South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer believes that his program belongs in the 12-team College Football Playoff following Saturday's 17–14 road win over No. 12 Clemson to conclude a 9–3 regular season.
The Gamecocks drove down the field late, trailing 14–10, and took the lead after star quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran it in from 20 yards out on third-and-16 to give South Carolina the 17–14 lead after the extra point.
Clemson drove down the field with just over a minute left and had the ball deep in South Carolina territory, but Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception in the red zone with 12 seconds remaining to clinch the game for the Gamecocks.
"I do believe we deserve a spot in the 12-team playoff," Beamer said following the win. "To me, it's hard to ... I get it, the committee has a really tough job. They have to choose the 12 best teams. I get it, we have three losses. I understand that. But it's hard for me to sit there and say that we aren't one of the 12 best teams in the country. When you look at our strength of schedule, when you look at our wins on the road ... I think we are 4–1 on the road this year in tough environments ... our only loss on the road is a two-point loss. ... I get it, there are some very deserving teams out there, but if they committee's job is to pick the 12 best teams, you tell me. You tell me on Selection Sunday, everybody across the country if South Carolina pops up in that bracket ... I don't know of any team that would be excited about having to play this team the way that we're playing right now. That's what I judge it on."
Shane Beamer says South Carolina deserves to be in the College Football Playoff:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) November 30, 2024
"We got 3 losses, I understand that. But it's hard for me to sit there and say that we're not one of the 12 best teams in the country."
Mentions strength of schedule and road wins@GamecockFB pic.twitter.com/Dw5tkRd1ux
Beamer's right. South Carolina is one of the hottest teams in college football, with the program winning six straight games to close out the regular season. Whether or not that's enough to overcome a three-point loss to LSU, a 24-point noncompetitive defeat at home against Ole Miss, and a two-point loss on the road at Alabama remains to be seen.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shane Beamer Makes South Carolina's Playoff Case After Win vs. Clemson.
