With the 2019 College Football at a close, new rankings and projections are already coming out for the 2020 season, and we’re still 212 days away from the first college football game of the new decade. This week, along with many other projections and predictions, 247 Sports has ranked their 10 toughest college football schedules for 2020.

Last year the Gamecocks were #1, and they are again for the 2020 season. The Gamecocks will play the same opponents they did in 2019, but this time instead of hosting Alabama, South Carolina will be traveling to the bayou to play the defending national champions, LSU.

South Carolina could be playing 6 top 25 teams in the 2020 season, and will play 3 of 247 Sports’ top 6 teams for 2020. They will also play both two teams that played in the national championship on the road. The Gamecocks’ 2020 slate starts out with many opportunities. The First 4 games are vs Coastal Carolina, vs East Carolina, vs Mizzou, @Kentucky. These first 4 games are very favorable, and if South Carolina could win those first 4 games, it would help them get to a bowl easily, otherwise the Gamecocks will have to get a few top 25 wins.

The next 4 games are @Florida, vs Tennessee, vs Texas A&M, and @ Vanderbilt. It’s likely two of these games will be top 25 matchups. If the Gamecocks can somehow split this series of games and win out in the first 4 games, they will already be bowl eligible 8 weeks in. After these games is where it gets tough. The Gamecocks host Georgia, travel to LSU, host FCS Wofford, then traveling to Clemson. The Gamecocks have the best chance of going to a bowl game if they have 4 wins prior to Texas A&M at the midseason mark. It’s also imperative to get 6 wins or else this coaching regime is most likely out.
We’ll have to see if the Gamecocks can once again face the challenge.