I understand that there is a lot at play when it comes to the formulaic nature of Bill Connelly's SP+ rankings for ESPN, but the South Carolina Gamecocks are not the 17th-best team in the country. I would have them inside the top 10, probably at No. 9, but I would settle for them being no worse than No. 13. This is a team that is ready to make some noise and qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Admittedly, there are a handful of teams I would put ahead of South Carolina right now across all of college football. Those teams would be Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame and Oregon, probably in that order. South Carolina is in that next cluster of teams with Alabama, LSU, Arizona State and whoever else you think is good in the Big 12. It is a different rankings, but come on!
There was not a team outside of maybe Illinois that was playing better football down the stretch that did not qualify for last year's playoff. South Carolina beat Clemson, destroyed Texas A&M and went toe-to-toe with Alabama and LSU. If not for a bad showing vs. Ole Miss, they would probably be getting in over SMU last season. I would not be the least bit happy about this ranking if I was Shane Beamer.
On what planet are there nine teams better than South Carolina in the SEC? Make this make sense!
I would take South Carolina over all but Georgia and Texas in the SEC right now, and you should, too.
ESPN's SP+ rankings make an absolute mockery of South Carolina
If you want to criticize Beamer for being a bit of a frontrunner, you can most certainly do that. While you may not know the name Clayton White, you should, as he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the game right now. His next star player on his side of the ball is edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who has drawn favorable comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Kennard already.
And if that does nothing for you, have you watched starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers play? He is a dynamic dual-threat who got better as a passer as the season went along. He will have to progress this year without Dowell Loggains as his offensive coordinator, as he now leads Appalachian State. Sellers has been compared favorably to Cam Newton, but I think he might be the next Dak Prescott.
Every time I try to figure out who will make the College Football Playoff next year, South Carolina ends up being one of my last few at-large teams. Penn State, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Texas all get in ahead of them, but the Gamecocks are right there with other deserving teams like Oregon and Arizona State. I could be so wrong in this, but I just have a feeling this year will be special.
This team definitely maybe might be good this year, or it may end up being a sheep in wolf's clothing...