Is this South Carolina’s easiest schedule in the Shane Beamer era?
Last summer, as Shane Beamer traversed the Palmetto State talking to fans during his annual speaking tour, the question of rivalries kept being asked.
Fans asked the head coach why the heck the Gamecocks weren’t playing — as they had for years and years — Georgia, Florida and/or Tennessee. Beamer did not have a good answer. That decision was made way above him — heck, way above anyone at South Carolina.
It is hard to look at how college football is shaped by tradition and not feel nostalgic for the days when rivalries were guaranteed. So, of course, it was odd that South Carolina played its entire 2024 football season without a trip to Athens, Gainesville or Knoxville. But a year later, as the Gamecocks garner playoff talk, few USC fans would trade Carolina’s 2025 schedule for anything.
Per ESPN’s 2025 College Football Power Index (FPI), the Gamecocks’ strength of schedule (SoS) ranks 13th in the nation — which sounds daunting until you realize that same strength of schedule is No. 12 in the SEC.
While Missouri, which has the easiest SoS in the SEC, is the only team in the conference without a 2024 College Football Playoff participant on its schedule, South Carolina and LSU — which both take on Clemson (a ‘24 playoff squad) — are the only other teams that don’t face off against one of the reigning SEC playoff participants: Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
Also notable: Of South Carolina’s eight 2025 SEC opponents, five — Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Ole Miss — will have a new starting quarterback.
But is it the easiest South Carolina schedule since Beamer took over the program in 2021?
Well, let’s take a look at the overall winning percentages of the Gamecocks’ power-conference opponents over the last few years.
- 2021: .595 (Didn’t play a power non-conference opponent besides Clemson)
- 2022: .618 (Didn’t play a power non-conference opponent besides Clemson)
- 2023: .593 (Played UNC in the opener)
- 2024: .623 (Didn’t play a power non-conference opponent besides Clemson)
OK, on second thought, could this be the hardest schedule of the Beamer tenure?
Remember: South Carolina is playing the same SEC opponents it did last season while also opening the season in Atlanta against Virginia Tech. One could make an argument, if you’re averaging every team, that the Gamecocks’ eight SEC opponents will finish similar to what they did a year ago.
Perhaps Missouri and Ole Miss take a step back. But maybe Oklahoma and LSU are even better.
And then, beyond just the pure schedule, the Gamecocks are heading to a number of opposing stadiums where they’ve historically struggled: LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and, to a lesser extent, Missouri. Carolina does get Clemson at Williams-Brice but, based on the last four Palmetto Bowls, that might not be a good thing.
South Carolina’s schedule is front-loaded but, again, time will tell if that’s a good thing just as time will tell how easy Carolina’s 2025 schedule is.
2025 Gamecocks schedule
Flex games kick off in either 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. range, or 7 to 8 p.m. range
- Aug. 31: vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta, 3 p.m. on ESPN
- Sept. 6: vs. SC State, 7 p.m. on SECN+
- Sept. 13: vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. on ESPN OR 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network
- Sept. 20: at Missouri, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Sept. 27: vs. Kentucky, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Oct. 4: BYE WEEK
- Oct. 11: at LSU, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Oct. 18: vs. Oklahoma, early game (noon to 1 p.m.)
- Oct. 25: vs. Alabama, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Nov. 1: at Ole Miss, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Nov. 8: BYE WEEK
- Nov. 15: at Texas A&M, early game (noon to 1 p.m.)
- Nov. 22: vs. Coastal Carolina, afternoon game (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.)
- Nov. 29: vs. Clemson, noon on ESPN or ABC
25 QUESTIONS FOR THE 2025 SEASON:
No. 25 — What South Carolina positions have the most question marks heading into season?
No. 24 — A Gamecocks victory over Va. Tech would be biggest season-opening win since when?
No. 23 — How will South Carolina’s QB room shake out in 2025 and beyond?
No. 22 — If USC beat Bama or LSU in ’24, would national conversation be different right now?
No. 21 — Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line take a step forward in 2025?
No. 20 — What former South Carolina football player will get his jersey retired next?
No. 19 — Can South Carolina get to the LSU game undefeated?
No. 18 — Will Fred Johnson be South Carolina’s next great LB?
No. 17 — What’s the most important stretch in USC’s 2025 schedule?
No. 16 — Can South Carolina’s defense stay elite despite all its roster turnover?
No. 15 — What South Carolina school records could be broken in 2025?
No. 14 — What’s the ceiling for USC’s running backs, with or without Rahsul Faison?
No. 13 — Can South Carolina’s special teams get back to Beamer Ball standard?
No. 12 — Have Gamecocks found right balance of high school football talent, transfers?
No. 11 — How will Shane Beamer go viral this year with South Carolina?
No. 10 — Is South Carolina too young at wide receiver?
No. 9 — Is this South Carolina’s easiest schedule in the Shane Beamer era?
No. 8 — Will there be noticeable changes in Mike Shula’s offense at South Carolina?
No. 7 — Can South Carolina football stay relatively healthy again in 2025?
No. 6 — Is this the last year for Williams-Brice Stadium as we know it?
No. 5 — What does a path to the playoff look like for South Carolina?
No. 4 — What happens if South Carolina football is no longer an underdog?
No. 3 — How would a 10-win season in 2025 shape Shane Beamer’s legacy in Columbia?
No. 2 — Can Dylan Stewart have a better season than Jadeveon Clowney did in 2012?
No. 1 — Can LaNorris Sellers become the best QB in South Carolina history?
This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
