Year after year, South Carolina football battles one of the most unforgiving schedules in college football. With a grueling SEC slate and the annual clash against Clemson, the Gamecocks rarely get a break. This season is no different, as Shane Beamer’s squad once again finds itself near the top of college football’s toughest schedules.
This week, ESPN released its strength of schedule rankings, alongside its SP+ power rankings, and South Carolina landed at No. 7 in the nation. According to ESPN, the Gamecocks’ slate carries a .795 rating, just behind Vanderbilt’s .794, which ranks fifth. Due to their 16th-best SP+ rating (15.4), ESPN projects South Carolina to win around 7.2 games this season.
Toughest Schedules by ESPN’s SOS Metric
ESPN analytics expert Bill Connelly explained the rating system, stating:
“The SOS rating is the projected win% an average top-5 team could expect against your schedule.”
Essentially, ESPN’s metric suggests that even a top-5 team would only win about 9.5 games facing South Carolina’s 2025 schedule. That means for the Gamecocks to exceed expectations and push for a College Football Playoff berth, they’ll need to outperform projections—something they’ve done in three of Beamer’s four seasons at the helm.
Breaking Down South Carolina’s Brutal 2025 Schedule
It’s no surprise ESPN views the Gamecocks’ slate as one of the toughest. The SEC grind, combined with challenging non-conference opponents, guarantees that every win will be hard-earned.
A Challenging Start
- South Carolina opens the season in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Virginia Tech (neutral-site).
- Two straight home games follow against South Carolina State and Vanderbilt.
- The first true road test comes in Columbia, Missouri, before a return home to face Kentucky.
The Nightmare Midseason Stretch
After an early bye week, the schedule takes a brutal turn:
- A trip to Death Valley to face LSU.
- Back-to-back home battles against Oklahoma and Alabama.
- Another road test at Ole Miss.
- A second bye week, followed by a visit to Texas A&M in College Station.
Closing the Season with Rivalry Drama
- Coastal Carolina comes to Columbia in the second-to-last game, looking for an upset.
- The season ends with the massive rivalry showdown against Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium.
With five ranked opponents in six weeks and a schedule that even the best teams would struggle to navigate, South Carolina’s 2025 season will test Beamer’s program like never before. If the Gamecocks hope to compete for an SEC title or a playoff spot, they’ll need to shock the nation once again.
