South Carolina football: ranking the Gamecocks’ potential ACC matchups in 2020

7 MOST LIKELY

Georgia Tech

Atlanta represents the closest trip of any ACC foe outside of Clemson. The Georgia Tech campus sits just 215 miles from Columbia, about a three-hour bus drive. Logistically, bringing the Yellow Jackets onto the schedule makes the most sense, and it would also present the Gamecocks with an opponent that they haven’t faced since 1991.

With the close proximity, it’s hard to believe that the two schools haven’t met on the gridiron in nearly three decades. Both were early members of the Southern Conference, before the Gamecocks went on to help start the ACC and the Yellow Jackets moved on to start the SEC. The two teams have essentially flipped places, but they still face a few similar opponents year-in and year-out (Georgia, Clemson).

The two faced off numerous times throughout the 1970’s, when both were Independents, but that dropped significantly following Georgia Tech’s joining the ACC in 1979. Overall, the Yellow Jackets hold a 12-9 series advantage, but the Gamecocks took the most recent meeting with a 23-14 victory in Columbia.

NC State

The Gamecocks and Wolfpack last met in 2018, when Deebo Samuel and Co. took down a Ryan Finley-led crew 35-28. There seems to be an interest in consistently getting this matchup onto the schedule, as the two have played three times since 2008.

The two schools have met 53 times, which is fifth-most among Gamecock opponents, with South Carolina holding a 26-24-3 advantage. They matched up all but one season between 1956 and 1991, prior to the Gamecocks joining the SEC. This rivalry dates back to South Carolina’s time in the ACC, and with Raleigh being just a short 3.5-hour trip from Columbia, it makes a lot of sense logistically.

Wake Forest

Wake Forest’s campus sits less than an hour from Chapel Hill, Duke, and NC State, making it another relatively short bus trip for the Gamecocks. The two foes have matched up 56 times, with the Gamecocks leading the all-time series 34-20-2.

Despite being tied with North Carolina for third-most meetings amongst Gamecock opponents, South Carolina hasn’t played the Demon Deacons since 1987. The two schools met every year between 1938-1981, even with South Carolina leaving the ACC in 1971. But for some reason, the series came to a sudden halt shortly thereafter.

There’s not quite as much buzz surrounding a USC-WF renewal, but it would be good for the university to make an effort to continue all of the traditional rivalries with North Carolina opponents. The Gamecocks are currently on a seven-game series winning streak and have won 15 of the last 16 meetings.

Duke

The Gamecocks and Blue Devils have met 44 times, with Duke holding a slight 24-17-3 advantage. Unfortunately, a game hasn’t been played between the two since 1991, the year before South Carolina’s affiliation with the SEC.

The schools have a little in common, with both being led by legendary coach Steve Spurrier. In fact, prior to the Gamecocks’ 2014 loss to Texas A&M, the head ball coach’s only opening day loss was a 1989 affair where the Gamecocks upended Spurrier’s Blue Devils 27-21.

South Carolina has won six of the last seven meetings, with the last matchup ending in a 24-24 tie. Duke, like the two previously mentioned North Carolina schools, is just a 3.5-hour drive from Columbia.

Florida State

Tallahassee is a little longer of a trip, as it sits 450 miles from the South Carolina campus. Still, it would make for a long bus trip, and the two schools share some history.

The Gamecocks and Seminoles have met 19 times, with Florida State taking the last seven matchups. In the 2010 Peach Bowl, Jimbo Fisher’s squad knocked out star running back Marcus Lattimore early in the game, eventually leading to a 26-17 FSU win. In the 80s, it was Deion Sanders leading the Seminoles to a couple of big victories over the Gamecocks. Sanders’ son, Shilo, is now a defensive back for Will Muschamp.

The two schools met numerous times as independents throughout the 70s and 80s, but that ended when the Gamecocks joined the SEC. The two haven’t competed in a regular season game since 1991. Florida State is a brand name in college football, and South Carolina fans would be glad to get them back on the schedule.

Virginia

Believe it or not, Charlottesville, VA is just about the same distance to the South Carolina campus as Tallahassee, FL. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 21-13-1, but the Cavaliers took the last meeting with a 28-0 shellacking in the 2018 Belk Bowl.

Outside of that one recent meeting, the schools have been pretty distant of late. There were two matchups in the Lou Holtz era, but there have only been three meetings between the Gamecocks and Cavaliers over the last 30 years.

South Carolina and Virginia met frequently when both were ACC members, and it would be fun to renew the series. It would also give Gamecock fans a chance to erase that embarrassing loss in their last meeting.

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg is just 260 miles from Columbia, which should put the Hokies above previously mentioned Virginia and Florida State in terms of travel. The only thing that could hold this meeting back is the fact that the two schools recently agreed on a home-and-home series for the 2034 and 2035 seasons.

However, a meeting that’s over a decade away may not have as much influence as we may think, and this matchup would renew a rivalry that was heated in the 70s and 80s. The two schools have met 19 times, with South Carolina holding a 11-6-2 advantage. There were 12 meetings between 1968-1991, most of which took place when the universities were Independents.

When the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992, the series ended, but it’s good to see that there are efforts to renew it. A matchup in 2020 may give fans a little precursor of what to expect in 15 years.