The Three Biggest Marquee Matchups For South Carolina In 2023

South Carolina's Football team has plenty of intriguing matchups on their 2023 schedule, but a couple of them stand out amongst the rest.

South Carolina's Football slate for the 2023 season could be best described as a double-edged sword. On one side, you have plenty of recognizable programs on the schedule, making for multiple highly-anticipated matchups amongst the fanbase. On the other side, however, most of these recognizable teams are ranked amongst the best either nationally or in their conference, meaning the Gamecocks will be battle-tested, but to a much higher degree than most of its SEC counterparts.

When looking at South Carolina's 2023 schedule, a few games stand out in terms of national anticipation. Which games fit into this category?

North Carolina

While most people think of basketball when they think of the Tar Heels, North Carolina's highest regarded player, Drake Maye, plays at the most critical position on the football field, the quarterback position. Combine that with Spencer Rattler's long and windy college journey, and you have one of the most exciting storylines across the sport in week one. Top that off with this being a geographical rivalry hosting College Gameday on Sept. 2nd, and there's little doubt that many eyes will be on Charlotte two weekends from now.

Georgia

South Carolina's meeting with their biggest SEC rivals, the Georgia Bulldogs, will have a little bit extra meaning this Fall for several reasons. The game will air as the SEC On CBS game of the week, meaning it will get a nationally televised 3:30 slot on CBS. This will mark the beginning of the final season for CBS regarding their TV contract with the SEC, which runs out after the 2023 season. This'll also likely be the last time that South Carolina and Georgia face off as annual SEC opponents, as starting in 2024, the series will likely be a biannual affair.

Clemson

For the first in nine years, Gamecock fans will be heading into the Palmetto Bowl with bragging rights from last year's contest. The entire sport is watching to see if Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers can bounce back from what's been viewed as a relatively down stretch for that team from the upstate. Combine that with the fact that South Carolina knocked off Clemson in Memorial Stadium last season, ending their longstanding home winning streak, and this matchup is sure to receive plenty of coverage when rivalry week arrives.

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