The South Carolina Gamecocks finished this season strong, but it’s not like they were world-beaters. They certainly weren’t on the level of the 12-0 Michigan Wolverines.
Still, head coach Shane Beamer deserves credit for what he’s been able to accomplish in his second year with the Gamecocks. His team finished 8-4, which is nothing to scoff at, and featured wins over three ranked teams. South Carolina beat No. 13 Kentucky, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Clemson.
Of course, the ranking of a team in Week 6 can change drastically by the time December rolls around. To determine the true quality of a team’s season, it’s sometimes more realistic to look at the rankings of the squads it beat at the end of the season.
With that perspective, the Gamecocks’ 2022 season looks even more impressive. Again, South Carolina wasn’t on 12-0 Michigan’s level, but the Gamecocks are one of only two programs in the country — with the other being the Wolverines — to have picked up two wins over a team that finished the season in the Top 10 of the polls.
