South Carolina football: Gamecocks to play Auburn, Ole Miss in 2020

The South Carolina football team has added Ole Miss and Auburn to the 2020 schedule.

On Friday, the SEC announced the two additional non-divisional opponents each of its member schools will play as part of the 10-game, league-only 2020 college football season. The season, set to begin on September 26th, is now full, though the order of matchups has not yet been determined.

South Carolina drew a home meeting versus the Auburn Tigers and a road trip to Oxford, where they’ll take on the Ole Miss Rebels.

The move to a conference-only slate was made last week amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Each university will play its eight originally scheduled SEC matchups plus these additional two crossover contests. Commissioner Greg Sankey had this to say about the newly added games.

“We made every effort to create a schedule that is as competitive as possible and builds on the existing eight Conference games that had already been scheduled for 2020. This schedule is a one-year anomaly that we have developed under unique circumstances presented by the impact of COVID-19.”

Here’s how others in the SEC fared.

ALABAMA

Previously scheduled:    vs. Georgia, at Tennessee

Added opponents:          vs. Kentucky, at Missouri

ARKANSAS

Previously scheduled:    vs. Tennessee, at Missouri

Added opponents:          vs. Georgia, at Florida

AUBURN

Previously scheduled:    vs. Kentucky, at Georgia

Added opponents:          vs. Tennessee, at South Carolina

FLORIDA

Previously scheduled:    vs. LSU, at Ole Miss

Added opponents:          vs. Arkansas, at Texas A&M

GEORGIA

Previously scheduled:    vs. Auburn, at Alabama

Added opponents:          vs. Mississippi State, at Arkansas

KENTUCKY

Previously scheduled:    vs. Mississippi State, at Auburn

Added opponents:          vs. Ole Miss, at Alabama

LSU

Previously scheduled:    vs. South Carolina, at Florida

Added opponents:          vs. Missouri, at Vanderbilt

OLE MISS

Previously scheduled:    vs. Florida, at Vanderbilt

Added opponents:          vs. South Carolina, at Kentucky

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Previously scheduled:    vs. Missouri, at Kentucky

Added opponents:          vs. Vanderbilt, at Georgia

MISSOURI

Previously scheduled:    vs. Arkansas, at Mississippi State

Added opponents:          vs. Alabama, at LSU

SOUTH CAROLINA

Previously scheduled:    vs. Texas A&M, at LSU

Added opponents:          vs. Auburn, at Ole Miss

TENNESSEE

Previously scheduled:    vs. Alabama, at Arkansas

Added opponents:          vs. Texas A&M, at Auburn

TEXAS A&M

Previously scheduled:    vs. Vanderbilt, at South Carolina

Added opponents:          vs. Florida, at Tennessee

VANDERBILT

Previously scheduled:    vs. Ole Miss, at Texas A&M

Added opponents:          vs. LSU, at Mississippi State

South Carolina last played Auburn in 2014, which ended in a 42-35 Tigers victory. Auburn leads the all-time series with a record of 10-1-1, including having won the last eight meetings. Five of those meetings have been decided by one score. Auburn was ranked No. 11 in the recently released preseason coaches’ poll.

The Gamecocks last played Ole Miss in 2018, resulting in a 48-44 come-from-behind win for South Carolina. They’ll be entering their first season under head coach Lane Kiffin, who’s 1-0 against the Gamecocks dating back to his days at Tennessee. South Carolina has won their last three matchups in the series. Of the 16 total meetings, 13 have been decided by a touchdown or less. The schools have split the all-time series, with both universities winning eight games each.