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by ERIN PARROTT
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Under the auspices of new corporate sponsor U.S. LBM, America’s college football coaches released their 2025 preseason poll this week – with both of the Palmetto State’s premier college football programs landing in the top 15.
Ranked No. 13, South Carolina made its first appearance in the preseason rankings in over a decade – last earning the No. 9 spot ahead of the 2014 season.
Riding a six-game win streak to close out the regular season, the Gamecocks finished 2024 with a 9-4 record – earning head coach Shane Beamer‘s team the No. 19 ranking in both postseason polls.
South Carolina is one of nine SEC teams ranked in the preseason poll – the most of any conference – and one five conference powerhouses slotted inside the top fifteen.
Leading the way for the SEC, Texas and Georgia both landed in the top five of the survey – with the Longhorns claiming the top spot and the Bulldogs coming in at No. 4. Texas received 28 first-place votes, while Georgia received three (3).
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Among the remaining conferences, the Big Ten placed six teams in the preseason poll – including No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State – narrowly surpassing the Big 12 with five and the ACC with three.
Despite the SEC’s dominance in the poll, Clemson – the ACC’s top-ranked team – holds early bragging rights over in-state rival South Carolina, landing at No. 6. The Tigers also drew a pair of first-place votes from the coaches.
Clemson finished last season with a 10-4 record, finishing No. 11 and 14 in the coaches and football writers’ polls, respectively.
The rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina always burns hot, but lofty preseason rankings will only intensify the drama – especially with both teams boasting elite quarterbacks heading into the upcoming campaign. As previously reported, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers have been drawing national attention ahead of the 2025 season – earning spots on the Maxwell Award watch list while also generating Heisman Trophy buzz.
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RELATED | KLUBNIK, SELLERS DRIVE HEISMAN HYPE
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Preseason accolades don’t always carry through to the season, though. Just ask Florida State – which began last year ranked No. 10 in the nation only to finish with an atrocious 2-10 record.
South Carolina opens its 2025 campaign against Virginia Tech in one of two 2025 Alfac Kickoff Games held at a neutral site. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia with ESPN providing national coverage.
As for Clemson, it opens its season on Saturday August 30, 2025 against LSU at Death Valley (the one in Clemson, not Baton Rouge). Kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT with ABC providing national coverage.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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1 comment
You jinxed it! “Preseason accolades don’t always carry through to the season”