|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
First of all, it’s hard to argue that what University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer, his staff and players have managed to accomplish this season is nothing short of miraculous.
Beamer took a backsliding program projected to win five or fewer games and somehow reeled off nine wins – including four victories over ranked opponents. With its postseason destination yet to be determined, South Carolina is one victory away from recording double-digit wins for the first time in eleven years (and only the fifth time in program history).
Not bad for a team that was out-gained by lowly Old Dominion in its season-opener…
***
The Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3 SEC) are also riding their longest winning streak since 2013 – when they reeled off six in a row to close out the campaign en route to the No. 4 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. There’s no denying South Carolina is one of the hottest teams in America right now, and Beamer’s squad punctuated its improbable regular season run with a 17-14 victory on Saturday over arch-rival Clemson.
The Tigers (9-3, 7-1 ACC) entered the game ranked No. 12 in the CFP standings, but fell on their home field to the Gamecocks for the second time in a row.
Leading the way for South Carolina was redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has emerged over the second half of the season as one of the most dangerous dual-threat signal callers in the entire country. Sellers threw for 168 yards against Clemson – and ran for another 166 yards. Included in that latter total were a pair of touchdown gallops, including the game winning 20-yard jaunt with just over a minute left on the clock.
***
PALMETTO BOWL STATEMENT ??@GamecockFB x #ItJustMeansMore pic.twitter.com/eT51rRMrol
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 30, 2024
***
The 6-foot-3, 242-pound native of Florence, S.C. has become a late addition to the Heisman Trophy conversation – with his unique combination of size, speed, strength and elusiveness carrying the Gamecocks to the cusp of their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff (CFP).
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Clayton White‘s unit – led by projected NFL first round draft pick Nick Emmanwori of Irmo, S.C. – has played lights out all season long.
South Carolina ranks No. 16 nationally in total defense and No. 14 in scoring defense – and is tied for third nationally with 40 total sacks. Sixth-year senior linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. sealed the Gamecocks’ win over Clemson when he picked off junior quarterback Cade Klubnik deep in South Carolina territory with just twelve seconds to play.
***
***
So… do the Gamecocks deserve a playoff bid?
Per the new playoff rules, the five highest-ranked conference champions (including one champion from the “group of five” conferences) qualify for the 12-team field – with the four highest-ranked champions receiving first-round byes. Seven “at-large” teams will join them based on their position in the final CFP poll.
The penultimate CFP rankings will be released tomorrow, with South Carolina widely expected to land just outside the 12-team cutoff.
Is that fair? No. Is it correct, though? Probably…
Last week’s CFP rankings had the Gamecocks at No. 15 – just behind No. 13 Alabama and No. 14 Ole Miss. Prior to those rankings being released, the Crimson Tide got embarrassed on the road against unranked Oklahoma while Lane Kiffin‘s Rebels fell to unranked Florida in the Swamp. If the selection committee was going to drop either of these teams behind South Carolina in the rankings, it would’ve happened last week.
***
***
On Saturday, the Crimson Tide and Rebels secured solid yet unspectacular home rivalry wins over unranked Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) and Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8 SEC), respectively. While South Carolina fans remain adamant their team’s victory on the road against a top fifteen opponent merits a double leapfrogging (many are expecting such a reward, in fact) there’s a problem with that math…
South Carolina lost to both Alabama and Ole Miss head-to-head – falling to the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide by two points on the road back on October 12 and getting embarrassed at home by the 11th-ranked Rebels the previous week. Certainly, Gamecock coaches, players and fans continue to make incredibly convincing arguments that South Carolina is the better team – and certainly the hotter team – but none of those arguments hold sway over head-to-head results.
Sorry, but they just don’t…
The real tragedy here? Had SEC officials not robbed South Carolina of a victory over then-No. 16 LSU in mid-September, the Gamecocks wouldn’t have to worry about any of this. They’d be a playoff lock.
***
If @SEC officials don't flag @KyleKennard1 for a perfectly legal block during Nick Emmanwori (@Eman7Nick)'s 100-yard interception return against @LSUFootball, then @GamecockFB is a @CFBPlayoff team RIGHT NOW. This remains one of the worst calls EVER. https://t.co/tjsDOGNENx
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) November 11, 2024
***
There are still conference championship scenarios which could conceivably propel South Carolina into the playoffs, but leapfrogging Alabama or Ole Miss simply isn’t in the cards.
Nor should it be…
The good news? A team few thought would even be bowl eligible this year is in the playoff conversation. Like, legitimately.
South Carolina continues to defy expectations under Beamer, who is silencing his critics (including this author) as he builds a winning culture in Columbia for the first time since Steve Spurrier was funning-n-gunning and Jadeveon Clowney was terrorizing opposing backfields. So while this year’s playoffs is likely going to be a near-miss for Gamecock fans, the program Beamer is building looks poised for perennial contention.
BANNER: TIM HUEBEL/ Travis Bell Columbia SC Photographers
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
4 comments
I love it how Beamer comes out for press conferences, tucks in that nearly non-existent chin of his and tries his best at a deep voice.
Regardless of the playoff or bowl berth, Beamer and Sellers turned a probable disappointment of a season in to one to remember.
GO COCKS!
What a wonderful year to be a Gamecock!!!
Shane Beamer convinced these young men they were capable of great things in 2024 and I am so proud of them and Shane Beamer too!! What a cheerleader is Beamer!! We are grateful!!
You say none of the arguments should hold sway over head to head results.
You even say “sorry they just don’t”
And then immediately give the biggest argument of all… the robbery of the LSU game. You even admit they would be a playoff lock. So what are we talking about? The playoff committee knows the LSU game was stolen. The rankings are opinion based so surely they’re smart enough to take that into consideration and put the better team in.