South Carolina bowl projections: Could the Gamecocks return to Nashville?

South Carolina football rolled past Vanderbilt on the Commodores’ home turf this past Sunday.

Now, some national experts feel Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks will make a return trip to Nashville this postseason.

In their latest bowl projections, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports and 247Sports are all now predicting USC to go to Nashville for the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl after the regular season wraps up. CBS and 247Sports think South Carolina will play Miami, while SI is choosing a matchup with Virginia Tech.

The Music City Bowl is not played at Vanderbilt Stadium, where the Gamecocks won this Saturday. It takes place in Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. South Carolina has never played in the game since it was founded in 1998.

However, the most common prediction for USC’s bowl fate remains the Belk Bowl in Charlotte — USA Today, one-half of ESPN’s experts, SB Nation and College Football news are all still projection Muschamp’s team to return to Bank of America Stadium, where it opened the 2017 season. The Gamecocks have never played in the Belk Bowl either.

At 2-1, South Carolina needs four more wins to become bowl-eligible. Discussion of whether the Gamecocks will need to schedule a 12th game to make up for the one against Marshall because of Hurricane Florence remains ongoing.

SOUTH CAROLINA BOWL PROJECTIONS

▪ USA Today — Belk Bowl (Charlotte) vs. Virginia, Dec. 29

▪ ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura — Belk Bowl vs. Duke, Dec. 29

▪ ESPN’s Mitch Sherman — Texas Bowl (Houston) vs. Texas Tech, Dec. 27

▪ Sports Illustrated — Music City Bowl (Nashville) vs. Virginia Tech, Dec. 29

▪ CBS Sports — Music City Bowl vs. Miami (Fla.), Dec. 28

▪ SB Nation — Belk Bowl vs. Boston College, Dec. 29

▪ 247Sports — Music City Bowl vs. Miami (Fla.), Dec. 28

▪ College Football News — Belk Bowl vs. NC State, Dec. 29

▪ Sporting News — Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) vs. Michigan State, Dec. 31