Man, have you looked at South Carolina’s 2025 football schedule? It’s a straight-up horror flick for Gamecocks fans. Five games in a row against AP Top-15 monsters, then that lovely little rivalry run at the end. Shane Beamer’s gotta feel like he’s prepping for the Hunger Games and not a college football season. Still, if you’ve watched SEC football for more than five minutes, you know chaos is the house special. So, which games should South Carolina actually circle as “yeah, we might have a shot here”?
I’ll run through ‘em — from “pencil this W in now” to “miracles required.”
1. Coastal Carolina (Nov. 22)
ESPN Win %: 95.6%
Honestly, if this one isn’t a blowout, the entire city of Columbia should be on red alert. Coastal’s been a mess this year — 2-2, looking like they forgot how to play defense, and that offense is about as lively as a Tuesday night at the DMV. They got roasted by Virginia for 41 points and then just… didn’t show up against East Carolina. If South Carolina doesn’t win by at least two touchdowns, something’s gone wildly off script.
2. Clemson (Nov. 29)
ESPN Win %: 69.9%
Alright, here’s where it gets juicy. The Palmetto Bowl — always spicy, but this year’s got extra heat. Clemson’s the underdog? What world are we living in? The Tigers are 1-3, and honestly, they look completely lost. Their defense is leaking yards, and the offense is just, like, stuck in neutral. Plus, the home team hasn’t won this rivalry since 2018, which is just weird. Beamer’s already pulled off a couple wins over Clemson when nobody gave him a shot, so if he doesn’t get it done this year, fans will have questions.
Palmetto Bowl drama, if you want to go down that rabbit hole.
3. LSU (Oct. 11)
ESPN Win %: 29.8%
Going to Baton Rouge is never a picnic. Death Valley at night? Yikes. But LSU isn’t bulletproof right now. Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t lived up to the offseason hype, and their run game is basically sleepwalking. That 4-1 record? Looks a little sketchy when you realize they beat up on teams that couldn’t fight back. If South Carolina is ever gonna steal one down there, this might be the year. Just… don’t hold your breath.
LSU’s offensive mess, if you’re bored.
4. Oklahoma (Oct. 18)
ESPN Win %: 41.3%
This one’s all about Oklahoma’s QB situation. John Mateer busted his hand, and nobody really knows if he’ll play. Even if he sits, their defense is nasty — sacks everywhere, barely giving up any points. South Carolina’s O-line is gonna have to play the game of their lives. If they don’t, it’s gonna be a long day.
5. Texas A&M (Nov. 15)
ESPN Win %: 29.2%
The Aggies are like a box of chocolates — you never know if you’re getting the offense that dropped 41 on Notre Dame or the one that barely scraped past Auburn. The kicker? South Carolina’s never, and I mean never, won at Kyle Field. Zero for five. If they finally break that curse, it’ll be because they played mistake-free football, which… yeah, we’ll see.
6. Alabama (Oct. 25)
ESPN Win %: 21.7%
Alabama’s still Alabama, even with Saban retired and chilling at a lake somewhere. They took out Georgia on the road and look just as terrifying as always. South Carolina almost snuck one past them last year, but now Bama’s got Ty Simpson at QB and a beefed-up offensive line. Only hope? Alabama’s defense can be confused by a mobile quarterback. Florida State’s Thomas Castellanos ran wild on ‘em for 78 yards, so if South Carolina has a guy who can run, maybe there’s a prayer.
7. Ole Miss (Nov. 1)
ESPN Win %: 19.8%
This one’s ugly. Since Trinidad Chambliss took over, Ole Miss is lighting it up — air, ground, doesn’t matter. Only weak spot is their run D, which is giving up 163 rush yards a game. Too bad South Carolina’s ground game has been, well, not good. Unless they suddenly learn how to run the ball, this could get out of hand fast.
SEC stat nerds, here’s your link.
The Real Talk
South Carolina’s schedule is a meat grinder, no sugarcoating it. Coastal and Clemson are the two games you gotta have if you want to go bowling. Maybe they catch LSU or Oklahoma on a bad day — hey, stranger things have happened. But let’s not pretend this slate isn’t brutal.
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