Tigers, Gamecocks Plummet From Polls

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by WILL FOLKS

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The fallout from a disastrous weekend of college football for fans of Clemson and South Carolina cascaded quickly this weekend. After beginning the 2025 season ranked as high as No. 4 – and harboring what some viewed as legitimate national championship aspirations – head coach Dabo Swinney‘s Tigers were bounced completely from both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and the latest coaches’ poll following their upset 24-21 loss on the road Saturday against Georgia Tech.

Clemson has lost two of its first three games for the first time since 2014 and is now on the outside looking in when it comes to both the College Football Playoff (CFP) and another Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship.

Meanwhile, head coach Shane Beamer‘s Gamecocks – ranked as high as No. 10 nationally this year – fell completely from the AP poll after getting blown out at home by unranked Vanderbilt. Somehow, South Carolina managed to stay ranked in the coaches’ poll – falling from No. 10 to No. 24 in that survey.

Following their upsets, Georgia Tech and Vandy stormed into the rankings – with the Yellow Jackets debuting at No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 19 in the coaches’ poll and the Commodores clocking in at No. 20 in the AP and No. 23 in the coaches’ poll.

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Beamer’s Gamecocks (2-1, 0-1 SEC) lost starting quarterback – and 2025 Heisman Trophy contender – LaNorris Sellers early in the game after he was hit in the head by Commodores’ linebacker Langston Patterson.  Sellers sustained a concussion and did not return to the game, with veteran utility offensive player Luke Doty – a sixth-year senior who has played quarterback, wide receiver and tight end – filling in for him the rest of the way.

Sellers’ availability for the Gamecocks first road tilt of the year – a night game in Columbia, Missouri against the No. 23 Mizzou Tigers this coming Saturday (September 20, 2025) – remains uncertain.

Doty completed 18 of 27 passes (66.6%) for 148 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in relief of Sellers. He also had a costly fumble late in the game which led to a Vanderbilt touchdown – one of three fumbles (and five total turnovers) by the Gamecocks.

South Carolina’s offense hasn’t clicked all season – relying on its defense (and special teams star Vicari Swain) to carry the team’s water.

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The Gamecocks currently rank No. 116 out of 134 FBS programs in total offense – averaging just 303 yards per game (including an anemic 110 yards per game rushing). The team’s scoring offense is currently ranked No. 92 nationally, scoring 23 points per game – although a huge chuck of South Carolina’s point total has come from Swain’s electrifying punt returns.

Clemson’s preseason Heisman frontrunner – Cade Klubnik – didn’t fare much better last weekend. The preseason first-team All-American completed just 15 of 27 (55.5%) for 207 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He did rush for 62 yards and a score against the Ramblin’ Wreck, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the upset.

Clemson’s scoring offense currently ranks No. 109 nationally at just 18.5 points per game – which is identical to its total offense ranking (based on a paltry 319.3 yards per game).

Not surprisingly, third-year offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is very much on the hot seat in Tigertown – while first-year offensive coordinator Mike Shula and ground game coordinator Shawn Elliott are facing similar heat in Columbia, S.C. as the Gamecock offense sputters.

Can these two proud programs turn things around and get back in playoff contention? We’ll find out this weekend as both teams enter tough conference matchups as underdogs…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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