.Breaking South Carolina’s bowl possibilitiesPhoto: (Photograph by Joseph Cress) Along With the College Soccer Playoff chase after likely over, what comes next for the Gamecocks? A championship game someplace, as well as a possibility to round off a 10-win season for only the fifth time in program record. But where could the Gamecocks end up, as well as that are actually some realistic enemies?
The ProcedureThe Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando possesses the initial selection of non-playoff SEC crews, presently Ole Miss by the rankings. If Ole Miss in some way snuck into the playoff or even plunged listed below South Carolina in between currently and also Sunday, it will open the door for the Gamecocks to go to Orlando. There is also an opportunity the Citrus Bowl commitee could repudiate the rankings as well as select South Carolina regardless.From there certainly, the bowl pecking order after the Citrus Dish is actually dirty and boundless.
The supposed “swimming pool of 6” bowl game follow the Citrus Dish, but it boils down to bowl boards and also invitations instead of a set order where one bowl can easily choose a staff, complied with by the next and so on. Those 6 bowl games are the ReliaQuest Dish (formerly referred to as the Country Dish) in Tampa Florida, the TaxSlayer Gator Dish in Jacksonville, Nashville’s Transperfect Music Urban area Bowl, the SRS Distributors Sin City Bowl, the Income Tax Show Texas Dish (Houston) and the Autozone Freedom Bowl in Memphis. Citrus Dish Area: Orlando, FloridaDate: December 31stAffiliations: SEC vs.
Big TenThis is actually the best one to break of the group. It has constantly been actually the best SEC and also Big Ten crews outside the New Years 6 bowls (what is now the playoff). With four Huge 10 crews counted on to enter the playoff, Illinois is the association’s merely various other ranked team.
If the Gamecocks are actually slotted for Orlando it would highly likely be against the Illini, suggesting a match against former large recievers instructor Justin Stepp. South Carolina has actually played in this particular bowl game two times, beating Nebraska to end the 2011 time and Wisconsin complying with 2013. ReliaQuest BowlLocation: Tampa Bay, FloridaDate: December 31stAffiliations: SEC vs.
Big TenProbably the least desirable destination for Gamecock supporters even if of the regularity they have existed. South Carolina has played in what was actually formely referred to as the Country Bowl five opportunities, all considering that 2000. This is actually much more than some other SEC staff.
The Gamecocks are actually 4-1 in Tampa bay, however this dish would certainly verge on nearly being actually regimen for huge parts of the fanbase. As for an achievable opponent, the Big Ten has a various construct to the SEC, where it performs possess a recognized order. This championship game is to begin with level to choose a Significant 10 staff after the Citrus Bowl.
Stringently based upon gain total amounts Iowa would certainly be next with its own 8-4 record. However Michigan, Minnesota and also Rutgers are all close behind along with seven triumphes. Michigan particularly could be eye-catching for a dish committee along with its large graduates system as well as renewed enthusiast power observing a competition sway Ohio Condition.
Gator BowlLocation: Jacksonville, FloridaDate: January 2ndAffiliations: SEC vs. ACCMaybe the Gamecocks wouldn’t head to the same championship game on pair of straight travels, however South Carolina fans possessed a tough yield in 2022 and Jacksonville is simply four hours from Columbia. If South Carolina got back to Jacksonville, Syracuse, Duke and Louisville will be the frontrunners as feasible challengers from the ACC.
The ACC performs certainly not possess a real pecking order, suggesting enthusiast interest and chances to offer television ads would factor in. This was a big part of just how the Gator Dish ended up using Notre Dame’s pseudo-ACC condition to land the Fighting Irish after their 8-4 time in 2022. Music Metropolitan Area BowlLocation: Nashville, TennesseeDate: December 30thAffiliations: SEC vs.
Big TenThis is actually a very similar circumstance to the ReliaQuest Bowl, where it typically includes an SEC group as well as a Huge Ten team both someplace in the 7-9 succeed assortment. It is actually upcoming in the Significant 10 pecking order, implying the dish board would possess the rest of the association outside the Citrus and also ReliaQuest bowl attendees to select from. It feels like the place for whoever carries out certainly not come to Tampa bay in between Iowa and also Michigan, yet once more Minnesota as well as Rutgers prowl.
South Carolina has actually certainly never played in the Popular music Area Bowl, however its lengthy background of possessing sizable contingents of fans travel to Nashville for Vanderbilt activities would undoubtedly create it an eye-popping applicant. Sin City BowlLocation: Las Vegas, NevadaDate: December 27thAffiliations: SEC vs. Pac-12 ** Participants of the Pac-12 prior to 2024 are still looked at eligible for this bowl invitation.This is actually where it begins to drift right into the stable of being actually practically achievable, however unlikely.
Anything outside of the 3 Florida bowls or even Nashville thinks that a longshot. The Pac-12 is actually dead, yet vital in this sense. Groups that played in the organization in 2014 are actually still qualified for this bowl game as a result of deals agreed on prior to event re-alignment.
Colorado for instance is bowl eligible, and also for that reason entitled to play in any kind of video game along with a Huge 12 or Pac-12 dead heat. Arizona State has its own views bented on the playoff if it wins the Significant 12 label video game, but this can be a fallback possibility for the Sunshine Devils if they drop this weekend break. Washington as well as Southern Cal, both 6-6 in their brand new Big 10 homes, would certainly likewise be actually qualified right here.
It is actually tough to nail down exactly just how this bowl committee are going to decide on crews, requiring an SEC one that would bring in a cross-country trip in huge varieties and also needing to collaborate with other events on the former Pac-12 crews. Still, it is at minimal for South Carolina. Texas BowlLocation: Houston, TexasDate: December 31stAffiliations: SEC vs.
Big 12This is actually most likely the least most likely place for the Gamecocks, however is actually still actually feasible. Texas A&M, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and also LSU are actually all bowl eligible and also in far closer distance to Houston than the Gamecocks, generating a much larger odds at marketing tickets. South Carolina has never played within this championship game, and geography is actually a significant cause.
If it carried out somhow land here, among the three Texas institutions along with an 8-4 report– Baylor, TCU and also Texas Specialist– will be actually the likliest opponents. Freedom BowlLocation: Memphis, TennesseeDate: December 27thAffiliations: SEC vs. Big 12Again, this believes close to inconceivable.
The Freedom Bowl is practically in the “pool of six” but has actually generally ended up with a group in close proximity to Memphis after other bowls were actually packed. Arkansas, Mississippi Condition as well as Missouri have actually been the last three SEC staffs to participate in listed here, as well as none of those staffs gained 9 activities, either.Kansas State or among the Texas universities would certainly make the best sense to fill the Significant 12 edge of this particular game.