The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to rebound after a 4-8 season in Columbia. Although the Gamecocks' 2026 is among one of the toughest in the entire country, there are a few games that the Gamecocks are highly expected to win.Â
Although we are still just under a few months away from the 2026 South Carolina season kicking off, ESPN has posted matchup predictors for all 12 of the Gamecocks' games.  The site uses ESPN analytics to determine the percentage that each team has in the matchup.
Instead of running through each game individually, let's take a look at the five games that ESPN's matchup predictor thinks South Carolina is most likely to win. For this, that means any game that the outlet gives the Gamecocks a 60% chance or better to win.Â
For starters, the games that ESPN thinks South Carolina has the best chances to win are the Gamecocks' first three games of the season. In week 1, South Carolina will open at home against Kent State on Sept. 5 at 12:45 p.m. ET. ESPN gives the Gamecocks a 98.1% chance to win their home and season opener. The last time these two programs played in 1995, South Carolina won 77-14.Â
In Week 2, the Gamecocks will also be at home, taking on Towson in what is the first-ever meeting between the two programs. ESPN gives South Carolina a 99% chance to win that one, which would put the Gamecocks at 2-0. Â
In Week 3, South Carolina will open SEC play, taking on Mississippi State on Sept. 19 at 4:15 p.m. ESPN has South Carolina with a 77.3% chance to start off their SEC season at 1-0. The Bulldogs are entering Year Three under head coach Jeff Lebby, who is 7-18 across his first two seasons in Starkville. South Carolina and MSU haven't played since 2023, when the Gamecocks won 37-30 in Columbia. The Gamecocks have a 10-7 all-time series advantage against the Bulldogs, dating back to 1992.Â
The next best win probability for South Carolina comes on Oct. 3, as the Gamecocks will take on the Kentucky Wildcats at home. ESPN has South Carolina with a 74.5% chance to get another home victory. South Carolina has won the last four straight meetings against the Wildcats, and head coach Mark Stoops has had three straight below-.500 seasons in Lexington. This game will come one week after a road trip to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, so it will have a quick turnaround after a tough road trip.Â
And for the fifth and final game on this list, South Carolina is given a 64.1% chance to get a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, which is set for Nov. 14 in Fayetteville. Although it will be a road trip for the Gamecocks, the Razorbacks will be looking to find its footing under new head coach Ryan Silverfield. Â
Of course, South Carolina will have to win far more than five games in 2026 for head coach Shane Beamer to stick around in Columbia. Las Vegas has South Carolina's win total right around 6.5, so the Gamecocks will have to win a couple of big games to reach that and make a bowl game.Â
As for the chances for the rest of the Gamecocks' games and ESPN's predictions for them, stay tuned in the coming weeks as we break it all down!  Â
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