![South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer responds to questions during a media press conference Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Friday the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on host South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Players also met with teens and children battling a life-threatening illness, associated with the local wish-granting organization, \"Dreams Come True.\"
Jki 122922 Final Gator Bowl Pcs 35](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2292,h_1289/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/244/01k8kbzr9m13f6r8bj9g.jpg "South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer responds to questions during a media press conference Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Friday the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on host South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Players also met with teens and children battling a life-threatening illness, associated with the local wish-granting organization, \\"Dreams Come True.\\"
Jki 122922 Final Gator Bowl Pcs 35")
South Carolina came into 2025 riding high off of a 9-4 campaign and significant preseason buzz, driven in part by LaNorris Sellers' inclusion among Heisman hopefuls. But now, the Gamecocks find themselves at a crossroads. With a 3-5 overall record and a 1-5 in conference play as of Week 10, the postseason horizon is looking far from certain.
To hit bowl eligibility, which is a minimum of six wins in FBS, the Gamecocks need three more victories in their remaining schedule of four games. They have to win three of the four to even reach the threshold. Given the current 3-5 overall record, that leaves essentially no room for error. Literally. One more loss and they are out of contention.
Two of their next games are on the road against high-caliber conference opponents, at Ole Miss and at Texas A&M, historically tougher environments for the Gamecocks. The team has yet to pick up a road win this season (Atlanta was a neutral site), raising questions about their ability to win under pressure away from home.
Given everything, the Gamecocks' chances for a bowl game are extremely slim, but not zero. The path forward is brutal with road trips to No. 7 Ole Miss (18% chance of an upset), followed by another road test against No. 3 Texas A&M (12%), and the final stretch at home against Coastal Carolina and Clemson. Both Ole Miss and Texas A&M are fighting for playoff positioning, which could realistically put South Carolina at 3-7, end of story. Coastal should be manageable (78% chance of winning this matchup), but Clemson (48%) is a toss-up.
The Gamecocks can still make a bowl, but the probability is laughable. The blueprint is simple and brutal: steal one on the road, win both at home. Miss one step, and the postseason window slams shut.