Gamecocks will make a bowl in Beamer Year 1, one ESPN analyst says
South Carolina could make it to a bowl game in Shane Beamer’s first year — at least that’s what one ESPN analyst believes.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura projected South Carolina to face Louisville to the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, held on Dec. 23 in Tampa, Florida. Mark Schlabach, an ESPN analyst who made predictions along with Bonagura, did not project South Carolina to play in a bowl in 2021.
Because of the NCAA’s decision to waive bowl eligibility requirements in 2020, the Gamecocks were invited to play UAB in last year’s Gasparilla Bowl despite a 2-8 record. South Carolina did not end up playing the game, however, due to COVID-19 issues in the program.
The Gamecocks last appeared in a bowl at the conclusion of the 2018 season, a 28-0 loss to Virginia in the Belk Bowl.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked the Gamecocks’ 2021 schedule the 11th toughest of all 130 FBS teams, according to his SP+ model. The rating is “measured by projecting the average win percentage an average top-5 team would produce.” According to Connelly’s measurement, South Carolina has the fourth-strongest schedule in the SEC, behind Arkansas, Auburn and LSU.
The Gamecocks will kick off their season this Saturday in Williams-Brice Stadium at 7 p.m. against Eastern Illinois.
SEC Bowl Projections, including College Football Playoff
College Football Playoff National Championship
- Bonagura: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
- Schlabach: Alabama vs. Georgia
CFP Semifinal at Capital One Orange Bowl
- Bonagura: Alabama vs. Ohio State
- Schlabach: Alabama vs. Clemson
CFP Semifinal at Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
- Schlabach: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
- Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Louisville
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
- Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulsa
- Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. UAB
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
- Bonagura: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
- Schlabach: Arkansas vs. West Virginia
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
- Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech
- Schlabach: Kentucky vs. Pittsburgh
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
- Bonagura: Auburn vs. Northwestern
- Schlabach: Auburn vs. Indiana
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
- Bonagura: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina
- Schlabach: Ole Miss vs. Miami
Outback Bowl
- Bonagura: LSU vs. Iowa
- Schlabach: LSU vs. Penn State
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
- Bonagura: Florida vs. Penn State
- Schlabach: Florida vs. Iowa
Allstate Sugar Bowl
- Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Georgia
- Schlabach: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M
Texas Bowl
- Bonagura: TCU vs. Missouri
- Schlabach: TCU vs. Missouri
