South Carolina football receives new bowl projections
Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football team is just one-third of the way through their 2024 schedule. Still, the Gamecocks have done enough during their 3-1 start to instill optimism into some national voices. In recent days, several outlets released their updated bowl projections, and USC received a few intriguing prognostications.
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CBS Sports published its post-week five bowl matchup predictions on Sunday, and the outlet seems to think the Gamecocks will have an opportunity to provide Carolina fans with a bit of catharsis. The projection has USC facing off with the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida. As many garnet and black-clad supporters would like to forget, App State won the last meeting back in 2019.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura also unveiled their updated bowl season projections in the aftermath of South Carolina’s bye. Schlabach picked the Gamecocks to match up with the Washington State Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl. Bonagura, though, sees the team staying a little closer to home, setting his prediction for Carolina to play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Memphis-based Liberty Bowl. South Carolina and Washington State have never played, and the Gamecocks haven’t faced the Cowboys since the 1984 Gator Bowl.
The latest from USA Today’s Erick Smith saw a similar view on the 2024 bowl season. Smith opined that another first-time matchup in the Las Vegas Bowl could be in store this December. Instead of Wazzu, his projection included a chance for the Gamecocks to compete against “Coach Prime” Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes team. The Buffs are one of the most “internet-famous” teams in America, and playing in Vegas would only add to that.
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South Carolina football’s inclusion in bowl forecasts is not new, but it is encouraging. Even though the Gamecocks are 3-1, with the difficult schedule the team faces the rest of the way, reaching six wins (and automatic bowl eligibility) won’t be an easy task. USC’s place in these projections conveys improving vibes nationally around Shane Beamer’s program.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Ole Miss football game]
The road continues this Saturday as Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Ole Miss Rebels for the first meeting in Columbia between the Gamecocks and Rebels since 2009. Kickoff for the SEC contest will be at 3:30 p.m. and will be available on ESPN and the ESPN app.
