Where South Carolina football ranks in Sporting News' top 25

South Carolina will open the 2025 season in three days. The Gamecocks currently rank 13th in both the AP poll and the USA Today coaches poll preseason rankings. The ESPN FPI (Football Power Index) slots USC in at No. 11.

This week, the Sporting News released its week one rankings, and South Carolina, once again, sees lucky number 13 next to their name.

You can check out the entire top 25 below:

1. Texas Longhorns
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
4. Georgia Bulldogs
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6. Clemson Tigers
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
8. Oregon Ducks
9. LSU Tigers
10. Miami Hurricanes
11. Illinois Fighting Illini
12. Florida Gators
13. South Carolina Gamecocks
14. Arizona State
15. Michigan Wolverines
16. Ole Miss Rebels
17. SMU Mustangs
18. Texas A&M Aggies
19. Iowa State Cyclones
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. Texas Tech Red Raiders
23. Louisville Cardinals
24. Indiana Hoosiers
25. Boise State Broncos

Sign up for GamecockCentral today – $1 for the first week, plus a complimentary year of access to The Athletic included.

South Carolina plays six teams currently in the Sporting News’ top 25 (Clemson, 6; Alabama, 7; LSU, 9; Ole Miss, 16; Texas A&M, 18; Oklahoma, 20). Three of those teams rank ahead of the Gamecocks. Those trends were also present in the AP poll and USA Today coaches poll.

The Sporting News continued its rankings all the way through the entirety of FBS football. The rest of South Carolina’s schedule ranks as follows: Missouri (34), Vanderbilt (48), Virginia Tech (58), Kentucky (62), and Coastal Carolina (103). South Carolina State is an FCS school, so they were not part of the rankings.

South Carolina will open the 2025 season with the Virginia Tech Hokies in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, August 31st. ESPN will broadcast the 3:00 p.m. contest, while the ESPN app will make it available via streaming.

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!