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South Carolina's spot in new SEC preseason rankings must be a wake-up call

The Gamecocks deserve more respect than they got in this SEC preseason ranking.
ByEricka Brockish|
Nov 16, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer directs his team against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer directs his team against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina finished the regular season on a crazy run that made them 9-3 and even a contender to be selected for the College Football Playoff. Ultimately, the Gamecocks did not get chosen for the playoff, but instead went on to play and sadly eventually lost to Illinois in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Now heading into 2025, it seems like South Carolina would be high up on some preseason conference rankings, maybe even in the Top 25 rankings, but if you thought that, you would be wrong. In ESPN's latest preseason SEC power rankings, South Carolina is ranked No. 10 in the conference, which seems a little ridiculous. Here are the teams ahead of them:

  1. Texas
  2. Georgia
  3. Alabama
  4. LSU
  5. Texas A&M
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Tennessee
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Florida
  10. South Carolina

Of course, the top two teams make perfect sense. Georgia has been running the SEC for a year, and Texas is coming in as one of the hottest teams in the country. South Carolina came a play away from beating Alabama last season, and it is not like the Crimson Tide won their bowl game either. If anything, they lost to a worse opponent in Michigan last season.

LSU and Texas A&M look to be coming in strong again this season. However, for Ole Miss and Tennessee, both are starting brand-new quarterbacks this season and certainly do not have the roster that they did last season. The biggest question mark as to why they are ahead of the Gamecocks is Oklahoma. The Sooners were embarrassed in their first season in the SEC, and just because they also have a new quarterback this season, doesn't mean it fixes everything.

It seems Florida might have also gotten disrespected as well with their ranking as the Gators come in at No. 9 just ahead of the Gamecocks. Yes, South Carolina lost some players to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, but the return of quarterback LaNorris Sellers and EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart is huge for the Gamecocks and those two are going to lead this team this season.

If anything, South Carolina needs to tape this ranking up in the locker room and use it as fuel for the season because the Gamecocks are receiving too much disrespect going into the 2025 season.

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