South Carolina Football: Gamecocks open as heavy favorites for season's first game

The 2024 season is one of extreme importance for the South Carolina football program. After two years of overachieving in 2021 and 2022, the Gamecocks took a step back in 2023 and didn't make a bowl game thanks to a 5-7 record.

Shane Beamer and his Gamecock coaching staff have done strong work on the recruiting front, and the 2025 and 2026 classes have a chance to be really good if things go pretty well on the field for USC this fall.

The quest for a good season begins on August 31st as the Gamecocks welcome the Old Dominion Monarchs to Columbia and Williams-Brice Stadium.

Old Dominion has only been part of FBS football for a decade, but they have made bowl games in two of the last three seasons and finished near the top of a good Sun Belt Conference in both 2023 and 2021.

Even so, South Carolina football is considered a relatively heavy betting favorite over Old Dominion in the season opener.

According to betting lines set by several different gambling outlets, Shane Beamer's Gamecocks are 17-point favorites as summer begins. The 17-point line is the largest in favor of Carolina since the Furman game early last season.

The Gamecocks need a good start to the year if they are to make their way back to a bowl game and get back on track with the progress shown in the first two years of the Beamer era in Columbia. Week two might include the biggest swing game of the year for USC as they travel to the Kentucky Wildcats on September 7th. A solid debut against Old Dominion will be necessary to get Carolina ready for the SEC matchup against the 'Cats.

The TV/streaming information has not yet been released for the Old Dominion game, but based on similar games of its caliber, fans can expect it to be aired on the SEC Network or SEC Network+.