The 2025 College Football season may only be fwo months old, but two months in football can be a very long time.
Some may even say that it can feel longer when following a college team, as they never know what they will get from the program. Inconsistencies can be observed as players continue to find their early-season form, with performances on the gridiron often being up-and-down at times.
This can be particularly true of the leading college football programs in South Carolina. The beginning of the 2025 season has already shown us this, particularly with the Clemson Tigers and USC Gamecocks.
Although their talented rosters make them popular daily fantasy picks for users of the Dabble promo code, both teams are held back by the major inconsistencies that have already appeared this season.
Clemson Tigers: Bouncing Back Following UNC Win?
The Clemson Tigers have had a disappointing start, currently sitting at 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. They did improve to this record in their most recent match, defeating the North Carolina school, the Bill Belichick-led UNC Tar Heels, 38-10. Will they bounce back after that win when they take on Boston College in their next game?
Through the first five games, an average of 23.4 points has been scored per game, with 15 touchdowns being scored; 11 passing touchdowns have been scored to just four rushing touchdowns. Their defense has been relatively strong in comparison to the offense, allowing just six sacks.
They’ve allowed 101 points so far, having already lost two conference games, which puts them out of ACC title contention early in the year. This is a notable decline from their usual standards.
USC Gamecocks: A Promising Program in the SEC
The USC Gamecocks have made a strong start to the 2025 SEC College Football season, sitting 11th after their opening five games. However, they’ve also been inconsistent with their performances, which does leave some questions about where the program is heading.
They opened up with a strong win against Virginia Tech and followed it with another against SC State. Two consecutive defeats then followed when they lost to Vanderbilt and Missouri – two AP top 25 teams and the only ones to have been played against so far. They did return to winning ways against Kentucky before the bye week.
The Gamecocks’ quarterback LaNorris Sellers continues to build following an exciting freshman year, and is expected to continue to be a standout as he is ranked on the Heisman watchlist as a potential candidate for the award this season.
Contrasting Performances For Both
While there is still a long way to go in the 2025 College Football season, it’s clear that there have been some contrasting fortunes regarding both programs in this early stage. Clemson has a bye week to get healthier before playing three of its next four at home. The Gamecocks play three teams ranked in the top ten over the next three weeks, so USC will have to pull a major upset if there is to be any success this season.