South Carolina football received zero votes in AP preseason top-25

On Monday, the Associated Press released the preseason version of their top-25 poll. As expected, Shane Beamer's South Carolina football team did not make it in the poll. However, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the Gamecocks were not included in the poll's "also receiving votes" section, either, something that they did receive in the USA Today version of the preseason poll last week.

The Gamecocks will have plenty of opportunities to earn their way into the rankings. The opening four games of the schedule (Old Dominion, @ Kentucky, LSU, Akron) combine enough difficulty and winnability that a 4-0 start (and potentially a 3-1 beginning) would put Carolina into the top-25. As things stand today, USC will be heavy favorites against ODU and Akron, likely a small underdog on the road against Kentucky, and probably a moderate underdog at home against LSU.

The South Carolina football schedule (as usual) is tough. The Gamecocks play seven teams ranked in the top-25 (Alabama Crimson Tide, 5th; Ole Miss Rebels, 6th; Missouri Tigers, 11th; LSU Tigers, 13th; Clemson Tigers, 14th; Oklahoma Sooners, 16th; Texas A&M Aggies, 20th) and one more (Kentucky Wildcats) that received votes in the poll put just missed out on the top-25. Essentially, 8 of the team's 12 opponents are in the AP's top-40.

The entire 2024 Associated Press preseason top-25 poll is listed below:

1. Georgia Bulldogs (46 1st place votes)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (15)
3. Oregon Ducks (1)
4. Texas Longhorns
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
6. Ole Miss Rebels
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
9. Michigan Wolverines
10. Florida State Seminoles
11. Missouri Tigers
12. Utah Utes
13. LSU Tigers
14. Clemson Tigers
15. Tennessee Volunteers
16. Oklahoma Sooners
17. Oklahoma State Cowboys
18. Kansas State Wildcats
19. Miami Hurricanes
20. Texas A&M Aggies
21. Arizona Wildcats
22. Kansas Jayhawks
23. Southern Cal Trojans
24. NC State Wolfpack
25. Iowa Hawkeyes

Also Receiving Votes:

Louisville Cardinals (111 points), Virginia Tech Hokies (77), Boise State Broncos (47), SMU Mustangs (33), Iowa State Cyclones (33), Liberty Flames (32), Washington Huskies (23), West Virginia Mountaineers (17), Memphis Tigers (16), Nebraska Huskers (16), Wisconsin Badgers (15), UT-San Antonio Roadrunners (6), Tulane Green Wave (5), Appalachian State Mountaineers (4), Kentucky Wildcats (3), Auburn Tigers (2), Colorado Buffaloes (1)