The three most winnable SEC games on South Carolina’s 2026 football schedule
The gauntlet has become even tougher.
As if the SEC slate wasn’t taxing enough, each conference football team will play nine other SEC schools this season — a change that will only pay dividends if the College Football Playoff selection committee gives true weight to strength of schedule.
The move doesn’t mean much for South Carolina, though. The Gamecocks played a murderers’ row when it joined the SEC in 1992 and that hasn’t changed since — especially considering South Carolina finishes every regular season against Clemson. And, heck, if the SEC was still at an eight-game slate, South Carolina would likely still have Miami on the schedule.
Even though the Gamecocks open their 2026 season against a pair of cupcakes — Kent State (Sept. 5) and Towson (Sept. 12) — their season hinges on winning SEC games.
So what are the three-most winnable conference games this season?
1. vs. Mississippi State (Sept. 19)
- All-time record: South Carolina leads 10-7
- Last Gamecock win: 2023
South Carolina’s easiest conference game of 2026 season is its first. The Gamecocks open SEC play against a Bulldogs team that went 5-8 last season and won just a single conference game.
One major positive for coach Jeff Lebby’s third season, though, is the return of sophomore QB Kamario Taylor. A backup for most of his true freshman season, Taylor played well against Ole Miss and Wake Forest, giving the Bulldogs hope for 2026.
But South Carolina should have no trouble beating MSU and starting the season 3-0 — especially when you consider this will be a late-afternoon kickoff (4:15 p.m.) at Williams-Brice.
2. at Arkansas (Nov. 14)
- All-time record: Arkansas leads 14-10
- Last Gamecock win: 2017
Arkansas is a complete unknown ... and not in a good way.
The Razorbacks enter 2026 under with a brand-new head coach (Ryan Silverfield), whose main order of business this fall is to figure out who’s going to play quarterback for his squad. Arkansas was not an uber-talented squad in 2025 and landed a mediocre transfer-portal class.
If anything trips up South Carolina, it will likely be the circumstances. For starters, it’s likely going to be a chilly road game 900 miles from Columbia. But the game will certainly have added pressure considering that — after USC leaves Fayetteville — Carolina closes out its season at home vs. Georgia and on the road against Clemson.
3. vs. Kentucky (Oct. 3)
- All-time record: South Carolina leads 22-13-1
- Last Gamecock win: 2025
South Carolina opens October against Kentucky a week after playing Alabama in Tuscaloosa, which means Gamecock fans will either be on cloud nine or eager to get back on track.
Like Arkansas, there is a lot of newness inside the Wildcats’ program. They’ve got a first-year head coach in Will Stein and a fresh quarterback in Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey. Certainly Kentucky — aided by a Top-10 portal class — will be more talented than the Razorbacks.
As many Carolina-Kentucky matchups have felt over the years, this will likely be an early make-or-break matchup for the Gamecocks. It’s hard to see USC having a successful season without winning this game.
This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "The three most winnable SEC games on South Carolina’s 2026 football schedule."
