South Carolina football: ranking potential upsets on the schedule
By Jacob Elsey
4. @ Georgia
The Gamecocks will take a trip to Athens in week three, and this matchup should have a ton of storylines. Will Muschamp, now an analyst for the Bulldogs, meets South Carolina for the first time since his firing. This will also be the Gamecocks’ first contest in Sanford Stadium since pulling off a stunning 20-17 double overtime victory over a then third-ranked Georgia team to ruin an unblemished season. Bulldog fans weren’t happy after the loss, with South Carolina players plucking the hedges as a celebration.
You can bet there will still be some bad blood between the two programs, and Georgia believes it’s got the team to get back to a national championship appearance. With the game falling early in the year, and South Carolina still likely working out some kinks under a new coaching staff, this upset seems improbable. The Gamecocks do, however, have a knack for knocking off some of Georgia’s best teams, so it shouldn’t completely be ruled out.
3. vs. Clemson
South Carolina avoided the Tigers last year due to its SEC-only schedule amid the Coronavirus pandemic. It was a brief pause in what’s turned into a six-game losing skid to their archrival. Clemson does have to travel to Columbia this year, and they’ll be working in a new quarterback under center with Trevor Lawrence off to the NFL, but the Tigers will still be talented.
Clemson had little trouble with the Gamecocks under Will Muschamp, winning each of the four meetings by three scores or more. Coach Beamer is hoping to turn the tides, though, and get the Gamecocks back to the in-state dominance it experienced during his last stint in Columbia. While playing at home should help South Carolina, it will be tough to take down a Clemson team that’s likely to compete for a playoff spot come season’s end.