As the South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for the final three weeks of the season, they have the opportunity to play spoiler for Missouri and Clemson.

Clemson goes on to win ACC. The Tigers need to beat Pitt this weekend and hope Miami loses to Wake Forest or Syracuse to have a shot. The playoff committee would likely ditch the Hurricanes with another loss and the ACC would be a one-bid league.

For the first time since 2022, South Carolina is back in the College Football Playoff ranking. The Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3 SEC), which were left out of the selection committee’s initial 2024 rankings last week, found themselves Tuesday night at No. 21, two places higher than where the Associated Press poll slotted them.