South Carolina did everything it could the last month of the football season to put itself in a position to compete in the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately for Shane Beamer’s club, the playoff committee didn’t forget the first half of the season.
On Tuesday, the latest CFP rankings were released, and the Gamecocks were saddled with a #14 ranking, which has them on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
Despite winning its final six, including victories over nationally ranked teams in Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Clemson, the pathway to the top twelve just isn’t there for USC. In what appears to be an important criterion, Alabama (#11) and Ole Miss (#13) were ranked ahead of the Gamecocks after each recorded victories over Carolina earlier this season.
Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina will not jump Alabama in the final rankings, so says CFP committee chairman Warde Manuel. “We will not adjust those teams because they do not have a data point.”
Clemson, who will play 8th-ranked SMU on Saturday, is ranked 17th after its 17-14 loss to South Carolina over the weekend. Should the Tigers win in Charlotte, Clemson will be on its way to the CFP as champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Oregon, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Georgia are the top five.
The final rankings, playoff bracket, and bowl pairings will be released on Sunday.
College Football Playoff Rankings
| RK | Team | CONF | REC | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon * | Big Ten | 12-0 | – |
| 2 | Texas * | SEC | 11-1 | 1 |
| 3 | Penn State | Big Ten | 11-1 | 1 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | FBS Indep. | 11-1 | 1 |
| 5 | Georgia | SEC | 10-2 | 2 |
| 6 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 10-2 | 4 |
| 7 | Tennessee | SEC | 10-2 | 1 |
| 8 | SMU * | ACC | 11-1 | 1 |
| 9 | Indiana | Big Ten | 11-1 | 1 |
| 10 | Boise State * | Mountain West | 11-1 | 1 |
| 11 | Alabama | SEC | 9-3 | 2 |
| 12 | Miami | ACC | 10-2 | 6 |
| 13 | Ole Miss | SEC | 9-3 | 1 |
| 14 | South Carolina | SEC | 9-3 | 1 |
| 15 | Arizona State | Big 12 | 10-2 | 1 |
| 16 | Iowa State | Big 12 | 10-2 | 2 |
| 17 | Clemson | ACC | 9-3 | 5 |
| 18 | BYU | Big 12 | 10-2 | 1 |
| 19 | Missouri | SEC | 9-3 | 2 |
| 20 | UNLV | Mountain West | 10-2 | 2 |
| 21 | Illinois | Big Ten | 9-3 | 2 |
| 22 | Syracuse | ACC | 9-3 | NR |
| 23 | Colorado | Big 12 | 9-3 | 2 |
| 24 | Army | American | 10-1 | NR |
| 25 | Memphis | American | 10-2 | NR |
Dropped from rankings: Tulane 17, Texas A&M 20, Kansas State 24