Predicting every game: Way-too-early look at South Carolina’s 2025 football schedule
South Carolina’s season has been over for about a week, but it’s never too late to start looking ahead.
At first glance, the Gamecocks’ 2025 schedule is, um, not the most daunting thing ever. Now, that’s SEC-level of daunting so it’s on a curve.
But consider this: Only South Carolina, Missouri and LSU don’t have to face off against one of the three SEC teams that made the 2024 College Football Playoff (Georgia, Texas and Tennessee). And, because both USC and LSU play Clemson, Missouri is the only SEC team without a reigning playoff contender on their schedule.
After finishing 9-4 in 2024, could the Gamecocks finally nab a 10-win season under coach Shane Beamer? Let’s take a look:
AUG. 31 VS. VIRGINIA TECH (in Atlanta)
Last year’s record: 6-7
Prediction: Win
Beamer takes on his alma mater — and the program his father, Frank Beamer, led for 29 years — for the first time as a head coach. It will be the second time in Beamer’s tenure that the Gamecocks have opened the season at a neutral site against an ACC opponent; they lost to North Carolina in Charlotte in 2023.
The Hokies do return starting quarterback Kyron Drones, but South Carolina has far more talent and should be able to start the season 1-0 in Atlanta.
SEPT. 6 VS. S.C. STATE
Last year’s record: 9-3
Prediction: Win
This will be the second time South Carolina has played S.C. State — the HBCU out of Orangeburg — since Beamer arrived in Columbia (The Gamecocks won by 40 in 2022). The Bulldogs had a great 2024 season, winning their conference and making it to the Celebration Bowl, but they’re not stacking up with the Gamecocks.
One fun note: South Carolina running back Jawarn Howell transferred from S.C. State last offseason, so that’ll be a cool reunion.
SEPT. 13 VS. VANDERBILT
Last year’s record: 7-6
Prediction: Win
This matchup became far more interesting ever since Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted an extra season after successfully suing the NCAA over his junior college seasons counting against his eligibility clock.
Still, South Carolina played Pavia and Vanderbilt in 2024 and had no trouble. There’s little reason to expect that would change in 2025, especially with the game inside Williams-Brice Stadium.
SEPT. 20 AT MISSOURI
Last year’s record: 10-3
Prediction: Win
South Carolina got the Missouri monkey off its back in 2024 — beating the Tigers for the first time since 2018 — so there can be no more talk of the Eli Drinkwitz curse against the Gamecocks.
And if Missouri couldn’t beat South Carolina this season, it seems crazy to think it would win next year without starting quarterback Brady Cook and starting receivers Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. — all of whom are headed to the NFL. The Tigers did land Penn State transfer QB Beau Pribula, who is a wild card, but the Gamecocks still get the edge.
SEPT. 27 VS. KENTUCKY
Last year’s record: 4-8
Prediction: Win
Kentucky will be the worst SEC team the Gamecocks will face all season. Coming off a 4-8 season — with somehow its lone conference win coming on the road against Ole Miss — the Wildcats will lose their top player in DT Deone Walker (NFL Draft) and QB Brock Vandagriff (retirement).
The Wildcats will likely start redshirt freshman QB Cutter Boley, who played a bit last season. In any case, South Carolina might beat them worse in 2025 than it did in 2024 (by 25 points).
OCT. 11 AT LSU
Last year’s record: 9-4
Prediction: Loss
It seems likely at this point that South Carolina will head to LSU at 5-0, looking for its first victory over LSU (and first win in Death Valley) since 1994.
The leadup will involve plenty of talk about the 2024 game and the questionable calls that became part of the reason the Gamecocks missed out on the College Football Playoff. Have to give the early edge to LSU simply because it will have been tested far more than South Carolina leading into the game.
The Gamecocks have a ridiculously fortunate first month while LSU plays Clemson, Florida and Ole Miss before it takes on South Carolina. The Tigers will have already battled adversity and worked out some kinks.
OCT. 18 VS. OKLAHOMA
Last year’s record: 6-7
Prediction: Win
Don’t expect the Gamecocks to completely dominate Oklahoma the way they did in a blowout victory in Norman, but South Carolina still should come out ahead.
This one, though, is tricky to predict considering the Sooners have a new quarterback (Washington State transfer John Mateer) as well as a new offensive and defensive coordinator. It will be the first time, too, that OU visits Williams-Brice Stadium.
OCT. 25 VS. ALABAMA
Last year’s record: 9-4
Prediction: Win
I think that South Carolina avenges its close loss to the Crimson Tide from 2024 and beats Alabama in Williams-Brice 15 years after the most famous upset in program history.
The Crimson Tide are losing quarterback Jalen Milroe to the NFL Draft and have already seen a large number of contributors hit the transfer portal. It’s hard to tell right now what Alabama will look like — and who its going to start at quarterback — but one could argue that South Carolina is a more-talented team.
NOV. 1 AT OLE MISS
Last year’s record: 9-4
Prediction: Loss
I went back and forth on this one but it was hard to not think about what Lane Kiffin and the Rebels did to South Carolina this season, beating the Gamecocks by 24 points in Columbia. Yes, Ole Miss is losing starting QB Jaxon Dart, but expect Kiffin to find a replacement and score points regardless.
This is also the end of a brutal four-game stretch for South Carolina and could see them getting worn out ahead of the bye week. But surely this will be a tight game. Think about it: In 2024, the Gamecocks played their best on the road — only losing to Alabama.
NOV. 15 AT TEXAS A&M
Last year’s record: 8-5
Prediction: Win
Texas A&M came into Williams-Brice this year as the No. 10 team in the country ... then it faced the Gamecocks and their season imploded. With QB Marcel Reed seemingly expected to start next season, it would be shocking to expect the Aggies to make a major jump in coach Mike Elko’s second season.
And, again, South Carolina played great on the road last season and why would that change in 2025?. I expect the Gamecocks to get their first victory inside Kyle Field to close out SEC play.
NOV. 22 VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
Last year’s record: 6-7
Prediction: Win
South Carolina goes into this game with the playoff hype surrounding it and, perhaps, with fans nervous of a Navy-esque letdown. But the Gamecocks aren’t losing to Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers don’t have a Grayson McCall-like guy that could seriously threaten South Carolina, which means USC should have high spirits heading into the Palmetto Bowl.
NOV. 29 VS. CLEMSON
Last year’s record: 10-4
Prediction: Win
The 2024 South Carolina-Clemson game was the first Palmetto Bowl to have playoff stakes for both teams and the trend should continue in 2025. Imagine the scene in Columbia if an at-large playoff berth is on the line. “College GameDay” is set up on campus. The primetime ABC crew is on the call. Both fan bases are scoreboard watching, hoping for a home playoff game. How glorious that would be.
The past few Carolina-Clemson games have been complete toss-ups. But I’d lean toward South Carolina because, 1. It’s in Columbia and, 2. Sellers is a better quarterback than Clemson’s Cade Klubnik.
Final (hypothetical) record
10-2, 6-2 SEC ... at-large playoff berth.
