What’s the toughest stretch on South Carolina’s 2026 schedule?
To be a college football fan is to spend the summer dissecting your team’s schedule as if you’re reading the stars to predict the weather. It’s a lot of biased guessing, but there are often patterns.
An example: South Carolina’s 2026 schedule includes arguably the easiest start in years. The Gamecocks open with three-straight home games against Kent State, Towson and Mississippi State. South Carolina will be major favorites in each of those contests.
Beyond that, there is a three-game stretch that seems poised to define South Carolina’s season, which isn’t a unique occurrence.
In 2024, the Gamecocks had a crucial three-game sequence against Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma. They narrowly beat the Crimson TIde and walloped the Sooners, the first of what became six-straight victories.
In a three-week span last year, South Carolina played at LSU, vs. Oklahoma and vs. Alabama. It could have turned the season around. Instead, the Gamecocks lost all three and went into November with almost no chance of making a bowl game.
These sting of marquee games often become a microcosm of the season, a three-week picture that captures the identity of a squad.
So what will that slate be in 2026?
vs. Tennessee // Oct. 24
- All-time record: Volunteers leads 27-11-2
- Last Gamecock win: 2022
Coming off its bye week, South Carolina will face off against its longtime foe for the first time since 2023.
We start the stretch here because of the placement of the bye, but also because this projects to be where the schedule turns. Of the four teams that South Carolina begins SEC play against — Mississippi State, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida — only the Crimson Tide finished last season with a winning record.
Conversely, of the Gamecocks’ final five conference opponents —Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Georgia — three made the College Football Playoff and all but Arkansas had a winning record.
So this is where the stakes increase. The good news for South Carolina: This game is at Williams-Brice Stadium and the Volunteers will likely be starting a freshman at quarterback.
at Oklahoma // Oct. 31
- All-time record: 1-1
- Last Gamecock win: 2024
The Gamecocks’ magical 2024 season turned when they routed the Sooners, 35-9, in Norman. Could we get déjà vu on Halloween? It’s certainly possible.
Though Oklahoma returns starting quarterback John Mateer from a squad that made the playoff last season, the Sooners lost a ton from their stout 2025 defense.
This game will likely bring into focus what South Carolina’s realistic season goals are — whether that’s making the playoff, a bowl game or something in between.
vs. Texas A&M // Nov. 7
- All-time record: Aggies lead 10-2
- Last Gamecock win: 2024
One can already imagine how much of the lead up to this game will include reminiscing about the Gamecocks’ 27-point blown lead in 2025. But for as agonizing as that loss was for South Carolina, it proved it can play with Texas A&M.
And, well, it will feature a lot of the same faces as last year. Both South Carolina (LaNorris Sellers) and Texas A&M (Marcel Reed) return their starting quarterbacks despite the fact that both programs have new offensive coordinators.
This will be the Gamecocks’ opportunity for revenge.
