Carolina plays each team, but it’s not going to matter as far as the individual matchup is concerned. Traveling halfway across the country to take on the Aggies for the Gamecocks’ first-ever appearance at Kyle Field is an incredibly difficult task. Luckily for Spurrier’s team, they’ll do so coming off a bye week with ample time to prepare for Texas A&M’s wide-open offense that humiliated South Carolina in front of its home crowd last season.

SEASON-DEFINING STRETCH

  • Sept. 19-Oct. 10

Four games, split down the middle home and away, will dictate where the Gamecocks are at the halfway point this season. They’ll know how they need to finish in order to exceed preseason expectations or remain in the fight for bowl eligibility. Included in this nightmarish quartet is a road trip to Athens, the ‘other’ Columbia and a home bout with possible Top 10 LSU. South Carolina hasn’t beaten the Purple & Gold Tigers since 1994 — a span of six games.