Joel Klatt believes South Carolina is the SEC's best path to four teams in College Football Playoff

Joel Klatt believes there’s still a chance for the SEC to send four teams to the College Football Playoff after a disastrous Week 13 for the conference, but a surprising team could punch a ticket to the dance.

After starting the season 3-3, South Carolina has ripped off five straight wins. The Gamecocks have rocketed up the rankings, with wins over teams like Texas A&M and Missouri. They’ve also come close to beating some of the SEC’s major brands, like Alabama and LSU.

Their resume is far from perfect, but chaos has been the name of the game in college football in 2024. If the Gamecocks get some help, Shane Beamer’s team could find themselves in the mix, according to Klatt.

“The reality is, the SEC is probably going to be limited to three teams,” Klatt stated, via The Joel Klatt Show. “You know, granted there is a path for this Texas A&M team to still get into the SEC Championship and still win the SEC. After the way that they have played. I just highly doubt that. If you look at the standings right now, you’ve got Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, then Tennessee, and then South Carolina. I think the best way or path for a fourth team for the SEC is actually South Carolina, because they still have Clemson to play.

“Now, all of a sudden, that Clemson-South Carolina game is an absolute monster. If it holds chalk and Texas is able to beat Texas A&M, which they should be able to. Now granted, it is tough to win on the road, period. So Texas having to go to A&M is going to be a supercharged environment. It’s a rivalry game and that’s not easy to do. But if Texas is able to hold on and they go play Georgia, there’s a really good shot that the SEC is only getting three.”

As Joel Klatt alluded to, this coming weekend’s clash with Clemson could be what convinces South Carolina is ready to play for a chance at a national title. Regardless if they make it or not, the Gamecocks have proven they’re a force to be reckoned with in 2024, and it could be the start of something special for the program.