South Carolina is still on the outside looking in for the CFP but is on the rise

On Tuesday night, the College Football Playoff released their third and latest rankings of the season, and they are very promising for South Carolina fans, but there is still work to be done.

In the AP Top 25, the Gamecocks moved from No. 23 to No. 19 after their big win over a ranked Missouri team. However, the College Football Playoff is giving the Gamecocks a little more credit, moving them from No. 21 to No. 18.

South Carolina is coming off a big win over Missouri that got a little out of hand in the second half. At halftime, it seemed like the Gamecocks were going to completely run away with it, but some decisions by head coach Shane Beamer allowed the Tigers to come back and even take the lead in the fourth quarter.

However, when they needed him most, redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers stepped up and led the offense down the field with a little over a minute to do so to take the lead with just 15 seconds left, leaving it incredibly tough for the Tigers to go down and score.

The College Football Playoff committee felt the Gamecocks deserved to be in the rankings after beating Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in back-to-back weeks, and now, after beating Missouri the Gamecocks are making moves.

However, one thing that has been noticed is that South Carolina is one spot behind rival Clemson, whom the Gamecocks are set to take on in their final game of the season in a week and a half. This game could serve as a CFP play-in game, especially if someone who is in the rankings now slips. The winner of that game could nab that final at-large spot, especially if it is a close win.

South Carolina is looked at as the most dangerous team in college football right now and is the highest-ranked three-loss team in the CFP rankings.