ESPN Names Game on South Carolina's Schedule That Makes or Breaks the Season

ESPN has named a game on South Carolina's schedule that could determine if the season is a success or a dud.

The 2025 college football season is slowly approaching and the expectations are high in Columbia, South Carolina this year. The Gamecocks are coming off a 9-4 record under head coach Shane Beamer and they bring back star quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

With hopes of making the college football playoff lingering, South Carolina will have to maneuver through a tough schedule in order to make that happen. More specifically, a tough second half schedule and ESPN has named a game for South Carolina that could make or break the season.

"South Carolina has an absolute gauntlet of a five-game stretch in the middle of the season that starts with a trip to LSU before hosting Oklahoma and Alabama, then going on the road to Ole Miss and Texas A&M," David Hale wrote. "If the Gamecocks want to make a playoff run, they'll likely need to win at least two of those five -- and maybe three, given that Missouri and Clemson are also on the docket -- which could be a big ask. So what's the pivot point? If we assume the Gamecocks can take care of business at home -- a big assumption, to be sure -- that means they'll need to steal at least one on the road. Ole Miss smoked South Carolina in Columbia last year, so that could be a tall order, and winning in Baton Rouge is never easy. So that puts the focus squarely on Texas A&M. A big win on the road over the Aggies in mid-November could be a statement to the playoff committee and put South Carolina squarely in the mix for a top-12 position."

Last season, the Gamecocks were likely just one win away from making the playoffs. Had the Alabama game or the LSU game swung in the other direction in 2024, South Carolina would have likely clinched a playoff spot. The target goal is 10-2 to feel comfortable when the final playoff rankings roll around. That puts an extra emphasis on South Carolina's road games against LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M this season.