Skip to main content
South Carolina

Everything College GameDay said about South Carolina's bowl matchup against Illinois

Griffin Goodwynby: Griffin Goodwyn12/23/24griffin_goodwyn
College GameDay Crew
Dec 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; ESPN cast, from left, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit sit on the set of College GameDay prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images via the USA Today Network

Every Saturday, College GameDay’s panel of personalities break down the top college football matchups across the country. The show, which airs on ESPN, features host Rece Davis and analysts Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit.

This week, the College GameDay crew traveled to two locations where College Football Playoff action took place. On Friday, they were in South Bend, Indiana, ahead of the in-state clash between Notre Dame and Indiana. The crew then traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for the following day’s nightcap between Ohio State and Tennessee.

While the College Football Playoff took center stage, other postseason matchups were given a brief spotlight as the crew offered insights and predictions for each game. South Carolina’s Citrus Bowl meeting with Illinois, which is set to kick off at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31, was among the highlighted contests.

[Join GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days]

Predictions

College GameDay’s five analysts, along with celebrity guest picker A.J. Hawk, were unanimous in their predictions for the South Carolina-Illinois game – all of them picked the Gamecocks. South Carolina also received 89% of the fan vote.

Here’s everything they said about their predictions.

Howard: “Oh, man. LaNorris Sellers is a baller. I can’t wait to watch him in the 2025 season. I’m going with South Carolina.”

Saban: “I think South Carolina’s one of the best teams in the country right now. I mean, they’ve played really well the last half of the season, so I’m going with South Carolina.”

McAfee: “He (Saban) looks like a sheriff, and I, at one point this year, was the mayor of ‘Cocktown.’ And, at that point, down there in South Carolina, they weren’t the team that they would become by the end of the season… They played great at the end. Shoutout to South Carolina – (they’re) getting a huge win over Illinois.”

[GamecockCentral has gift subscriptions]

Hawk: “I think South Carolina’s a little bit frustrated that they’re not getting the national love that they deserve. Also, I’m an assistant coach on a second- (and) third-grade basketball team. We’re the Gamecocks… I’m picking South Carolina.”

Corso: “South Carolina is the best team that’s not in the playoffs – my opinion, right now. I got South Carolina.”

Herbstreit: “I think we’re all seeing the same thing. And I thought Shane Beamer already talked about, ‘Hey guys, we still like to go to bowl games. I like to take my guys. We’re going to a great city; we’re going to enjoy it.’ I think that energy, the fact they got left out of the playoff – they were the hottest team in college football the last five or six weeks. I think they win this game and take care of business.”

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!

You may also like