Wasson: South Carolina (what?!) on cusp of coveted Playoff berth? Believe it
During arguably the most tumultuous season in Southeastern Conference history, so many teams have flashed in and out of the conversation for 1 of the coveted 12 College Football Playoff spots.
At varying points, it feels like half the SEC has been slotted in one spot or another – from Alabama to Ole Miss to LSU to Texas A&M. But there is one conference team that has been out here hiding in plain sight, minding their own business after a shaky start and rattling off quality wins.
We are talking about South Carolina, people.
The Gamecocks have a huge opportunity to make a closing statement Saturday, and what a statement it would be. They travel to Clemson to take on a Tigers team that also needs a win to retain any chance of making the Playoff. The Tigers jumped to No. 12 in the AP poll and likely will be about the same when Tuesday night’s Playoff ranking is revealed. South Carolina won’t be far behind.
How did the 8-3 Gamecocks climb back into the Playoff discussion?
Ever so quietly, they have been winning quality games and absorbing quality losses despite receiving almost no attention whatsoever. And as a result, that sound you don’t hear could just be the pride of the Palmetto State tip-toeing its way into the Playoff.
It’s OK that you haven’t noticed, of course. Hardly anyone has had their attention caught by Shane Beamer’s bunch in Columbia. But the Gamecocks have been there all along, creeping just behind the curtain like a good understudy – patiently waiting, honing their lines and hitting all the marks necessary.
Entering last weekend, South Carolina was 7-3 and ranked 18th in the CFP rankings, 1 spot behind Clemson. But who has been watching the least little lick about teams 13 through infinity, as all that matters is the Magic 12?
Funny thing happened Saturday, though. Just about everyone within the SEC that needed to lose in front of South Carolina lost, and the Gamecocks just quietly did what they’ve been doing now for a solid month – win.
Saturday’s 56-12 victory over FCS middleweight Wofford registered zero shock waves when it happened, and that’s OK. But that blowout dub was the 5th in a row for the Gamecocks, a run that includes 2 wins over ranked teams.
The winning flurry included a decisive 44-20 home win against then-No. 10 Texas A&M (which could end up playing for the SEC title if it knocks off Texas on Saturday) and also a 34-30 victory over then-No. 23 Missouri – but also had a lopsided W at Oklahoma as well as 28-7 win at Vanderbilt.
Those wins are what the nation overlooked at the time, but should come into greater focus when the committee convenes over a plate of wings to compile the latest Playoff rankings. Because the most recent recipient of an SEC second chance – Alabama – had the same path that South Carolina navigated with a 2-0 record. The Tide’s record at Oklahoma and Vanderbilt? A disastrous and disqualifying 0-2.
Not only does South Carolina’s 5-game winning streak deserve more love, it also matters to whom the Gamecocks lost en route to their current 8-3 mark. Falling short in a 36-33 shootout to then-No. 16 LSU (a game in which a bad-call pass interference wiped out a pick-6), and then losing to then-No. 12 Ole Miss 27-3 and then a 27-25 loss at then-No. 7 Alabama that could have closed the curtain on the Tide’s charade 6 weeks earlier than the ultimate finale.
Those 3 losses, all to ranked teams and 2 of them within a total of 5 points, pushed South Carolina way to the back of the line and out of eyesight. That was convenient to the preseason narrative, too, as South Carolina started the season picked 13th in the 16-team SEC.
It probably doesn’t help the Gamecocks’ cause, either, that they aren’t terribly sexy on offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers is an emerging force to those in the know, but he has thrown for just a serviceable 2,110 yards and 17 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. And senior running back Raheim Sanders has rumbled for 11 rushing TDs.
But there is a ton to be said for simply being in the right place at the right time, which is precisely where the Gamecocks are right now. Going to No. 12 Clemson and winning is never easy, but South Carolina totes its 5-game winning streak across the state to Death Valley for a high-noon showdown Saturday that could clinch a Playoff spot for the winner.
That task won’t be easy, of course, as Clemson has controlled the Palmetto Bowl to the tune of 14-8 over the past 20 years. And Dabo Swinney has a knack for conjuring the most out of his Tigers at pivotal times.
But after Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama all lost within a wacky 12-hour period in the most recent example of a wacky 2024 college football season – not to mention that luck is where opportunity meets preparation – this simply feels like South Carolina’s time for Beamer Ball to shine.
“patiently waiting, honing their lines and hitting all the marks necessary.”
They were too patient and waited too long.
Enjoy the Mayo Bowl.
They’ve done better than GA head to head with the same competition
But keep going
Ole Miss, who also has 3 losses, blew out South Carolina in their own stadium.
I don’t see how SCar gets in unless Ole Miss loses the Egg Bowl.
At large teams are chosen by a committee whose opinions are all that matters and may differ from your opinion.
Oh, I’m not on the playoff committee? Thanks for the heads up!
Anyway, the committee values head-to-head very much, especially on the road.
SCar is toast. They have zero hope for the playoff.
We’re about to play a top 20 team on the road. No one has turned on the toaster yet.
We fair better than GA worn the same opponents ( might want to look those up )
Ooooppsy …
To this point they have very much valued Head to Head. Now that isn’t to say that won’t change when the politics of whatever they are pushing dictate it, but to this point head to head has been the deciding factor when records were equal, especially among the multi loss SEC teams. That is a fact.
…which means a 3 loss Georgia isn’t getting in before Alabama and Ole Miss.
If they only consider head to head then yes, SC is toast. However, a few weeks back they were slotted a spot ahead of LSU despite the head to head and the committee commented that they did so because the 2 programs appeared to be on 2 different trajectories despite identical records. That gives me some hope that they’ll place a lot of value on what would be a 6 game win streak, 3 of which would be over ranked opponents.
Oh I think it’s a “pipedream” for the Chickins. Just enjoy a better than expected season and medium-bowl. NO CFP for you!
GT beating UGA, Vandy beating Tenn, Auburn beating Bama, to name a few.. make room for SC to win & get in. “injury factor” (same thing that kept FSU out last yr) should impact SC’s ‘loss’ against LSU.. not having starting QB for 2nd half… egregious calls from refs.. let’s be real and recognize that if SC wins, they belong in. 6wins in a row with 4 ranked wins…
Georgia would still have a path if they lost to Tech somehow via winning the SEC championship. Head to head matters though this year.
Last I looked
GA got smoked by Ole Miss
Barely beat KU ( SC stomped them )
Lost to Bama by 6 ( SC lost by 2 )
But keep going …
SC would be the fourth team
Without that one egregious flag against LSU, (there were more) the gamecocks would actually be playing Texas for the SEC instead of UGA.
Looks like you should also be thanking the terrible SEC officials…
Ole Miss has 2 Bad losses, limping to the finish line. SC wins on Sat they have 6 wins in a row with 4 of them being ranked affairs. Not to mention the injury factor and horrendous calls in LSU game, SC *is a 2 loss team. Best defense in the country?
Ole Miss lost to Florida and Kentucky which are both unranked. A win against Clemson will give USC one more quality win while a win against a bad Miss St does nothing for Ole Miss. USC will leapfrog Ole Miss and deservedly so.
If we beat Clemson in convincing fashion all we need to happen is someone like Southern Cal to beat ND and we’re in.
South Carolina has only had to play in a truly hostile environment once this year. I believe that the environment in death valley will be rather overwhelming. They are a very good team, but where you play matters.
@ Oklahoma is an easy place to play? Say that to Alabama…
Capacity is 83.5k.
Vols did it…just accept that PAC10-Bama is not SabanBama. It’s over.
Careful. Your alter ego is poking out.
Same reason FSU got knocked out of the top 4 last season.
They are picking the best teams at the end of the season.
If South Carolina wins at Clemson, they must certainly will be considered with a 6 game win streak like they have.
Even IF they beat Clemson, they would be tied with two other 3-loss SEC teams they lost to (Ole Miss and Bama). Hard to justify jumping them over not one but two teams they lost to.
You have to consider recency bias. Carolina has won 5 straight games. What have Ole Miss and Alabama done recently?
Well, Ole Miss won in Williams-Brice by multiple touchdowns.
So there’s that. That was as recent as the 2024 season, so it applies.
It does apply but also when in the season it happened will apply as well.
how recent a win/loss was is A factor but it isn’t the only one. Where was the game? how one sided was the game? You can also consider the fact that while Ole Miss’s losses are indeed worse than SC’s losses, if your are going to soften losses by time, that Kentucky loss was Ole Miss’s first SEC game and has faded somewhat. You also have to factor in that while Ole Miss’s losses were worse than SC’s losses, their wins were better than SC’s wins. SC’s best wins were over a fading Texas A&M which will be a month old when the playoffs are decided and a nail biter against a mediocre Missouri team. Both of those wins were at home. Ole Miss’s best wins were against Georgia at home and SC on the road. Both of those wins were decisive. It isn’t an easy decision and there isn’t one solid answer. Ultimately, the committee will do what the committee will do. I believe that there will be teams in the playoffs that Ole Miss, SC, A&M and Alabama could all beat, possibly decisively, but at the same time all four of those teams have had the chance to earn their spot and choked at key times and can’t claim an entitlement.
I think recency bias applies to a team’s progression or regression over the course of the season. But I do agree that Ole Miss would have a better argument than Alabama. Alabama has been Jekyll/Hyde all season. Their chances hinge on their potential, which is another kind of bias.
Wasson may be onto something; SC may not be a sexy (read TV eyeballs) choice and since they list to Ole Miss and Bama the Cocks may be left out. Just my $0.02.
I would love to see them in. They have made huge improvements throughout the year. I believe they are better than Indiana, Notre Dame, Boise, SMU, likely Miami and maybe Penn State. However this committee will give them no shot.
The three losses don’t help either.
It doesn’t, but have three loss teams been included before? We will have to wait and see how this committee makes the call. SOS has thus far seemed a very small portion, if any, of their decision.
I totally understand why Georgia and the rest of the teams that are in the CFP don’t think that the Gamecocks shouldn’t be in the playoffs. I wouldn’t either if I feared the butt kicking that could come from them being in. As for Ol Miss they are lucky that they came to play the Gamecocks when they did after the let down of a game they actually won and was taken by poor officiating with 2 weeks to think about the let down. I’m sure that big mouth Kiffin don’t want to play them now if you could get him to tell the truth which is very doubtful. Anyway I’m sure the teams that will be in the CFP will lobby to keep the Gamecocks out and that’s almost as much satisfaction as getting to kick some butt and prove the point. GO COCKS!!!
It’s not fear that’s motivating the debate, but a group of three-loss teams with not a lot of daylight between them and a completely new playoff format. South Carolina is definitely deserving of being in the conversation, without a doubt.
RAT POISON I tell ya!! I’ve been a LONG TIME suffering fan of my Gamecocks for nearly 60 years so this is great to be talked about, but “talk is cheap”! It would be so awesome for this Carolina team to do the impossible – beat the Tigers at their home – and somehow make the Playoffs! We are so close to being 10-1, but we’re not! Now we need to focus, play CLEAN, execute, and WIN! Let’s go guys – play smart – play hard!!
^^This. Let’s take care of business first.
GO COCKS!!!
WE HAVE ARRIVED!! FINALLY, an article where people are arguing about my Gamecocks!!
Safe to say your Gamecocks are this year’s surprise. Beamer has done a great job with that team.
I think you’re overlooking how they needed a last second score at home just to beat what everyone is has been saying all along is a bad, way overrated Mizzou team, but suddenly it’s a good win? It doesn’t work that way pick a side of the fence pal. Their OOC is full of cupcakes and they lost to both LSU and Alabama who are both calling for their coaches’ heads for seasons they both feel are subpar to expectation. The clobbering they took from Ole Miss looks worse now too. Ok, that might sound harsh but we’re not talking decent year, we’re talking playoff worthy which is an entirely different level. With all that said SC has had a decent year no doubt, like *a lot* of teams have, but decent doesn’t mean playoff worthy. This whole narrative makes little sense.
Given what the Gamecocks were projected to be coming into this season it makes perfect sense to me. We’re on par with every other 3 loss team in the conference, and if the conversation is about a path for them then we can’t be left out
I have no idea how many are slated to graduate, go to NFL etc from this USC team, but they are looking like they are going to be a force to be reckoned with next year. Good on em, been entertaining to watch. SEC is gonna a war zone going forward.
The only possible 3 loss team that is getting in is possibly GA if they play tough against Texas and fall short. There are just too many decent one and two loss teams out there. Kudos to Carolina for turning things around and good luck with whatever bowl they go to.
I’ll keep this simple….
South Carolina ain’t gonna get into the playoffs. PERIOD. The 3 teams they lost to ain’t gonna make the playoffs either. So where’s the playoff resume? There ain’t one.
I really agree. I don’t think this committee will think about a three loss team when you have the Miamis and Indianas with better records. Welcome to the new SEC where we will canibalize each other during the season. Some serious stuff must go sideways for this committee to consider a 3-loss. That being said I look forward to the possibility of pulling Clemson in the 3L mudpit with us. Go Cocks!
Miami is losing, Auburn is beating Bama, southern cal is beating ND, and we will soundly beat Clemson. We will be in. Just trust the process.