11. South Carolina Gamecocks
Week 1 Opponent: Georgia State
Coming off an exciting first season under head coach Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks enter the year at No. 11 in our SEC Football preseason power rankings.
After a 2-8 season in 2020, South Carolina bounced back in a big way a year ago, going 7-6 in year one of the Beamer era. Finishing with a 3-5 record in SEC Football play, the Gamecocks also made a bowl game for the first time since the 2018 season, topping North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
A program with a notable amount of momentum at the moment, South Carolina simply has everything needed to continue to rise in the SEC, assuming one big dominoe falls the right way. Yes, they are No. 11 here, but make no mistake, the Gamecocks are a team that could easily make some moves in the conference this season.
As you can guess as well, that previously mentioned dominoe is transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, a player who could take the South Carolina program to the next level should he return to his 2020 form at Oklahoma. The Gamecocks also have a talented roster alongside Rattler as well, with names such as Josh Vann and Jaheim Bell returning, along with multiple transfer additions.
Expect the Gamecocks to kick off the 2022 season with a win over Georgia State on Saturday night. However, the Gamecocks have to be mindful of a potential upset from the Panthers as well, the same team that went into Jordan-Hare and gave Auburn troubles a year ago.