Paul Finebaum. © Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Names Team That Will Make Its First Appearance in the College Football Playoff

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The 2024 college football season saw six teams qualify for the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the first time in their history.

Now, several other teams are hoping to join that group in 2025, including the South Carolina Gamecocks. Last year, the Gamecocks finished with a 9-4 record and narrowly missed the playoffs, ranking No. 15 in the final CFP standings, which marked their best season since 2013.

A key factor in their success was redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers. He passed for 2,534 yards, recorded 18 touchdowns, and threw seven interceptions while completing 65.6% of his passes. Additionally, he ran for 674 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns. Sellers is set to return in 2025.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on South Carolina's prospects for the upcoming season, expressing high hopes for the team.

"To me, the ceiling is a run in the playoffs," Finebaum said. "I think right now they are heading to the big show."

Finebaum believes that South Carolina has a challenging but manageable schedule ahead. He considers the road game against the Missouri Tigers to be tricky, but thinks the Gamecocks have a good chance of winning. However, he predicts a loss in a road game against the LSU Tigers.

Finebaum states that the next three games after LSU, against the Oklahoma Sooners and Alabama Crimson Tide at home, and the Ole Miss Rebels on the road, could be crucial in determining the season's outcome.

After a bye week, South Carolina will face the Texas A&M Aggies on the road before concluding the season against the Clemson Tigers. Despite these challenges, Finebaum expressed optimism about the Gamecocks' prospects in 2025.

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) doesn't rate the Gamecocks as highly as Finebaum does. The FPI ranks them as the No. 9 team in the SEC and No. 15 overall. It gives them a 20.3% chance of making the playoffs in 2025.

South Carolina will kick off the season against the Virginia Tech Hokies at 3:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 31.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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