I previously wrote about where I thought South Carolina would stand at the half-way mark of the 2024 season and predicted that they would be 3-3. I believe they will be victorious against Old Dominion to start the season, go on the road and defeat the Kentucky Wildcats, and then get their third win against Akron. I foresee their three losses being to the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Will the Gamecocks be able to get at least three more wins down the stretch and qualify for the all-important bowl game? Let’s take a look.

Oklahoma (Loss)

‍The schedule down the stretch does not get any easier as the Gamecocks’ first opponent is the Oklahoma Sooners.

Despite losing their starting QB to the transfer portal, the Sooners will be strong once again and look to be building something special under Brent Venables. As they enter the SEC next season along with Texas, all the talk has been about the Longhorns, which is why I expect the Sooners to play with a chip on their shoulder all season. Similar to the Alabama game, I think this is a contest in which the Gamecocks go through growing pains.

The one hope for South Carolina is that the week before this game the Sooners play their rival, Texas, and the week after, they play Ole Miss. Maybe the Gamecocks catch the Oklahoma off guard and make them at the very least sweat it out.

At the end of the day, I think the Sooners will be a tough, motivated opponent who will wear the Gamecocks down.

Texas A&M (Win)

‍The Gamecocks get a bye week after playing Oklahoma, and it could not come at a better time. I expect USC to be losers of three in a row after going through their “October Gauntlet” which is the toughest stretch of their season. Luckily for them, November brings winnable games beginning with Texas A&M.

I actually expect the Aggies to be pretty solid under first year head coach, Mike Elko, but this game is about the Gamecocks. If they are going to achieve their pre-season goals, it starts with this game. The difference between creating a fresh slate by kicking off the month of November with a win and losing four in a row cannot be understated. I expect this to be the primary focus from Beamer and his staff over the bye week.

This is a “get back on track” contest, and I expect the Gamecocks to do just that. I look for Beamer to create some magic and for the Gamecocks to even their record at 4-4 on homecoming under the lights. 

Vanderbilt (Win)

‍Every streak is meant to be broken, and at some point, I think the Gamecocks win streak against the Commodores will succumb to that truth. That said, I don’t think this is the year. I respect Clark Lea, but Vandy just seems to be in over their heads in the SEC and the portal has only worsened their situation.

There is a massive talent discrepancy between the two programs, and that will be on full display on November ninth. I like the Gamecocks big in this one as they start to pick up confidence down the stretch.

Missouri (Win)

‍Virtually every season has at least one unexpected outcome where logic is thrown out the window. I stated earlier this year that if the Gamecocks were to pull off an upset over a ranked team it would be against the Missouri Tigers.

Logic would tell me that they will lose to the Tigers for a fourth consecutive time under as they have not been competitive in any of the previous three matchups under Beamer. That said, there is a first time for everything, and I expect the Gamecocks to be playing their best football at this point in the season.

Combine their growing confidence with the motivation of beating the Missouri Tigers for the first time in five years and sealing their fate as a bowl qualifying team with two games remaining, and I think that’s a recipe for victory. Plus, the Gamecocks will be at home behind what should be an electric Williams-Brice Stadium.

Wofford (Win)

‍Simply put, I think the Gamecocks keep it rolling against Wofford with an easy win.

I think this is a game where USC comes out, takes care of business, and gets their starters out quickly to avoid any devastating injury. At this point, they’re playing with house money after clinching an appearance in a bowl game the week prior and will look for a quick tune-up before closing the season out against their rival.

Clemson (Loss)

‍A win here would not surprise me, but going on the road in a heated rivalry with a freshman QB is a tough game to expect a victory.

I expect Sellers to have a strong season, and one could make the argument that by this point of the season he can’t be considered a freshman anymore. That said, this is his first time experiencing the rivalry first hand, and to do that one the road is a tough task.

I think South Carolina keeps this one close and will produce more offense than a season ago, but in the end, they suffer a loss.

Many expect the Gamecocks to repeat their results from a season ago with only five wins. I think they not only get back to bowl season, but do so by upsetting both the Texas A&M Aggies and Missouri Tigers to get to 7-5 on the season.

The schedule will be brutal, but I look for the Gamecocks to rebound in year four of Shane Beamer.