Countdown to kickoff prediction series: South Carolina will sweep its non-conference games

Last week, when the calendar revealed that it was 100 days until South Carolina kicked off the season, I posted a story on GamecockCentral entitled “100 predictions for the 2026 Gamecocks.” Now, that countdown is down to just 95 days.

The prediction paired with day 95 read “Carolina will go undefeated in non-conference games in 2026, with wins against Kent State, Towson, Clemson, and a bowl.”

Let’s break down that prognostication.

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That means 4-0

Barring a trip to the College Football Playoff, South Carolina will play three regular-season contests against non-conference opponents. Then, a bowl game likely would come against an out-of-conference foe, too.

The Gamecocks open the season with a pair of games against Kent State and Towson at Williams-Brice Stadium. With all due respect to the Golden Flashes and Tigers, there is no world in which Shane Beamer’s team should exit either home contest with anything less than a comfortable victory.

The annual Clemson rivalry bookends the regular season along with the opening two weeks. All nine contests in between will be SEC games. That means that a symmetrical schedule could wind up being two non-conference games, followed by nine SEC games, followed by two non-conference games against Clemson and a bowl opponent.

The second of those two non-conference stretches would be much more challenging.

South Carolina hasn’t lost to Clemson in Memorial Stadium in nearly 3000 days. Even so, the Gamecocks and Tigers have earned similar offseason projections. Most national voices on college football believe both Palmetto State teams are fringe top-25 squads.

Conversely to the team’s success playing in the Upstate, Carolina has not won a bowl game since Shane Beamer’s first year on the job. The Gamecocks beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in 2021, but over the next four years, USC lost the Gator Bowl (Notre Dame), missed a bowl, lost the Citrus Bowl (Illinois), and missed a bowl again.

(You can also read previous predictions about beating Clemson and winning a bowl game.)

A 4-0 record against teams from outside of the SEC would mean that any above-.500 record in league play could push South Carolina into CFP conversations, as well.

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How things could go, especially early

As mentioned already, South Carolina should have a smooth start to the year.

Kent State comes to town for the second time ever on September 5. Then, on September 12, the Gamecocks and Towson Tigers meet for the first time.

Both games, at least in theory, should allow Shane Beamer’s team an opportunity to get ramped up ahead of 10 games against power conference opponents over the next 11 weeks. Veteran players get to shake off the rust, while youngsters and other newcomers can gain valuable experience.

The first two weeks should also allow new Gamecock offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and his unit to get acclimated. USC’s offense was anemic last year under Mike Shula, and quarterback LaNorris Sellers never looked comfortable. Kent State and Towson will allow South Carolina the chance to work out the kinks.

Health is a factor in this discussion, too. In addition to the hope that no major contributors suffer any injuries in those games, the opening weeks could provide a soft landing for some Gamecocks dealing with offseason injuries.

In particular, projected starting left tackle Jacarrius Peak and star pass rusher Dylan Stewart have been limited this offseason. With the first power conference game not happening until September 19, there will be no need to rush them back. If necessary, Peak and Sellers can ease into full workloads.

The benefit of the Clemson contest coming at the end of the regular season is that there is no game the following week unless South Carolina earns a berth in the SEC Championship. Plus, there’s always added juice for a rivalry matchup. Obviously, Beamer and company would take a win in this one, no matter how it came.

The same principle applies to a bowl game. There will be no need to hold back any wrinkles or trick plays. There will be very few concerns about anything other than earning a win.

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