South Carolina re-enters Top 25 rankings after upset win over Clemson on the road

South Carolina is back in the college football national rankings.

USC (8-4) came in at No. 20 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll that were released Sunday afternoon after beating No. 8 Clemson 31-30 in Death Valley.

South Carolina was previously ranked No. 25 in the Oct. 23 iterations of each poll following a road win over Kentucky.

The Gamecocks were one of six Southeastern Conference teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25. Georgia (1), Alabama (6), Tennessee (7), LSU (11) and Mississippi State were included (25) as well.

South Carolina was also one of four four-loss teams to be included in this week’s AP Poll along with Notre Dame (19), Texas (21) and MSU.

Clemson (10-2) dropped from No. 8 in both polls to No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the USA Today rankings.

The College Football Playoff Committee rankings, which are used to help determine bowl destinations among the New Years Six and CFP, are released on Tuesday nights.

South Carolina hasn’t finished a season inside the AP Top 25 since landing at No. 4 at the end of the 2013 season, one in which USC went 11-2 with a win over Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.

The Gamecocks will learn their bowl destination when the postseason games are announced Dec. 4.

Associated Press Top 25 — Week 14

1. Georgia (12-0)
2. Michigan (12-0)
3. TCU (12-0)
4. Southern California (11-1)
5. Ohio State (11-1)
6. Alabama (10-2)
7. Tennessee (10-2)
8. Penn State (10-2)
9. Washington (10-2)
10. Clemson (10-2)
11. LSU (9-3)
12. Utah (9-3)
13. Kansas State (9-3)
14. Florida State (9-3)
15. Oregon (9-3)
16. Oregon State (9-3)
17. UCLA (9-3)
18. Tulane (10-2)
19. Notre Dame (8-4)
20. South Carolina (8-4)
21. Texas (8-4)
22. UCF (9-3)
23. UTSA (10-2)
24. North Carolina (9-3)
25. Mississippi State (8-4)

The State’s Ben Portnoy is a voter for The Associated Press Top 25

This story was originally published November 27, 2022 at 1:00 PM.

Ben Portnoy

The State

Ben Portnoy is The State’s South Carolina Gamecocks football beat writer. He’s a 10-time Associated Press Sports Editors award honoree and has earned recognition from the Mississippi Press Association and the National Sports Media Association. Portnoy previously covered Mississippi State for the Columbus Commercial Dispatch and Indiana football for the Journal Gazette in Ft. Wayne, IN.