Shane Beamer's resume against great teams is impressive, there’s just one problem

Shane Beamer has had a heck of a tenure at South Carolina, but you wouldn’t realize it if you just looked at his wins and losses. He has yet to have a 10-win season since taking over in 2021. 

This season is the Gamecocks’ best chance to reach 10 wins if they manage to win every game the rest of the way. Beamer also has two bowl wins, but failed to become bowl eligible in 2023. As odd of a start to his career as it’s been, he is in rare company. 

With the Gamecocks’ frantic win over Missouri on Saturday, Beamer grabbed his sixth win over an AP top 25 ranked team. It’s a milestone Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley, Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly, James Franklin and Mike Norvell have failed to reach yet. 

South Carolina can help Shane Beamer reach one more milestone with strong finish to season

This feels like the season Beamer can get over the hump and have a 10-win season. It’s the one thing that is hard to believe he hasn’t gotten seeing as he’s really good at beating ranked teams. 

In order to reach 10 wins, the Gamecocks would need to beat Wofford and Clemson to close out the regular season and grab a bowl win. It’s a super long shot, but South Carolina could potentially spoil the College Football Playoff if the cards fell right. 

That would make it a little bit easier to reach the milestone. The way South Carolina has played this year, if they don’t hit 10 wins, it would feel like Beamer’s probably cursed. They’ve won the last four games after consecutive losses to Ole Miss and Alabama. 

South Carolina has long been a dark horse team under Beamer because they play so well against ranked opponents. This year, it was a loss to LSU that slowed down their momentum, albeit controversial. And after Ole Miss came to Columbia, it looked like another season for Beamer that wasn’t quite going to live up to the hype of the hot start. 

But since the Alabama game, the Gamecocks have had a resurgence. They welcomed Texas A&M to Williams-Brice Stadium and knocked the Aggies off the SEC pedestal and handed them their first conference loss. 

And with one more ranked opponent in Clemson to end the season, South Carolina very much feels like a team that can reach the 10-win mark. It would also build a lot of momentum for 2025.