The South Carolina Gamecocks have racked up several monumental upsets over the years including wins over programs like Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia. They are no stranger to prevailing as an underdog, with some of these upsets resulting in Their propensity to take down major programs raises the question, what are the top 5 upsets the Gamecocks have pulled off in the last 10-15 years?

5. South Carolina  20 - #3 Georgia 17; 2019

Upsets don’t get any bigger than a below average team like the 2019 South Carolina Gamecocks defeating the 3rd ranked team in the country. That is why I think it has to be on the list. I put it at #5 for 2 main reasons. One, even though the Gamecocks did some impressive things during this game, like Israel Mukuamu tallying 3 interceptions with 1 returned for a TD, Georgia did not necessarily bring their A game.

Second, despite being a huge win, it did not amount to anything for the South Carolina program as they finished 4-8 (3-5 SEC) and ended up firing then head coach Will Muschamp. At the time, it felt like this win would springboard USC to new heights, but the exact opposite happened. At the end of the day, however, an upset is an upset, and going into Athens and walking out with a win is a huge one.

4. #6 South Carolina 35 - #5 Georgia 7; 2012

A team ranked 6th defeating the 5th team would not be considered by many to be an upset, and, to be fair, I agree. However, no one thought the game would play out the way that it did with the Gamecocks destroying the Dawgs. Also, to earn a win like this when College Gameday was in Columbia is too good not to be included on this list. This was during the peak of the Spurrier era and when Carolina football seemed simple.

3. #23 South Carolina 36- #22 Florida 14; 2010

The win that guaranteed USC a spot in the SEC Championship game has to be on the list. Winning in the Swamp is not easy, in fact, South Carolina was previously 0-12 in Gainesville, but the Gamecocks left no doubt in an absolute dismantling of the Gators. This was the perfect culmination of a special year, and was the beginning of the height of the Spurrier era. 

2. South Carolina 31- #8 Clemson 30; 2022

For South Carolina fans, this one was sweet on many levels. The defeat ended a 7 year drought against the Tigers, and it also ensured that Clemson was no longer a viable candidate for the college football playoff. Nationally, not many gave the Gamecocks a chance to win this game. Not only did they do just that, they did so on the road in front of a fan base that likely least expected their Tigers to lose as they coasted to the playoffs.

Finally, this win validated what transpired the week before. The Gamecocks destroyed another playoff candidate, the Tennessee Volunteers, 65-38. I think many cracked the win over UT as a one-off game for both teams, but the defeat of Clemson the ensuing week proved otherwise.

1. #19 South Carolina 35 - #1 Alabama 21; 2010

This upset should be #1 on the majority of lists. Defeating the most prominent and dominant program at the time, in the fashion that they did, makes it a clear option for the top spot. Alabama won the national championship the year prior and was ranked as the top team in the nation. They won the national championship the following 2 years indicating their sheer dominance of college football. For South Carolina to not only win but to do so by 2 TDs is nothing short of a massive upset despite being a solid program under Steve Spurrier.

The Gamecock fan base would be quick to tell anyone they were not surprised at all, which is fair. It’s not like South Carolina was an average to below average program that year. They represented the SEC East in the SEC Championship game, but winning by 2 TDs and being in complete control of the game caught many off guard.