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Ranking South Carolina’s final five opponents: Who’s the toughest team on the schedule?

jordan kaye
·7 min read
South Carolina’s Maurice Brown II (44) celebrates a two-point conversion against Oklahoma next to Vershon Lee (53) in the second quarter, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla.

Life in the SEC is cruel.

A few months ago, a glance at South Carolina’s football schedule and your eyes would divert to October and, whether you said it aloud or not, you’d think, “Yikes.”

The Gamecocks’ October slate included a home game vs. Ole Miss and road trips to Alabama and Oklahoma. If South Carolina could escape the October with a single win, with its bowl hopes still intact, some thought, it would be a miracle.

Well, check and check.

The Gamecocks thrashed Oklahoma on Saturday, going 1-2 in October, and head into November with a 4-3 record and favorable odds to make a bowl. Yet, somehow South Carolina’s schedule only gets harder.

In its final five games of the 2024 regular season, South Carolina will face four ranked teams — which feels impossible considering one of them is Vanderbilt, which hasn’t been in the AP Top 25 in over a decade.

Here’s our ranking of South Carolina’s five remaining opponents, from easiest to toughest.

5. Nov. 23 vs. Wofford (3-4), Game 11

This isn’t even a debate. It is the lone FCS game, the lone buy game, the lone guaranteed victory remaining on South Carolina’s schedule.

Even by FCS standards, the Terriers aren’t very good. They’re 3-4 and have scored over 26 points just once this season. This won’t even be a game.

What’s interesting is the timing. Last season, South Carolina did not get the FCS tune-up game ahead of Clemson. Instead it finished the season against FBS Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and then the Tigers.

This will be a nice opportunity for the Gamecocks to get a win on Senior Day, rest up and work out any kinks before the regular-season finale at Clemson.

4. Nov. 16 vs. Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC), Game 10

It feels like brushing your teeth with a screwdriver to not have Vanderbilt here. But the truth is, Vandy isn’t just the de facto easiest SEC game on the schedule anymore, as the No. 25 Commodores are more formidable than 21st-ranked Missouri.

Missouri’s record (6-1) looks stellar until you realize it covers up the blemishes of an OK football team.

First off, the Tigers have already played four non-conference games — vs. Murray State (shout out to Jody Wright), vs. Buffalo (shout out to Pete Lembo), vs. Boston College and at UMass. Not exactly murderers’ row.

So to evaluate the Tigers, you must look at the stats from their three SEC games — vs. Vanderbilt (OT win), at Texas A&M (31-point loss) and vs. Auburn (narrow win).

Considering only conference stats, Missouri has the No. 11 offense (yards per game), the No. 12 scoring offense, the No. 11 total defense and No. 13 scoring defense in the SEC.

Missouri’s ranking is a product of one of the easiest schedules in the SEC. South Carolina should be able to expose that with a dominant defense that will get after quarterback Brady Cook.

Now, it should be noted that Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz might have some voodoo against the Gamecocks. He has never lost as a head coach to South Carolina. Not when he was at Appalachian State and not since he arrived at Missouri. Perhaps the streak will finally end.

3. Nov. 9: at Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1 SEC), Game 9

South Carolina has faced three good quarterbacks this season — LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Ole Miss’ Jaxon Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. It lost to each of them.

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is probably a tier just below those guys, but dangerous nonetheless. The New Mexico State transfer, who rose to national prominence after the Commodores beat No. 1 Alabama, is the best rushing quarterback in the SEC. Heck, only six tailbacks in the conference have more rushing yards than Pavia (470).

This is a team that can score points. And a squad that proved — with a win over Kentucky — that the Alabama upset wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime fluke.

Maybe this is flawed thinking considering the Gamecocks are 2-1 on the road this season, but home-field advantage is factored into ranking Vandy as a tougher test than Missouri. The Commodores are unbeaten at home this year (4-0), though that could change this week when Texas travels to Nashville.

While Vanderbilt does not have a game-wrecking defense — it ranks similarly to Missouri and well behind South Carolina — the Commodores main defensive struggle is stopping the run. Problem is: South Carolina has one of the worst rushing attacks (by yards per rush) in the nation.

South Carolina probably wins this game, but the Commodores present plenty of problems.

2. Nov. 2: vs. Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC), Game 8

Since losing to Notre Dame in its season-opener, two things have been true about Texas A&M: The Aggies haven’t lost … and they haven’t played anyone.

No. 14 Texas A&M’s best victory is a 41-10 drubbing of Missouri — a win that might be diminished by season’s end — and then its SEC wins over Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi State.

All that is to say it’s hard to evaluate Texas A&M’s stats. But the Aggies are impressive. In conference-play only, Texas A&M has the No. 2 total offense, No. 3 scoring offense, No. 2 total defense and No. 4 scoring defense in the SEC.

The Aggies are one of the few teams in the conference with a defense capable of stacking up with South Carolina and, well, Texas A&M’s offense has performed much better than the Gamecocks. Even playing three games without injured quarterback Connor Weigman, the Aggies are still averaging over 100 yards more than South Carolina in SEC games.

But there are reasons for South Carolina optimism.

This will be the only SEC night game at Williams-Brice Stadium this season and the Gamecocks will be coming off a bye week, while the Aggies will be seven days removed from playing No. 8 LSU.

1. Nov. 30: at Clemson (6-1, 5-0 ACC), Game 12

This game is going to be so much fun. One of the best defenses in the country against one of the best offenses.

Yes, Clemson has one of the nation’s best offensive attacks. Since failing to score a touchdown in a 31-3 opening-week loss to Georgia, the Tigers are averaging nearly 50 (!) points a game. Granted, Clemson has not played a ranked team since Georgia, so judge those stats how you will.

But like Vanderbilt’s Pavia, quarterback Cade Klubnik (1,836 passing yards, 20 TDs, 3 INTs) will challenge the Gamecocks’ stellar defense.

The question will be: Can South Carolina score enough against a so-so Clemson defense?

Even playing against a less-than-daunting ACC schedule, the Tigers are still allowing almost 350 yards (No. 53 in FBS) and 23 points per game (No. 61). This is not the Clemson defense of the 2010s. Teams can put up points.

But can South Carolina? Can the Gamecocks offense, which has struggled this season, somehow put things together on the last Saturday in November? Can they win for the second-straight time at Memorial Stadium?

Next South Carolina game

Who: South Carolina vs No. 14 Texas A&M

When: Saturday, Nov. 2 (night kickoff, 7:30 or 7:45 p.m.)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC

TV: ESPN or ABC or SEC Network

Gamecocks 2024 football schedule