South Carolina football: toughest three-game stretch in 2021

What will be the toughest portion of South Carolina football’s season?

South Carolina will face one of the nation’s most difficult slates in 2021, playing upwards of six games against foes that will potentially be ranked in the top 25. Three of those teams will begin the year in the top 10, with Georgia and Clemson being likely College Football Playoff candidates come season’s end.

While the schedule will be a difficult one to navigate, it does consist of peaks and valleys. The front half of the season seems manageable, as the Gamecocks will be favored in four of its first seven contests, and only a road trip to Athens projects to see South Carolina as a major underdog.

The latter half of the year, however, is brutal. South Carolina will face four teams over a six-week span that will be ranked, bookended with meetings against Texas A&M and Clemson. Getting off to a hot start will benefit the Gamecocks, who may be fighting for a bowl bid late in the year.

Let’s break down the schedule to see which three-game stretch will be the Gamecocks’ most difficult in 2021.

Close, but no cigar…

These two three-game stretches came close to landing the top spot, but fell just short. First are weeks two through four.

• @ ECU
• @ UGA
• vs. UK

South Carolina will be on the road for back-to-back weeks, starting with a trip to Greenville, North Carolina to face the East Carolina Pirates. While the Gamecocks should be favored, this will be Shane Beamer’s first game away from home as head coach. The Pirates return their quarterback from a year ago, and have the pieces on offense to cause problems. It will certainly be a test for the Gamecocks’ defense.

The following week sees South Carolina travelling to Athens, where they’ll likely be three-score underdogs. Georgia has its eyes set on a national title, and they’ll be looking to avoid an early-season slip up to their division rival.

The three-game slate ends with a matchup versus Kentucky, who’s beaten South Carolina six of the last seven seasons. It will be the Gamecocks’ first home game in conference play against a Wildcat team that might be the SEC East’s second-best group. South Carolina is hoping to come out of this stretch with two wins, but going 1-2 might be more likely.

There’s also a three-game stretch later in the year that sees the Gamecocks face Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and Florida.

• vs. VU
• @ TAMU
• vs. UF

South Carolina will likely be favored over the Commodores, but they should be heavy ‘dogs against the Aggies and Gators. Unlike the previous stretch, the Gamecocks do get to play two of these opponents at home, and Florida may be the most likely upset bid for Shane Beamer in his inaugural season.

Still, the Gamecocks haven’t beaten the Gators in three seasons, and they’re on a seven-game skid to Texas A&M. One win might be all the Gamecocks can notch in these three meetings.

Drumroll, please…

The toughest stretch of the season comes in South Carolina’s final three games. And with the Gamecocks possibly fighting for bowl eligibility, picking up an upset could be crucial.

• @ Mizzou
• vs. Auburn
• vs. Clemson

It starts with a long trip to Missouri, and while we consider this one a toss-up game, it certainly won’t be easy. After that, the Gamecocks host two more Tiger teams in back-to-back weeks, beginning with Auburn, who will be looking to avenge last year’s 30-22 defeat.

Then comes Clemson, who the Gamecocks haven’t beaten since 2013. They’ll come into the game with College Football Playoff aspirations, and will be looking to continue their recent run over their archrival. This will be one of the most difficult matchups of the year, ending the most difficult three-game stretch of the season. Picking up even one win over the final three weeks will be a tall task.