South Carolina football: Gamecocks ranked 93rd in NCAA power rankings

The South Carolina football team will begin its inaugural season under new head coach Shane Beamer in less than a month when they take on Eastern Illinois in Williams-Brice Stadium on September 4th. Until then, though, there is only speculation on how the Gamecocks will look when they put the pads on.

Last year was certainly a disappointment, which led to the firing of then-head coach Will Muschamp. A new staff inherited a roster with holes, but they’ve done their best to piece together a dependable unit this offseason. Beamer and Co. snagged a number of instant defensive contributors in the transfer portal, and will look to lean on a potent run game on offense.

Still, expectations are not high.

CBS Sports recently listed each FBS program from 1 to 130, and the Gamecocks sit a ways down the preseason power rankings, coming in at No. 93. That number is second-worst mark in the SEC, ahead of only Vanderbilt (No. 105). Troy is the only other opponent on the schedule to be ranked behind the Gamecocks, while week two foe East Carolina is rated just above at No. 88.

Here’s what the site had to say about the South Carolina unit with less than a month left before opening kickoff.

"East Carolina and South Carolina at Nos. 88 and 93, respectively, duke it out in Week 2 this season in a matchup that will go a long way in determining bowl eligibility for both programs. The Gamecocks’ 2021 schedule is brutal under first-year coach Shane Beamer and that will be considered a must-win road game for South Carolina given the rest of the slate."

CBS touches on that difficult schedule as being a major obstacle in the path of the Gamecocks, as the program faces five teams in the site’s top 30 rankings. That won’t make things any easier on the new staff.

Shane Beamer certainly has his work cut out for him in year one. His team has been projected to win four games or less for a third straight season by the majority of the media, and the Gamecocks will likely be favored in just one conference matchup. Getting to a bowl game will be a major accomplishment.

Beamer and the Gamecocks will look to prove the naysayers wrong this Fall, starting with that September 4th opener in Columbia.