“The next opportunity we get to compete will be to go win a 10th game, potentially, which has only been done four times since 1892 and really add your name to the legendary teams around here at the University of South Carolina,” Beamer said. “Our guys are, are really looking forward to the opportunity.
“I don’t want this to come across the wrong way that, ‘Man, I’m glad we didn’t get in the playoff,’ but in some ways, the playoff’s tough. And I’ve said it in here before… The one thing I didn’t like about the playoff is if you play a first round game and you lose, your season’s over and there is no bowl game.”
South Carolina finished No. 15 in the CFP selection committee’s rankings, just barely missing the 12-team cut. South Carolina looked like one of the most dangerous teams in the country late in the year, finishing the regular season on a six-game win streak.
Alas, the Gamecocks lost three of their first six games before ultimately finding their rhythm. Their early mishaps doomed them, in terms of CFP contention. Now, South Carolina will square off against No. 20 Illinois on New Year’s Eve in the Citrus Bowl.
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While Shane Beamer admittedly would rather be competing in the CFP, he’s happy his team will have a chance to enjoy a scenic location, rather than a cold college town.
“SMU is not going to go spend a week in State College and go visit Hersey, PA, and see like the chocolate factory and stuff. And bowl games are special,” Beamer said. “And again, this isn’t Shane saying, ‘Man, I’m glad I’m not in the bowl game, because I get to do this.’
“We would have loved to have been in the playoff, but the opportunity that we get to go spend a week in Orlando — we’ll go down there on the 26th I think, is when we arrive. So, we got a week there together as a team, and our players and our coaches families get to experience all the amazing things there in Orlando.”
The Gamecocks have now had several days to soak up the sun and are putting together their final preparations for the Citrus Bowl. South Carolina and Illinois will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The game will air live on ABC.
