South Carolina football: future matchups the Gamecocks need to schedule

WEST VIRGINIA

South Carolina and West Virginia have met 12 times, with the last matchup coming in the 1995 Carquest Bowl, the Gamecocks’ first ever bowl victory. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series 7-4-1.

The two programs faced off frequently in the 50s, and renewed the rivalry in the late 80s, but they haven’t played one another in nearly three decades. That needs to change soon, as Morgantown offers one of the best college football atmospheres in the nation.

The trip up the coast would be lengthy, but it would get the Gamecocks out of their typical Southeastern bubble, as well as see them play against a conference that is seldom scheduled. Virginia Tech is already on the slate, why not add their neighbors to the north?

TEXAS

Sticking with the Big XII theme, we’ve added a program that the Gamecocks don’t have much of a history with; Texas. In fact, the only meeting was a 27-21 South Carolina victory way back in 1957. A contest with the Longhorns would offer a lot for both the football team and the fanbase.

This matchup would be even more intriguing had head coach Tom Herman been able to have success in Austin, after spurning the South Carolina gig a few weeks earlier. Herman, though, has been fired and the Longhorns have since moved on to former Alabama assistant Steve Sarkisian.

While the Gamecocks don’t necessarily recruit on a national level, exposure in one of the nation’s most fertile recruiting grounds would be a positive. And the city of Austin is a booming music and entertainment scene that would make a great trip for South Carolina fans looking to experience the Southwest. We’d also finally be able to end the debate of who’s got the better barbeque.