Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football team is 3-1, and as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said earlier this week, the Gamecocks are “one penalty away from being undefeated and probably ranked really high.” Over the next month, USC will play against Kiffin’s squad and several other teams with College Football Playoff aspirations.

According to one national college football analyst, there is a road for South Carolina to find itself in the CFP.

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In a Thursday mailbag article, a fan named Sean asked On3’s Andy Staples if he thought a three-loss Gamecock team would have a legitimate chance for the postseason. He gave a pretty clear answer:

“South Carolina could lose two more times and still have multiple wins against CFP teams provided it beats the right ones.”

According to Staples, the only way a three-loss team makes the College Football Playoff is if the team has a tough schedule and knocks off multiple other Playoff teams. South Carolina has an opportunity to do just that.

Having already beaten a good Kentucky squad on the road, the Gamecocks have matchups against Ole Miss, @ Alabama, @ Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, and @ Clemson remaining. All six of those teams are ranked and have their eyes set (rightly or not) on postseason play.

Barring unforeseen defeats at the hands of inferior teams like Vanderbilt or Wofford, a 6-2 finish might be enough. Of course, those six defeated teams would have to do their part to maintain the Gamecocks’ strength of schedule.

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Staples gave an potential path to the postseason in his article:

“For example, the Gamecocks could lose to Ole Miss — if South Carolina wins Saturday, we may not be talking about Ole Miss making the CFP anymore — and Alabama but then beat Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Clemson. There is a distinct possibility that two of the four teams on that list could make the CFP.”

Staples’ example included USC losing this weekend, but if South Carolina football fans leave Williams-Brice happy after a win on Saturday, the path could become even clearer.

As things stand, three future Carolina opponents sit in Playoff position according to the AP poll. Three more see themselves within striking distance. Alabama (1), Missouri (9), and Ole Miss (12) are flanked by Clemson (15), Oklahoma (19), and Texas A&M (t-25). The CFP ranking is not based on the AP poll, but the committee often votes similarly.

Only 15 teams have made the College Football Playoff in its ten-year history. However, with the field growing from four teams to twelve, that number likely will grow this winter.

If the Gamecocks eventually find themselves in the twelve-team field, it would be the program’s first CFP appearance. Three SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia, and LSU) have made the Playoff, combining for 22 games played and a 16-6 record. New conference members Texas and Oklahoma earned berths when they were part of the Big 12.

It is worth noting that Staples’ article did not predict that South Carolina football will be a CFP team. However, he argued that there is a chance, and following the immortal philosophical example of Lloyd Christmas, a chance is worth holding on to for Gamecock fans.

The first stop on Staples’ hypothetical road is this Saturday. South Carolina and Ole Miss will play at 3:30 p.m. in front of a sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium. Fans not at the stadium can watch on ESPN or the ESPN app.

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