The South Carolina Gamecocks are predicted by ESPN to not make it to the college football playoffs.
This past weekend, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Clemson Tigers, their in-state rival, in yet another decisive victory. The Gamecocks ended their regular season maybe stronger than any other college football team thanks to a road victory that was rated. Many wondered if that victory would be enough to qualify them for the playoffs, but the most recent AP poll standings suggest they may fall short once more.
But it’s not only the AP poll respondents that believe that. Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura both predicted that the Gamecocks will miss the playoffs in ESPN’s most recent postseason forecasts. Schlabach had them make the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, while Bonagura had them make the Music City Bowl. Additionally, Schlabach had Alabama, the 12th seed in his playoff bracket, making the dance.
There’s little doubt that conference championship weekend may cause a stir. In the ACC Championship, Clemson will play SMU; if the Tigers prevail, South Carolina will have defeated a conference champion. A victory over a playoff team would also qualify Clemson for the playoffs.
The actual answer will be known Tuesday night when the next set of CFP rankings are announced, but it appears like the Gamecocks still require some assistance in order to qualify for the college football playoffs. Even yet, the last ones won’t be made public until the day following the conference championship weekend.
