South Carolina moves into top 10 of former BCS computer poll
Following his team’s third blowout win in a row, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer told the pollsters that the Gamecocks don’t want a ranking beside their name. Most of the college football world felt like USC should have been in the top 25 after demolishing then-No. 10 Texas A&M, but the AP Poll, USA Today Coaches Poll, and College Football Playoff Rankings all left them out. The rankings disrespect gave the Gamecocks another chip on their proverbial shoulders, and they took their frustrations out on 24th-ranked Vanderbilt. The visiting Gamecocks won 28-7 in Nashville.
However, despite Beamer’s declaration, the polls couldn’t help but include his South Carolina football team this week. Both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll slotted the Gamecocks in at No. 23. When the College Football Playoff Selection Committee announces their rankings on Tuesday, Carolina will be in there somewhere, too.
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Another poll, one that doesn’t get discussed nearly as much now as it once did, likes the Gamecocks even more.
The Sagarin Rankings, one of the computer polls used during the BCS era, has pegged South Carolina at No. 10. Created by USA Today sports statistician Jeff Sagarin, many sports betting outlets use the Sagarin Rankings to establish betting lines.
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The 10th spot makes sense for the Gamecocks. Based on these rankings, USC is tied for 7th in wins over the Sagarin top 30. This comes despite owning one of the toughest strengths of schedule (6th overall). Sagarin also places added emphasis on recent success on the field. Only six teams in the country have a better mark in “strong recent” play than Beamer’s Gamecocks. Three SEC blowouts in a row certainly have helped that cause.
Based on the complete BCS formula (substituting the AP Poll for the old Harris Interactive Poll), the Gamecocks are 23rd. That falls in line with the “human polls.” However, USC is a candidate for a big jump that could bridge the gap a bit between the human polls and the computer ranking systems. With some “help” from higher-ranked teams losing, the Gamecocks could see significant movement if they win again.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Missouri football game]
If South Carolina can have another big showing this weekend, all of their rankings will inch closer to the Sagarin number. The Gamecocks currently are a 12.5-point favorite over the Missouri Tigers heading into Saturday when a sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium crowd will look to propel USC to another big win. USC has not beaten the team from “the other Columbia” since 2018. SEC Network will broadcast the 4:15 p.m. game, and the ESPN app will make it available for streaming.
