Where South Carolina-Clemson ranks among college football's great in-state rivalries

South Carolina is taking on Clemson this year in the annual Palmetto Bowl. The Gamecocks are looking to avoid losing two in a row against the Tigers, as both programs look to rebound in 2026. Clemson had a down 7-6 season last year, one of the worst finishes under longtime head coach Dabo Swinney. 

Shane Beamer, meanwhile, is looking to right the ship after a 4-8 season in Columbia, his worst mark as the Gamecocks' head coach. In honor of an appreciation of rivalry week, let's take a look at where South Carolina-Clemson ranks inside some of college football's most heated in-state rivalries. 

1. Alabama-Auburn: The Iron Bowl

The Iron Bowl is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. The Tide holds a 52-1-37 all-time lead in the series, and they've won the last five straight meetings dating back to 2020. It's so heated that Harvey Updyke once poisoned the trees at Toomer's Corner.

 But Auburn has had some memorable wins in recent years, including 2019's 48-45 win that knocked Alabama out of the CFP hunt, as well as 2017's 26-14 upset over then-No. 1 Alabama. And of course, the 2013 Kick Six will live in college football history forever:

First-year head coach Alex Golesh will be eager to snap the losing streak to the Tide this season, although 2026's Iron Bowl is in Tuscaloosa.   

2. Florida vs. Florida State

This game has lost a bit of its luster in recent years, thanks to both programs not being nationally relevant in quite some time. The Gators have won the last two straight in this series, and hold a 39-2-29 all-time lead in the series. 

But throughout the 1990s, this was one of college football's biggest games every year, thanks to head coaches Bobby Bowden and Steve Spurrier. In fact, from 1990-2001, each meeting was a game against top-10 teams. They played for a national championship during the 1996 season in a Sugar Bowl rematch, which Florida won 52-20, giving the Gators the first of three national championships. After FSU won 38-34 in Gainesville in 2003, there was an infamous on-field scuffle after FSU players celebrated midfield:

3. Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State: Egg Bowl 

These two in-state rivals have met 120 times, dating back to 1901. The Rebels have a 67-6-47 all-time lead in the series between the two, and Lane Kiffin won the last three meetings for Ole Miss. Although this game usually was played on Thanksgiving, it will be played on a Friday or Saturday for the forseeable future. 

There have been some heated moments in recent years. In 2018, benches cleared after an Ole Miss touchdown: 

One year later, Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore celebrated a Rebel touchdown in the final seconds of the fourth quarter and celebrated by peeing like a dog: 

The ensuing unsportsmanlike penalty set the extra kick back 15 yards, and Ole Miss missed the extra point, sealing a 21-20 MSU victory.  And of course last year's game was eventful as it was the start of the Lane Kiffin-to-LSU saga that unfolded over the next 24 hours after Ole Miss' 38-19 win.  

4. South Carolina vs. Clemson: The Palmetto Bowl

The two in-state programs have met a total of 122 times, dating back to 1896. Clemson holds a 74-4-44 all-time record in the series. Dabo Swinney has won nine of the last 11 meetings dating back to 2014, but The Head Ball Coach in Steve Spurrier had a 5-2 record against Swinney. 

Shane Beamer will be hoping to have another result like the last time South Carolina played Clemson on the road in 2024, giving the Gamecocks a 17-14 upset victory. At the time, the win was though to knock Clemson out of the CFP hunt, but a silly ACC tiebreak procedure sent the Tigers to the ACC title game in the end. 

5. Georgia vs. Georgia Tech: Clean, Old Fashioned Hate

Georgia holds a 73-5-41 all-time lead in this series, and the Bulldogs have won the last eight straight meetings. GT head coach Brent Key came awfully close to pulling off an unbelievable upset in 2024, with the Dawgs pulling out a 44-42 five-overtime victory. 

Georgia Tech's last big upset in this series came in 2014, with Yellow Jacket players celebrating by appropriately eating the hedges in Athens: 

6. USC vs. UCLA 

The battle for Los Angeles is a fun one out west each and every year, but USC has dominated the series in recent years. The Trojans have 20 of the last meetings dating back to 1999, much thanks to Pete Carroll's dominance in the early 2000s. UCLA's most notable upset came in 2006, as the Bruins' 13-9 victory kept the Trojans out of the BCS hunt. 

7. North Carolina vs. NC State

These two Carolina schools have played each year consecutively since 1919. Although the Tar Heels have a 68-6-41 all-time lead in the series, the Wolfpack have won the last five straight in the series. One of the most unforgettable moments in 2024 came after NC State planted a flag at UNC's midfield logo after a 35-30 victory, resulting in a kerfuffle: 

Rivalry week is what makes college football so great, and hopefully we get even more great moments during each of these games this season.

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