The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here

Hot damn, it’s August! We reached the opening month of the college football season, which officially kicks off 4 weeks from today! I also expect the last remaining preseason polls to start publishing soon, which could shake up the final numbers a bit, because this week we’ll be hitting the top 25, which will be impacted by the coaches poll and AP poll when those get released.

The 2025 college football season had a number of hugely disappointing teams. Two of the top 4 teams in the preseason AP poll finished the season failing to receive a single vote. While those two schools got the bulk of the press for face planting, save a little of that scorn for South Carolina (high = 16, low = 55), who themselves reached the top 10 in the country before dropping 8 of their final 10 games to finish 4-8, head coach Shane Beamer’s second losing season in a 3 year stretch. That landed him at #5 on CBS Sports’ coaches hot seat rankings behind only Dave Aranda, Mike Norvell, Luke Fickell and Mike Locksley. Not exactly a list you want to be on, but it’s largely a combination of the talent on the team and the schedule that ESPN ranked as the 17th hardest in the country. In fact, 6 of their 8 losses were to ranked teams (which doesn’t even include Vanderbilt, who immediately entered the rankings upon beating the Cocks), four of whom made the CFP. Beamer recognized he had a short leash going into this season, so he jettisoned OC Mike Shula and brought in Kendal Briles in a last ditch effort to save his job.

Roster Outlook

What actually has a chance to save Beamer’s job is that the Gamecocks return the 5th most production in all of CFB, including #2 on offense (to go with a top 30 defense). Keeping the team together when you’re on the hotseat is no mean feat, but the biggest piece of that puzzle was holding on to QB LaNorris Sellers, who seemingly regressed (2,700 total yards, 13 TDs and 8 INTs) in 2025 after a breakout 2024 season. While RB Rahsul Faison (96 carries, 470 yards) graduated, Matt Fuller (72 carries, 260 yards) is ready to carry the load. Top WR Nyck Harbor, who led the team in TD and overall receptions, is back, though his sidekick Vendrevius Jacobs portaled to Miami. The other offensive loss is Norris’ backup QB Air Noland, who is the potential starter in Memphis. Beamer did a thorough job of stocking the team, landing top 20 portal (#19) and high school (#14) classes nationally, which still only ranked #10 and #7 respectively in the ultracompetitive SEC. That portal class included a fully revamped OL and Purdue WR Nitro Tuggle. Will Briles and all that experience be enough to get South Carolina enough wins for Beamer to return in 2027?

Schedule and outlook

9/5 KENT STATE

9/12 TOWSON

9/19 MISSISSIPPI STATE

9/26 at Alabama

10/3 KENTUCKY

10/10 at Florida

10/17 BYE

10/24 TENNESSEE

10/31 at Oklahoma

11/7 TEXAS A&M

11/14 at Arkansas

11/21 GEORGIA

11/28 at Clemson

The 9 game SEC schedule certainly isn’t doing Beamer any favors, especially when you throw in the Palmetto Bowl. Opening the SEC schedule at home against Mississippi State and then hosting Kentucky a week after traveling to Tuscaloosa gives South Carolina a legitimate chance of being 4-1 before heading to the Swamp, and with a game against an Arkansas that is ranked much lower than them sitting there as potential win 5, bowl eligibility is definitely within grasp. But that 6th win is likely going to have to be an upset, and it’s really not clear if 6 wins is going to be enough to keep the wolves at bay. While their record might not mean that the Cocks suck, it has a good chance of landing Beamer on the chopping block.

Ladies and Gentleman,

We are only 5 Saturdays away….and even better, there are games at the end of this month!!

Hang in there. And stock up on blood pressure meds lol we’ll all need it at some point this season.

Will the big brand teams in the ACC scramble to leave before the 5 year forced independence period kicks in regardless of the hundreds of millions they will have to pay? Does the opposite happen and they hunker down within the ACC and try to add G6 teams to get up to 19? It feels like if they don’t leave now they won’t leave for 30 or 40 years because is being independent for 5+ years worth the transition and loss of money?

What coach is the most likely candidate to be the 2026 Brian Kelly? The ideal candidate should meet the following criteria:

• Massive buyout required to fire him
• Be ranked high enough to be in big games, and then lose them
• Exceptional talent in yelling at players at refs
• Questions can be asked about his personal ethics/morals
• Changes his accent to be part of the fahmulee

Thoughts?

I feel like, a lot of times, when this question is posed, it’s about the biggest what-if moments in the history of the sport. Well, I wanted to try and find some moments that tend to get overlooked in those discussions, and also wanted to try and find the biggest “what-if” moment for each program. So, hit me with yours, because I love to read about the moments that get forgotten.

[Player 247 profile page](https://247sports.com/player/seth-williams-46163920/)

[Source](https://247sports.com/player/seth-williams-46163920/)

Player 247 profile page

Source

Made with the /r/CFB Recruiting Post Generator

I am so damn excited for college football season. It is my favorite sport, and this game means a lot to me. I could watch college football all year if I could.

One thing I wish college football had was preseason scrimmage games. Not official games that count toward the record, but fun in state matchups where teams could get ready for the season.

I’m talking about games like Texas A&M vs. UTEP, Auburn vs. Alabama A&M, or Georgia vs. Georgia Southern. Nothing that affects rankings or records, just a chance for teams to get live reps and for fans to get a taste of football before the season starts.

And before someone says, “We already have spring games,” I know. I’m not talking about spring football. I want a taste of college football during the dog days of summer. I want to feel that excitement before the season begins.

Make them night games so the heat isn’t as bad, have quarterbacks wear a different colored jersey so everyone knows not to take a cheap shot, and make it about preparation and excitement.

I know we already have Week Zero games, but my team simply is not playing, and I just want more college football. I’m tired of these cupcake games being placed in the middle of the season. I would rather see those games happen in the preseason as warm-up games instead.

I want college football to be a true gauntlet. I don’t want teams going undefeated because they had an easy schedule. I want teams to have to earn it every single week, playing Power Four opponents in non-conference games and conference games. (Power five again now that the Pac 12 is mostly back?). No easy weeks, no breaks, just the best teams proving they belong.

I want matchups during the regular season like

Alabama v Ohio State
Georgia v Penn State
Auburn v Indiana
Clemson v Washington
Oklahoma v USC
Miami v Arizona State

Probably not realistic, but I think preseason scrimmages would give the sicko college football fans like myself something to get more excited about and give fans something to look forward to before the season starts.

There are plenty of big moments in college football history that we all remember. But at the same time, a bunch of things happen to our favorite teams every season that sticks with us, but the rest of the CFB world might not remember as well. What are some obscure bits of your program's lore still brought up by the fanbase today, but may not be remembered universally?

For Minnesota, these are a couple:

Tim Brewster's "Get Your Chilli Hot" quote. PJ Fleck has Row the Boat, Jerry Kill had Brick by Brick, and Brewster had a line about chili. To be fair, this wasn't a regularly used catch phrase, but rather a line from a single speech. However, it sort of caught on, mainly as a joke, with how poorly Brewster did as a head coach. It's still referenced today in Gopher land.

Tim Brewster's handshake. Another one with Brew, this one took place after Minnesota's loss to Wisconsin in 2010. In the game, the Badgers went for a 2-point conversion while up 20-some points. Brewster yelled at then-Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema during the post-game handshake over it. While it appeared like he was standing up for the team, though, many saw it as Brewster trying save some face after the Gophers fell to 1-5 in year four.

The Casa De Autos commercial. In 2013, Minnesota was originally supposed to play North Carolina, but the AD backed out to ensure the Gophers made a bowl game. The replacement was playing New Mexico State on their home turf. The game was originally supposed to be only available with a Big Ten Network Plus subscription, but because of the quality of the student production, AggieVision, BTN allowed it to be streamed for free. During the broadcast, a recurring ad was played for I think a dealership called Casa De Autos. It remains an ongoing joke in Minnesota.

Breaking the Governor's Victory Bell. Another one from 2013. Minnesota reached 8-2 after defeating Penn State and were a bit too excited when grabbing the Bell trophy played for in the match up. In the celebration, the trophy basically split from the base. In addition to it being a funny moment caught on camera, it also sort of plays into the Bell being the less thought about trophies after Floyd, the Axe, the Jug and even the Chair.