ESPN predicts the rest of South Carolina's schedule

South Carolina has a 3-2 overall record (1-2 in SEC play) through the first five weeks of the 2025 season.

Following an open date this weekend, the Gamecocks’ second stretch of five games will be extremely difficult, as road trips to Baton Rouge (LSU), Oxford (Ole Miss), and College Station (Texas A&M) are paired with home contests against Alabama and Oklahoma.

Below is how ESPN’s FPI matchup predictor thinks each of those games will go for the Gamecocks:

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On October 11th, the Gamecocks will play on the road against No. 13 LSU. ESPN gives South Carolina a 29.8% to come away victorious next Saturday.

The following week, USC will return home for a meeting with the 5th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on October 18th. At the time of this writing, the FPI matchup predictor gives Carolina a 41.3% chance to win.

Then, on October 25th, Shane Beamer’s team will play another home contest against the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide. The ESPN FPI matchup predictor lists the Gamecocks’ chances of victory at 21.7%.

According to ESPN, the toughest test left on the schedule is the November 1st trip to Oxford. The worldwide leader gives South Carolina just 19.8% odds to beat the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels.

Following another bye week, South Carolina’s road game against the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies holds a 29.2% chance of ending with a Gamecock victory. The Battle for the Bonham Trophy is scheduled for November 15th.

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After that brutal stretch of five games, South Carolina will be home for two final regular-season games.

The Gamecocks’ most straightforward game will come on November 22nd against Coastal Carolina. ESPN’s FPI matchup predictor gives USC a 95.6% likelihood of coming out on top.

The Palmetto Bowl against Clemson follows on November 29th. ESPN gives South Carolina a 69.6% chance of winning the rivalry game for the second year in a row.

In total, ESPN’s FPI matchup predictor lists the Gamecocks as the favorite in just two of the team’s remaining games. However, ESPN’s full-season predictor lists South Carolina as a six-win team. That would require USC to pull at least one “upset” during the upcoming five-game gauntlet.

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