By this point, the difficulty of South Carolina’s 2024 football schedule is no secret. There may not be a more challenging schedule in the country. While this has been known for quite some time, what was not known was the times of the matchups and which networks they’d be broadcasted on.

That is, until last week when this information for the first three games of the Gamecocks’ schedule was announced. Will the kickoff time potentially have an impact on the outcome of the game, and if so, how much of an impact will it have?

Old Dominion

This is a game that South Carolina should not have any difficulty winning, so I do not think that game time matters as much. The discrepancy in talent is heavily in the favor of the Gamecocks, and while first game jitters may understandably cause a relatively slow start for USC, I think they put the game away by halftime. 

That said, a 4:15 kickoff is an odd time. It does put it at a time where the heat may not be a huge factor for both players and fans, but so would a night game.

Why not put it as a night game? This is likely due to scheduling purposes as the game is broadcasted on SEC Network with the later time slots already filled. Nonetheless, a night game in Columbia would have been a great way to kick off the season.

Kentucky

I wrote about how I believe this is the most important game of the season for the Gamecocks, and I still believe this is the case.

The schedule will only get harder, and the likelihood of reaching a bowl game will largely depend on the outcome of this game. We know the complexities involved with this matchup. Being on the road and also being the first road start and SEC start of Sellers’ career are the two biggest concerns regarding this contest. However, avoiding a night game in Lexington is huge for the Gamecocks.

The game is slated for a 3:30 kickoff on ABC which I think plays into South Carolina’s favor. Lexington is not exactly a hostile environment when compared to other locations such as Death Valley in Baton Rouge, but any game is immediately more difficult when played at night. So, a 3:30 kickoff plays to the advantage of the Gamecocks who will desperately need a win in order to achieve their goals for the season.

LSU

In the third game of the season, the Gamecocks return to Williams Brice Stadium to take on the LSU Tigers at noon on ABC. Immediate impressions regarding this game: Thank goodness it’s at home as there is never an easy time to play LSU in Baton Rouge.

In regards to the time, a noon kickoff is awful from a tailgating perspective, but could it play to the advantage of the Gamecocks? I think it could.

I believe LSU is the better team, at least on paper. That said, if South Carolina were to pull off the upset, playing a game at home, early in the season, and early in the day increases the chances of this happening. LSU is incredibly talented, but replacing all that they lost at the QB and WR positions while plugging what seems like an endless amount of holes on their defense just three games into the season is a daunting task for any program. 

Factor in the noon kickoff which places the bulk of this game in the brutal Columbia heat, and there’s a chance the Gamecocks catch a sluggish LSU team at the right time and right place with several question marks remaining on both sides of the ball.

I think South Carolina has to feel happy about the times for at least two of the first three games of the season. Luckily for them, these just happen to possibly be the two most important games of their season.