Scott has followed South Carolina athletics for over 40 years and provides commentary from a fan perspective. He writes a weekly newsletter (this email) year-round and a column during football season that's published each Monday on GamecockCentral.com.
Scott Davis: Living on a Prayer
How did things fall apart so quickly?
Remember those early, giddy days of September? If it feels like you've aged in dog years since then, you're not alone.
Less than three months ago, lots of people in lots of places around the country took South Carolina's football program seriously as a possible participant in this year's College Football Playoff.
The team was ranked No. 10 in the country after opening the season with a win over Virginia Tech. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers had entered 2025 as arguably the most recognizable and intriguing athlete in the sport other than Arch Manning.
And the smiling visage of coach Shane Beamer seemed to be looming everywhere you looked, from ESPN to the SEC Network to the dizzying disco party that is social media.
Friends, before last year's Citrus Bowl finale to the 2024 season, I actually had the audacity to write a column in which I dubbed South Carolina "America's Team." Here are actual words that I wrote in an actual newsletter before that bowl game with Illinois: "Everywhere I look, I see us. The South Carolina Gamecocks are here, they're there, they're everywhere."
At the time, it felt true. The program had gained recognition far and wide, and analysts and observers everywhere were buying stock in South Carolina and Beamer. It seemed like our prayers had at long last been answered.
But now, after a historic, once-in-a-generation collapse against Texas A&M dropped the Gamecocks to 3-7 in 2025, it feels more like we're living on a prayer.
Everything's upside down now. Beamer released two offensive coaches – including coordinator Mike Shula – in the middle of an ongoing season. Sellers went from a Heisman Trophy candidate to a player who may well return to college football for another season rather than trying the NFL Draft. The program itself sank downwards from an up-and-coming contender in the SEC to a spot near the conference basement, at least for now.
It's been the ultimate Murphy's Law football season.
And it's not even over yet.
Can things still get worse? Can they still get better?
Believe it or not, both options remain conceivable. And we might as well examine both possibilities.
What Else Could Possibly Go Wrong?
With two games remaining, all of South Carolina's big picture goals for 2025 have already evaporated.
The Playoff dream ended long ago, but now even a winning season and a lower-tier bowl game are out of reach. There's even still a chance the Gamecocks could finish tied for last place in the SEC: At 1-7 in the league, South Carolina must cling to the hope that Arkansas loses out to Texas and Missouri and finishes winless in conference play.
On top of that, the nature of the team's collapses against Alabama and A&M, combined with a five-game losing streak that feels like it has lasted since the 1970s, has left the mood around the program devoid of any momentum or uplift. Observers like Paul Finebaum – loudly celebrating the Gamecocks just a few months ago – are talking about this program like it's already been wheeled into the morgue.
It feels like everything that could have possibly gone wrong already has.
And yet – almost unimaginably – there's still a chance for this season to get significantly worse.
Let's stipulate that as of right now, the vast majority of Gamecock fans still support Shane Beamer, expect him to return to coach the team in 2026, and still believe he can be the person to transform the program into a contender.
What happens if South Carolina loses these next two football games?
Coastal Carolina has been a successful program in recent years, and the team has some dangerous weapons. Still, the school has only fielded a football team since 2003 – this program is barely old enough to drink legally. On the other hand, South Carolina is trying to establish itself as a genuine competitor in the best conference in college football. Losing at home to Coastal Carolina at a time when you desperately need a win would be the worst of all possible looks for an SEC program.
Meanwhile, archrival Clemson is undergoing its most dreadful season in at least two decades – it's been a generation since we've seen the Tigers struggle as much as they have in 2025. If ever there was a season to test the old adage "as long as the Gamecocks beat Clemson, I can live with anything else," this would be it.
But what if South Carolina loses it?
Despite the fact that most fans want to believe in Shane Beamer, and that the job market for head coaches this winter will be more competitive than it ever has, losing these last two games might just be enough to shift Beamer onto a hot seat – particularly if the Gamecocks deliver lifeless, disinterested efforts in either game.
Did you ever think a Coastal Carolina game would be this important, holding within it the potential to decide the fate of a program?
It's here.
What Could Still Go Right?
I think we can all agree that the Doomsday Scenario is nothing short of terrifying.
But while there's no happy ending in sight for 2025, there may still be just enough sunshine left to keep us afloat for a long, cold offseason.
Despite everything that has befallen the team this season, the Gamecocks still enter the game against Coastal as a staggering 23.5-point favorite. What if South Carolina's offense builds on its first-half performance against A&M last week and blows the doors off the Chanticleers along the way to an overwhelming win of five touchdowns or more?
The confidence that a complete offensive breakout could provide would surely help when facing Clemson, whose defense – despite some underwhelming moments this year – still ranks highly in total defensive numbers.
We all know what beating Clemson means to South Carolina fans.
True, a victory in the rivalry game would emphatically, positively not wipe away the heartbreak from the rest of this season. But it would be the jolt of electricity the program needs to rejuvenate a fan base that is low on energy and hope at the moment.
Should South Carolina lose out in 2025, it's hard to imagine Beamer still being able to convince many fans or national media analysts that he's the solution for bringing an SEC title to Columbia.
But should they win out, there will still be reason to believe as we look towards what would be a make-or-break 2026.
So that's all that's at stake in these last two games: Our hopes, our dreams, and the fate of the program itself.
Prayers sent.
Tell me how you're feeling as the 2025 season draws to a close by writing me at scottdavis@gamecockcentral.com. (Please do not reply to this email.)
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