Report: USC expected to play this team in a bowl. The spot is almost ‘a lock’
South Carolina could be on track to add to its history in the Outback Bowl.
“I’m told Michigan (8-4) is pretty much a lock to play in Tampa for the first time since 2012. The Wolverines are expected to face South Carolina (8-4),” college football insider Brett McMurphy wrote in his weekly bowl projections update.
McMurphy is annually one of the top prognosticators in picking bowl matchups.
The Gamecocks are 8-13 all-time in bowl games, including 3-1 in the Outback Bowl, which is played at noon Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
South Carolina played in the Outback Bowl twice under Lou Holtz, both victories over Ohio State. USC split a pair of games in Tampa under Steve Spurrier, including the 2013 win over Michigan that included Jadeveon Clowney’s famous played that was nicknamed “The Hit.”
The official bowl announcements are made Sunday. It looks like a Florida destination for South Carolina if projections hold true.
USA Today projects the Gamecocks to the Citrus Bowl against Michigan State, while CBS Sports also says Citrus but against Northwestern. ESPN has USC in the TaxSlayer or Outback bowls.
Brett McMurphy’s SEC bowl projections
CFB Playoff: Auburn
Orange: Alabama
Cotton: Georgia
Citrus: LSU
Outback: South Carolina
Tax Slayer: Texas A&M
Music City: Kentucky
Belk: Missouri
USC in the Outback Bowl
▪ Jan. 1, 2001: USC defeats Ohio State 24-7, finishes season 8-4
▪ Jan. 1, 2002: USC defeats Ohio State 31-28, finishes 9-3
▪ Jan. 1, 2009: Iowa defeats USC 31-10; Gamecocks end year 7-6
▪ Jan. 1, 2013: USC defeats Michigan 33-28, finishes 11-2
This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Report: USC expected to play this team in a bowl. The spot is almost ‘a lock’."