South Carolina will play 6 opponents ranked in initial 2026 Coaches Poll this season

The South Carolina Gamecocks are just weeks away from kicking off the 2026 season. Fall camp for sixth-year head coach Shane Beamer and his team also begins on Thursday, Aug. 6. After a long, seven-month offseason, real, actual football will be here before we know it. 

Another sign that the 2026 college football season is rapidly approaching came as the first initial USA Today Coaches' Poll was released on Tuesday afternoon. In it, the Ohio State Buckeyes took the top spot, checking in ranked No. 1 overall, followed by Oregon at No. 2 and Georgia at No. 3. 

The poll did not include the Gamecocks anywhere inside the initial Top 25, but South Carolina did receive 50 votes in the poll. But one thing that did stand out is just how many ranked teams South Carolina has to play during its 2026 regular season. 

Within the poll, the Gamecocks are facing six opponents ranked inside the initial poll. Even more daunting is that South Carolina plays three teams ranked inside the Top-10, including Georgia (No. 3) on Nov. 21 , Texas A&M (No. 8) on Nov. 7 and Oklahoma (No. 9) on Oct. 31. South Carolina also will face No. 11 Alabama on the road on Sept. 26, No. 18 Tennessee on Oct. 24 and No. 23 Clemson to close out the regular season. That means the Gamecocks will play six of their 12 regular season games against ranked opponents, at least at the start of the season. 

The only teams not ranked in the coaches' poll that are on South Carolina's schedule include the non-power conference schools in Kent State and Towson, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Florida and Arkansas. Depending on how the season gos for the Wildcats and Gators early on, there's a chance one or both teams could be ranked when South Carolina plays them. The Gamecocks play Kentucky on Oct. 3, and Florida a week later on the 10th.

At SEC Media Days last week, Coach Beamer said he is embracing the Gamecocks' tough schedule. 

"We get to compete against the best in this league," he said. "It's a tough schedule. I saw where every team in this league has one of the 20 toughest schedules in the country. I think 9 of the top 10 toughest schedules in the country going into the season are in the SEC."

It's no secret that the Gamecock already have one of the hardest schedules in the country. ESPN's FPI has South Carolina ranked 10th in strength of schedule. 

And of course, this is just the initial coaches' poll. There could be several teams currently ranked that fall out of the Top 25 entirely by certain points of the season. But seeing just how many top-ranked teams South Carolina will face this season makes the margin of error even slimmer for the Gamecocks in 2026. 

The Gamecocks kick off their 2026 season at home on Sept. 5 against Kent State.

ALSO READ: South Carolina battling rival Clemson for 4-star OL Sam Walker, who has a final 3

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