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Gamecocks bowl situation. SEC is overloaded with eligible teams

FeatheredCock

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SEC BOWL TIE-INS The bowl-matching system functions through a process not altogether different from sorority rush. Each bowl-eligible school will present three options it would be in favor of to the Southeastern Conference in the coming days. The bowl games, too, will have their own preference of squads. From there, the SEC works as the conduit to match bowl games and teams.

The league has tie-ins with 10 schools for its 13 bowl-eligible teams in 2021. That 13 figure — every team except Vanderbilt  is an SEC record. The Sugar Bowl will get its pick of the litter  presumably a 10-2 Ole Miss team  or Alabama, should it not make the College Football Playoff. The Citrus Bowl has the next pick of SEC teams, which would likely fall on Kentucky (9-3).

Next comes the mishmash of squads that could go just about anywhere. The Liberty Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Texas Bowl, Outback Bowl, Gator Bowl and Music City Bowl are all options for the middle rung of SEC teams that includes Texas A&M (8-4), Arkansas (8-4), Tennessee (7-5) and Mississippi State (7-5). Where things get tricky are with the SEC’s five teams that all reside at 6-6.

South Carolina falls in this category with Missouri, Auburn, LSU and Florida. A win over Clemson would’ve elevated the Gamecocks above this logjam, but now USC sits smack dab in the middle of it. In theory, that leaves three games  one of the aforementioned middle-rung games, the Gasparilla Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl  to be filled by five teams.

SOUTH CAROLINA BOWL PROJECTIONS Gamecocks would likely slot behind bigger brands like LSU, Auburn and Florida, while geographical preferences could see Missouri land in, say, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis ahead of the Gamecocks. The most recent bowl season predictors indicated the Gamecocks could be headed for the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, or to the Birmingham Bowl. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte could also be an option given the short trek from Columbia. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm on Sunday projected the Gamecocks to face Virginia in the Dec. 30 Duke’s Mayo Bowl  a rematch of their 2018 game. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford predicts USC will face UAB in the Dec. 28 Birmingham Bowl.

 
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Personally I hope we play as low a level of bowl opponent as possible - may more important to get the 7th win and hold onto that momentum than brag about the level of opponent IMO.

 
Personally I hope we play as low a level of bowl opponent as possible - may more important to get the 7th win and hold onto that momentum than brag about the level of opponent IMO.


I agree - plus I don't think caliber of opponent in bowl games matter much unless it's the very top bowls, except to the fanbases. We all want our team to be good, so playing - and beating - good teams in good bowls is always preferable.

But from the standpoint of program building - and lets be honest with ourselves, our program needs some serious building up, right now - the chance to finish Beamer's initial season with a winning record and a bowl win, after the past 2-3 seasons and pre-season projections - SHOULD do wonders for the staff's recruiting pitch. I say "should", because so many past coaching staffs have let solid recruiting pitches that could help the program lay on the ground by the wayside. But I think Shane is serious enough about his head-coaching future at this time, to not allow that to happen. But IF we can escape 2021 with a winning record and bowl win, Beamer will do something that Holtz, Spurrier, and Muschamp cannot say they did, and of course no other former head coach could, either.....

 
I agree - plus I don't think caliber of opponent in bowl games matter much unless it's the very top bowls, except to the fanbases. We all want our team to be good, so playing - and beating - good teams in good bowls is always preferable.

But from the standpoint of program building - and lets be honest with ourselves, our program needs some serious building up, right now - the chance to finish Beamer's initial season with a winning record and a bowl win, after the past 2-3 seasons and pre-season projections - SHOULD do wonders for the staff's recruiting pitch. I say "should", because so many past coaching staffs have let solid recruiting pitches that could help the program lay on the ground by the wayside. But I think Shane is serious enough about his head-coaching future at this time, to not allow that to happen. But IF we can escape 2021 with a winning record and bowl win, Beamer will do something that Holtz, Spurrier, and Muschamp cannot say they did, and of course no other former head coach could, either.....
Exactly what I was thinking - just get the W and build from there.

 
ESPN says

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
6:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App

Bonagura: West Virginia vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. South Carolina

 
ESPN says

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
6:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App

Bonagura: West Virginia vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. South Carolina
Memphis would be a great trip for the team (and for me)!

 
Of course, I want to see a bowl win. I don't care who we play, jut win it. Having the extra month of practice will mean a lot to rebuilding the team.

 
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