South Carolina’s 2025 Football Schedule: Key Matchups, Tough Stretches & Season Outlook
The South Carolina Gamecocks are gearing up for a challenging 2025 season, with a schedule that features heavyweight SEC battles, a neutral-site opener, and a season-finale rivalry showdown against Clemson.
2025 South Carolina Football Schedule
- Aug. 31 – vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)
- Sept. 6 – South Carolina State
- Sept. 13 – Vanderbilt
- Sept. 20 – at Missouri
- Sept. 27 – Kentucky
- Oct. 4 – OPEN DATE
- Oct. 11 – at LSU
- Oct. 18 – Oklahoma
- Oct. 25 – Alabama
- Nov. 1 – at Ole Miss
- Nov. 8 – OPEN DATE
- Nov. 15 – at Texas A&M
- Nov. 22 – Coastal Carolina
- Nov. 29 – at Clemson
Who Did South Carolina Avoid in SEC Play?
The Gamecocks dodge some of the SEC’s toughest teams, including Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee—a major scheduling break. However, Alabama still looms as a home matchup, and tough road trips to LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M make for a brutal stretch.
While avoiding Mississippi State and Auburn might seem like a missed opportunity for easier wins, LSU and Ole Miss will be major hurdles regardless.
The Good & The Bad of South Carolina’s Schedule
The Good:
- Avoiding three SEC College Football Playoff teams (Georgia, Texas, Florida) is a plus.
- Oklahoma & Alabama are at home, giving the Gamecocks a fighting chance.
- Road games are spaced out well, with no back-to-back away stretches.
- Two timely bye weeks before LSU and Texas A&M provide key recovery time.
The Bad:
- A brutal October looms with LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ole Miss back-to-back.
- The trip to Ole Miss follows three straight heavyweight matchups, meaning the Gamecocks could be running on fumes.
- November won’t be any easier with road games at Texas A&M and Clemson to close the season.
Best & Worst-Case Scenarios for South Carolina
Best-Case Scenario:
- The Gamecocks start 4-1 with a strong win over Virginia Tech and take care of business at home.
- A road win at Missouri creates some breathing room before the tough October stretch.
- Two wins from the LSU-Oklahoma-Alabama stretch would be ideal.
- Splitting the November road games (Ole Miss & Texas A&M) keeps South Carolina in the hunt.
- A season-ending win over Clemson caps a strong year.
Worst-Case Scenario:
- A loss to Virginia Tech sets a rough tone.
- Mizzou and Kentucky pull off upset wins in Columbia.
- The October stretch turns disastrous (0-3 vs. LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama).
- A 2-3 record post-bye week leaves the Gamecocks limping into the Clemson game.
- A season-ending loss to Clemson adds insult to injury.
Season Prediction (Jan. 30, 2025)
Expect the Gamecocks to start hot and grab some early-season wins before the SEC gauntlet begins. A big upset over Oklahoma or Alabama could be in the cards, but the road schedule is unforgiving, making a 1-3 record in away SEC matchups likely.
South Carolina should still secure a bowl bid, but a College Football Playoff push may be too big of a leap in 2025.
