On3 gives their 2026 College Football Playoff Prediction, but omits the South Carolina Gamecocks

The early 2026 College Football Playoff predictions are starting to roll out, and it looks like a certain team from the Palmetto State is being left out. That is also not factoring in how the SEC could have at most five teams in the CFP. That said, who made it from the SEC and why should it be the South Carolina Gamecocks?

On the On3 YouTube channel, J.D. PicKell gave his 2026 12-team CFP prediction, along with the 2026 National Champion. He predicted that the LSU Tigers would defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2026 National Title Game. Furthermore, PicKell gave an idea of five SEC teams making the CFP; however, one of those was not the Gamecocks. He has the LSU Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns, and the Texas A&M Aggies making the CFP.

PicKell had LSU (first) and Texas (fourth) have two of the four bye seeds. He followed up with Georgia and Alabama square off in the 8-seed vs 9-seed game, along with Texas A&M as the 7-seed facing the Baylor Bears. Essentially, PicKell believes that the SEC will have five teams in the CFP, but with the Gamecocks, who he predicted to go 9-3, to miss out once again.

PicKell did predict the Gamecocks to beat LSU but lose to Texas A&M and Alabama in the SEC in two of their three overall losses in 2025. It's interesting to see LSU be the #1 seed, and the predicted SEC Champions, despite losing to the Gamecocks. Also, it feels like if there is a team to make the CFP in 2026, it's the Gamecocks who've proven that they can go on the road and win games. They went to Norman and beat the Oklahoma Sooners, and beat Clemson in "Death Valley". Clemson comes to Williams-Brice, and there is no way Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks will let them come in and ruin a possible CFP appearance.

While a floor could be 9-3 at the worst, this Gamecocks team has the chance to go 10-2 on the season, as long as they can take care of business against the teams they face in 2025. If there is a chance to beat LSU in the real Death Valley, there is no stopping this team. If they can avenge the close loss to the Tigers, and the Crimson Tide narrow loss, this team hits the 10-win mark. They almost had 10 wins last season if not for questionable calls against LSU. Either way, if there is going to be five SEC teams in the 2026 CFP, the Gamecocks should be considered as one of them.

If they had to replace someone, it will be Texas A&M who they handled last season 44-20. Regardless of if it's Kyle Field, the Gamecocks have gone to hostile environments and won. Beamer and the Gamecocks have something to prove this upcoming season to show why they should have been there in the 2025, along with making a case to make the 2026 CFP.