South Carolina football: Gamecocks projected to exceed expectations

South Carolina football’s win total is set at 3.5.

The South Carolina football program has little expectations as they enter a 2021 season with a first-year head coach, and question marks all over the field. The Gamecocks have won just six games since 2018, and saw Will Muschamp fired midyear during a 2-8 campaign. While the program has some work to do, there’s one media outlet that believes they’ll exceed expectations next season, at least the expectations set by Las Vegas sportsbooks early in the offseason.

Athlon Sports sees the Gamecocks winning more than the 3.5 games that Vegas has placed for the team’s over/under in 2021. Here’s what the site had to say about the program’s chances of achieving that feat next year.

"We aren’t expecting South Carolina to get to a bowl, but the over seems like a strong play. The Gamecocks should be favored to beat Eastern Illinois, Troy and East Carolina in non-conference play. And if Beamer’s squad picks off Vanderbilt in Columbia, that’s enough to hit the over."

The site notes that it’s not expecting Beamer and the Gamecocks to blow anyone away next year, but it does expect them to take care of business in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Picking up wins over Eastern Illinois, ECU, and Troy will get the Gamecocks to three wins, leaving them just one victory away from eclipsing the total.

Athlon also notes that the roster has some talent, most notably in running backs Kevin Harris and MarShawn Lloyd, who will be the focal point of South Carolina’s offense. If the defense can show improvement, and quarterback Luke Doty can manage the game without turning the ball over, getting to four wins should be more than expected. If you’ve got a little extra spending money, it wouldn’t be a bad bet to take.