South Carolina continues moving up in Top 25 polls

Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football team are on a roll. After starting the season 3-3, the Gamecocks have now won five straight games, including a dominant 56-12 victory over Wofford on Saturday. Despite a slow start, South Carolina powered through to improve to 8-3 (5-3 SEC) on the season.

The win also etched Beamer’s name in the record books, tying him with Steve Spurrier for the most victories (28) by a head coach in their first four seasons at South Carolina. With one regular-season game and a bowl game remaining, Beamer has a chance to surpass his mentor’s milestone.

Although wins over FCS opponents like Wofford typically don’t create much buzz in the rankings, this week was an exception. Seven teams ahead of the Gamecocks—including Indiana, Alabama, Ole Miss, BYU, Texas A&M, Colorado, and Army—suffered losses on Saturday, allowing South Carolina to make a significant leap.

In the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, released Sunday afternoon, the Gamecocks climbed five spots to No. 14, marking their third consecutive week in the rankings. Similarly, they’ve held a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for three straight weeks, coming in at No. 16 in this week’s AP poll.

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings have been even more favorable to South Carolina, placing them at No. 21 two weeks ago and No. 18 last week. With chaos unfolding across the national landscape, the Gamecocks’ stock continues to rise. Fans will get their next update Tuesday night when the CFP Selection Committee reveals its latest rankings at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.

South Carolina’s playoff hopes seemed slim just weeks ago, but as the Gamecocks keep winning and other contenders falter, doubt and skepticism about their chances are steadily fading. The road ahead remains challenging, but the Gamecocks are positioning themselves as a team to watch in the postseason conversation.