Where South Carolina sits in the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls
South Carolina football fans were irate last Tuesday night as the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranked the Gamecocks No. 14 heading into Conference Championship Weekend. Effectively eliminating USC from CFP contention, the committee put Shane Beamer’s team below several teams that are not playing as well as they are right now.
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The USA Today Coaches Poll ranked Carolina No. 12 last week, putting them right on the CFP bubble. On Sunday, the Gamecocks dropped down two spots despite an improving resume. Big 12 Championship-winning Arizona State and ACC Champion Clemson “passed” South Carolina. Yes, that’s the very same Clemson Tigers who lost the Palmetto Bowl just last week to the Gamecocks. According to CFP Selection Committee Chair Warde Manuel, Clemson’s win didn’t provide a new “data point” for South Carolina’s resume.
Like the Coaches Poll, the AP Poll no longer has any real significance in college football. However, last week’s No. 13 designation ruffled some feathers in Columbia before the bigger slight on Tuesday from the CFP Selection Committee. Sunday’s mark was one spot lower as the AP mirrored the Coaches Poll’s 14th ranking.
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The College Football Playoff Selection Sunday show is happening right now on ESPN. However, the latest CFP Ranking and 12-team field has dropped. South Carolina is No. 15 in the final ranking ahead of the Playoff, ahead of Clemson who made the field thanks to the ACC Championship giving them an automatic bid.
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Now that the field is set, the country’s remaining teams, including South Carolina, will turn their attentions to bowl season. The Gamecocks appeared destined for the Citrus Bowl ahead of Sunday’s announcement, but now, others (like the Gator Bowl, Reliaquest/Outback Bowl, and Music City Bowl) are in play. News on the team’s official bowl matchup should come soon.
