Ranking South Carolina’s 2023 matchups by difficulty

South Carolina’s season kicks off in two months, but it’s never too soon to gauge the difficulty of its matchups. While some of these games do not appear to be competitive on paper, others have the potential to be wildly entertaining, season-defining contests.

Here’s how South Carolina’s 2023 games stack up from a competitive standpoint, from easiest to most difficult.

No. 1: Home vs. Jacksonville State

On Nov. 4, the first ever matchup between two Division I teams with a Gamecock mascot will take place. The so-called “Gamecock Bowl,” however, has the makings of a lopsided affair.

This fall, Jacksonville State will be competing in its first ever season as an FBS program in Conference USA. These Gamecocks experienced success last year – finishing 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the ASUN – but will likely experience growing pains as they face off against higher-caliber competition.

An upset cannot be written off, though, as Jacksonville State has beaten SEC opponents in the past. The Gamecocks shocked Ole Miss in a 49-48 double-overtime victory in 2010 and will look to do the same in Columbia this fall.

No. 2: Home vs. Furman

South Carolina will welcome two in-state opponents to Williams-Brice Stadium in 2023, with Furman being the first. Even though the Paladin’s men’s basketball team pulled off a big upset in last year’s NCAA tournament, Furman’s football team faces a much taller task.

From a profile standpoint, Furman has many similarities to Jacksonville State – minus the transition to FBS. The Paladins were also one of the top performers in their conference, finishing with a 7-1 clip against SoCon competition. With a 10-3 overall record, Furman was ranked tenth in last season’s final FCS poll.

In recent decades, South Carolina has dominated the all-time series, winning 14 of the last 15 contests since 1950. Though they have not faced off since 2014, the Gamecocks aim to continue that trend.

No. 3: Home vs. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt made strides last season, earning its first conference wins since 2019 and just missing out on postseason football. However, history indicates that this matchup has a high likelihood of ending in a Gamecock victory.

South Carolina has won 14 consecutive games against Vanderbilt, including a 38-27 win in Nashville last season. Despite this, the Commodores have shown flashes of potential again the Gamecocks, especially when they faced off in 2021. Vanderbilt came within 90 seconds of a win at Williams-Brice Stadium before a late charge led by graduate-assistant-turned-quarterback Zeb Noland kept the Commodores at bay in a narrow 21-20 win.

A home game against one of the SEC’s weaker teams, though, puts it just ahead of South Carolina’s matchups against non-Power 5 opponents.

No. 4: Home vs. Florida

This year’s Florida Gators squad will be much different than the one that throttled the Gamecocks 38-6 last season. Much of that has to do with who will be playing at quarterback the next time the teams square off.

Florida’s starter in that game, Anthony Richardson, was selected No. 4 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in this year’s draft. He was also a difference-maker against the Gamecocks, contributing 208 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

As the Gators look to rework their offense, the Gamecocks have a prime chance to win its second game against Florida in three seasons.

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No. 5: Home vs. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs are an unfamiliar opponent for South Carolina, as the two teams last met in September 2016. Like Vanderbilt, though, history favors the Gamecocks in matchups like these, with South Carolina taking eight of nine games against Mississippi State since 2000.

Mississippi State will try to make this game competitive as it hopes to earn at least one win during its most difficult stretch of the season. The Bulldogs’ away tilt against South Carolina is bookended by home matchups against LSU and Alabama, two of the top teams in the SEC West. Should they fail to beat the Gamecocks, Mississippi State could be looking at an 0-3 start to their conference campaign.

No. 6: Home vs. Kentucky

Kentucky is a team that has become a thorn in South Carolina’s side in recent years. Before last season, the Wildcats were 7-1 in their last eight matchups against the Gamecocks. Things changed last season, though, as South Carolina earned a 24-14 road win while quarterback Will Levis was injured.

Kentucky returns much of its offense from last season and gained talented transfer quarterback Devin Leary in the offseason. Its defense was highly productive in 2022 as well, finishing third in the SEC in points (19.1) and yards (320.2) allowed per game. This could pose problems for the Gamecocks in one of their more difficult home games of the campaign.

No. 7: Away at Missouri

Another opponent that has always found a way to beat the Gamecocks in recent years is Missouri. The Tigers currently have a four-game win streak in the series, outscoring South Carolina 105-62 in that stretch.

The Gamecocks struggled mightily on the ground in last year’s matchup, finishing the game with just 32 rushing yards. While the Gamecocks are still thin in the backfield, running the ball effectively will increase South Carolina’s chances of keeping their winless run from reaching a fifth game.

No. 8: Away @ Texas A&M

Texas A&M was one of the nation’s biggest underperformers last season. Starting the year as the No. 6 ranked team in the country, the Aggies struggled to a 5-7 record. They also failed to beat South Carolina for the first time in program history, losing 30-24 in Columbia.

Jimbo Fisher’s team retooled in the offseason and is hoping to prove that last season was a fluke. In tandem with the Gamecocks’ underwhelming performances in their last two games at College Station – a 44-14 loss in 2021 and a 30-6 loss in 2019 – this is looking to be one of South Carolina’s toughest road tilts.

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No. 9: Neutral vs. North Carolina

South Carolina’s season opener is one of its more hotly anticipated games of the season. On Sept. 3, the Gamecocks and North Carolina will face off in Bank of America Stadium in a rematch of the 2021 Mayo Bowl, which finished 38-21 in favor of South Carolina.

Quarterback play should determine who leaves Charlotte with a win. On one side of the field, Spencer Rattler is hoping to carry his end-of-year success into 2023. On the other, the Gamecock defense will look to stop one of the country’s top signal callers in Drake Maye.

Just a sophomore, Maye is already near the top of many expert’s Heisman Trophy contender lists. He also has the potential to be a game changing player in this matchup.

No. 10: Home vs. Clemson

Everyone remembers what happened when South Carolina took on Clemson last season. On the road, the Gamecocks stunned the Tigers 31-30, earning their first Palmetto Bowl victory since 2013.

While Clemson is still expected to be a powerful force in the ACC this fall, the gap between them and their competitors is slowly closing. However, their defense – one of the program’s staples in recent years – remains one of the nation’s best. The Tigers showed their defensive fortitude the last time they played in Columbia, earning a 30-0 shutout win. Because of this, Clemson will be South Carolina’s toughest test at home this season.

No. 11: Away at Tennessee

South Carolina faced long odds to take down the Tennessee Volunteers last season. It did so in emphatic fashion, scoring a season-high 63 points in one of the most memorable games in the program’s recent history.

While that game all but stifled Tennessee’s playoff hopes in 2022, they could reach the promised land this fall. The Volunteers lost quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt on offense, but Joe Milton, their current signal caller, possesses physical abilities that can turn a game on its head.

Tennessee also has not lost a game at Neyland Stadium since 2021, which makes a Gamecocks upset a much taller task.

No. 12: Away at Georgia

Two-time defending champions Georgia has emerged as the most dominant force in college football and are the favorite to three-peat in the fall.

This national dominance has trickled down to its recent matchups against South Carolina as well. In four of the last five seasons, Georgia has scored 40 points or more en route to double-digit victories over the Gamecocks.

The one season they didn’t, though, was a 20-17 double-overtime South Carolina win in Athens. For a repeat of that game in 2023, it will take a lot for the Gamecocks to find their way through the Bulldogs’ rigid defense.

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