How important is the Mississippi State game?

18IsTheMan · Aug 11, 2026

Been reading a lot about Mississippi State's improvement. I had this game penciled in as a W, but it seems the general feel is that it will be a very competitive game. I can't really see us having anything resembling a successful season if we were to lose this game.

PrestonyteParrot · Aug 11, 2026

Penciled as a W, but mainly because it's at WB

3USC1801 · Aug 11, 2026

18IsTheMan said:
Been reading a lot about Mississippi State's improvement. I had this game penciled in as a W, but it seems the general feel is that it will be a very competitive game. I can't really see us having anything resembling a successful season if we were to lose this game.

It’s that time of year when every teams’ fan base is excited about the season and hopeful. What have you heard that makes you think they will be a handful this year?

18IsTheMan · Aug 11, 2026

3USC1801 said:
It’s that time of year when every teams’ fan base is excited about the season and hopeful. What have you heard that makes you think they will be a handful this year?

Just various posts on X by different journalists (non-Mississippi State). They did pop from 2 wins in 2024 to 5 wins last year.

will110 · Aug 11, 2026

18IsTheMan said:
Just various posts on X by different journalists (non-Mississippi State). They did pop from 2 wins in 2024 to 5 wins last year.

Big time improvement in Starkville lol

Every SEC game is important. If USC loses to MSU then the season is going to be (most likely) a disaster.

sclawman77 · Aug 11, 2026

If we can't win that game, it's probably going to be a long season.

Lurker123 · Aug 11, 2026

will110 said:
Big time improvement in Starkville lol

Every SEC game is important. If USC loses to MSU then the season is going to be (most likely) a disaster.

I look at that game as one of our easiest SEC games. I think we need it to get to 6 wins.

The two patsies to start the season, with MSU, UK and Arkansas are probably our best chances at W's. Then we're looking for an upset or two.

will110 · Aug 11, 2026

Lurker123 said:
I look at that game as one of our easiest SEC games. I think we need it to get to 6 wins.

The two patsies to start the season, with MSU, UK and Arkansas are probably our best chances at W's. Then we're looking for an upset or two.

I think we'll be favored against Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

We should be better than Florida with a brand new coach.

Tennessee and Texas A&M at home are both games we should have a really good chance of winning.

Georgia will be tough, but they're at home.

Alabama and Oklahoma will be especially tough on the road.

Psycock · Aug 11, 2026

Very important

gamecock stock · Aug 11, 2026

We should beat them. They have no more talent than us. And we have them at home. It should be a "slam dunk". But I have been a Carolina fan too long to take any game to the bank.

KingWard · Aug 11, 2026

Beating Miss.State is essential, imperative.

18IsTheMan · Aug 11, 2026

KingWard said:
Beating Miss.State is essential, imperative.

Feels a bit like the UNC opener a few years ago. Most around here rightly concluded that if we lost that game, it was going to be a very bad season, which turned out to be the case. And what a disaster that game was. Rattler was sacked like 15 times (maybe a very slight exaggeration...with UNC once beating TWO double teams on the same play for the sack.

The upside is, you find out very early in the season that the team is going to bad so you don't waste as much time watching games.

gamecock stock · Aug 11, 2026

18IsTheMan said:
Feels a bit like the UNC opener a few years ago. Most around here rightly concluded that if we lost that game, it was going to be a very bad season, which turned out to be the case. And what a disaster that game was. Rattler was sacked like 15 times (maybe a very slight exaggeration...with UNC once beating TWO double teams on the same play for the sack.

The upside is, you find out very early in the season that the team is going to bad so you don't waste as much time watching games.

I'm not so sure about your last sentence, 18. You were probably just a kid at the time. But I remember us getting spanked by North Carolina 28-0 in our 1979 home opener. And we had George Rogers at the time. We went on to win 8 games that season for the first time ever.

18IsTheMan · Aug 11, 2026

gamecock stock said:
I'm not so sure about your last sentence, 18. You were probably just a kid at the time. But I remember us getting spanked by North Carolina 28-0 in our 1979 home opener. And we had George Rogers at the time. We went on to win 8 games that season for the first time ever.

I'm speaking of that '23 UNC game very specifically. With Rattler as a Senior in his second season and us having gone 8-5 the year prior, knocking off UT and Clemson, many thought we were poised for a breakout. The UNC game was seen as game that we had to win if we were going to any kind of good season.

It obviously doesn't always work that way. Our season seemed DOA in '24 when we lucked our way to a win over a terrible ODU team, but we ended up with 9 wins.

But it is hard to see a good season with a loss to MSU on the ledger.

gamecock stock · Aug 11, 2026

18IsTheMan said:
I'm speaking of that '23 UNC game very specifically. With Rattler as a Senior in his second season and us having gone 8-5 the year prior, knocking off UT and Clemson, many thought we were poised for a breakout. The UNC game was seen as game that we had to win if we were going to any kind of good season.

It obviously doesn't always work that way. Our season seemed DOA in '24 when we lucked our way to a win over a terrible ODU team, but we ended up with 9 wins.

But it is hard to see a good season with a loss to MSU on the ledger.

Yeah, I knew what you were referring to. As an old timer I can remember how the first game did not define our season. But yes, a loss to Miss State would be disastrous, and frankly, maybe embarrassing.

Lurker123 · Aug 11, 2026

18IsTheMan said:
I'm speaking of that '23 UNC game very specifically.

I had thought of that game too, but didn't want to invoke any jinx.

Win that, and we're going into UK looking for a 4th win. I would feel more confident. Lose it, and we're looking at beating UK and Arkansas just to get to 4 wins, and needing two other upsets.

gamecock stock · Aug 11, 2026

I think we will be like a duck in our game against Miss. State. We will be calm on the surface but, always paddling like the dickens underneath.

Psycock · Thursday at 5:00 PM

We should all realize no SEC game is a "slam dunk." Maybe Vandy in the past but no such thing now. Miss. St. had several games they easily could have won last year but didn`t. I have no idea what their team is like this year though. Kent. St. and Towson may be "slam dunks" but there are no other contestants.

Piscis · Friday at 10:10 AM

It would be typical to lose to MSSt and then sneak up and beat Bama at Bama. It seems like there is always a very improbable win and loss every season.

92Pony · Friday at 11:29 AM

Piscis said:
It would be typical to lose to MSSt and then sneak up and beat Bama at Bama. It seems like there is always a very improbable win and loss every season.

2010 - beat #1 Alabama and follow it up with a loss to Ky the next week, so, yep!! It's what we do!~

Lurker123 · Friday at 11:42 AM

I watched only one game of theirs last year, and it was the bowl. They had a young qb, a very athletic running qb, and the announcers hyped him the entire game long. Right up until he broke his leg late in the game.

Ill have to look him up, but he looked like the type of guy to give DC'S headaches. But he could also not be recovered yet.

Uscg1984 · Friday at 1:45 PM

Even if we go 8-4, there's a good chance we will lose a game to a team we "should" have beaten even while scoring an upset or two against teams that are better than us.

kidrobinski · Friday at 3:10 PM

Show of hands: how many saw…
10-2 and a #2 ranking (could have been #1) in 84?

5-6 after entering the season ranked, setting the total offense single game record in the opener and the #3 ranked offense after three games in 85?

More recently, 9-4 and ranked after entering the season predicted to finish 13th in the SEC with the LSU and Bama heartbreakers, winning the last six in a row, and Beams named SEC COTY IN 24?

No one?

Let’s tee it up.

gamecock stock · Friday at 5:26 PM

Of course, none of us have any "idea what (Miss. State) is like this year". And as I said about this game, "I have been a Carolina fan too long to take any game to the bank". But that does not keep me from being objective. South Carolina normally recruits better than Miss. State. Take a look at the last 3 recruiting classes from high school and the last 3 from the Portal. We have out recruited Miss. State each year. So, we usually have better talent than Miss State..

We play them at home.

This is Shane's 6th season here. This will be only Libbey's 3rd year at Miss. State. So Shane should be further along to having built his team that he wants than Libbey is.

Shane clearly implied that we will be looking at the 2026 playoff show like we watched the 2024 playoff show to see if we are selected. Libbey has not made that kind of statement regarding his team.

I'm not making any definitive prediction about this game. Can we lose to them? Of course. I mean I have seen us lose to The Citadel, Furman and Appalachian State, for crying out loud. But I will ask definitively in light of the fact that we have better talent, have them at home and that Shane has had 3 more years than Libbey to build his program: If we can't take care of business against Miss. State, will we win any SEC game this season?

RL09 · Friday at 6:44 PM

18IsTheMan said:
Been reading a lot about Mississippi State's improvement. I had this game penciled in as a W, but it seems the general feel is that it will be a very competitive game. I can't really see us having anything resembling a successful season if we were to lose this game.

in my opinion this game is absolutely crucial, a must win if our Gamecocks are to do better than 6-7 wins. Lose this game and I see 6-6.

RL09 · Friday at 6:46 PM

will110 said:
Big time improvement in Starkville lol

Every SEC game is important. If USC loses to MSU then the season is going to be (most likely) a disaster.

or just mediocre

cocksx5 · Sunday at 10:08 AM

in my opinion we have to beat msst or it's a disastrous season have to beat them ky probably arky and Clemson to win 6 if not dogs n all rest I like briles but wow all new oline already with 1 huge season out injury ?able at rb lack of usage of the right ends last yr and depending on very underdeveloped wide receiving corp hope I am wrong but last yr oline was joke , qb juking before got snap. beamer has to have 7 wins to keep job

Piscis · Sunday at 11:03 AM

cocksx5 said:
in my opinion we have to beat msst or it's a disastrous season have to beat them ky probably arky and Clemson to win 6 if not dogs n all rest I like briles but wow all new oline already with 1 huge season out injury ?able at rb lack of usage of the right ends last yr and depending on very underdeveloped wide receiving corp hope I am wrong but last yr oline was joke , qb juking before got snap. beamer has to have 7 wins to keep job

Beamer is safe with 6 wins and a trip to a crappy bowl in a cold climate. He has sold the fans on his "culture" and cheerleading and everyone likes him.

cocksx5 · Sunday at 11:12 AM

Piscis said:
Beamer is safe with 6 wins and a trip to a crappy bowl in a cold climate. He has sold the fans on his "culture" and cheerleading and everyone likes him.

6 wins keep job wow thats sadddddddddddddddddddddddd

gamecock stock · Sunday at 6:01 PM

cocksx5 said:
6 wins keep job wow thats sadddddddddddddddddddddddd

I agree with you. I suspect that most of our fanbase do, as well. I would be surprised if Beamer survives with just a 6 win season. 6-6 would give him a worse winning percentage than Jim Carlen, Joe Morrison and Steve Spurrier. The later 3 were proven winning Head Coaches before coming here. None were fired for not producing on the football field. Beamer had never been even a Defensive nor Offensive Coordinator much less a proven winning Head Coach prior to coming here. We rolled the dice on him. A 6-6 record in season 6 should be unacceptable. If he is retained after going 6-6, I would be disappointed in Donati and disappointed in Dr. Amaridis for hiring Donati. Beamer reportedly is on the "hot seat". Coaches on the "hot seat" don't survive after producing mediocre results. I believe Beamer feels the heat. That's why he felt compelled to imply that we will be watching the playoff show to see if we make the playoffs this year. I don't believe you go out and hire several new coaches including a high profile Offensive Coordinator thinking that a mediocre season would be good enough. Spurrier proved that we can be nationally relevant. Yes, there were some special in-state talent at times for Spurrier to get. But Beamer's calling card to be hired was that he was a once in a generation and fantastic recruiter. But his recruiting has been about the same as his predecessors. Let's see what he does on the football field this season. I'm pulling for Shane. I like him. But, it's not personal. It's business.

Coastal Gamecock · Sunday at 6:44 PM

Its critical. Beamer MUST go 7-5 or better. No excuses. UGA, Tenn, Bama, A&M,
OU, Clemson, Florida are gonna be tough to wjn, but we can probably get 1-2 of em. So we have a very tight window for 7 wins. UK, MSU and Arkansas are absolutely critical. Assuming 2 vs Towson and Kent. The critical must wins get us to 5, then Beamer just has to show he can do it and snag 2 vs favored opponents

Piscis · Monday at 8:26 AM

gamecock stock said:
I agree with you. I suspect that most of our fanbase do, as well. I would be surprised if Beamer survives with just a 6 win season. 6-6 would give him a worse winning percentage than Jim Carlen, Joe Morrison and Steve Spurrier. The later 3 were proven winning Head Coaches before coming here. None were fired for not producing on the football field. Beamer had never been even a Defensive nor Offensive Coordinator much less a proven winning Head Coach prior to coming here. We rolled the dice on him. A 6-6 record in season 6 should be unacceptable. If he is retained after going 6-6, I would be disappointed in Donati and disappointed in Dr. Amaridis for hiring Donati. Beamer reportedly is on the "hot seat". Coaches on the "hot seat" don't survive after producing mediocre results. I believe Beamer feels the heat. That's why he felt compelled to imply that we will be watching the playoff show to see if we make the playoffs this year. I don't believe you go out and hire several new coaches including a high profile Offensive Coordinator thinking that a mediocre season would be good enough. Spurrier proved that we can be nationally relevant. Yes, there were some special in-state talent at times for Spurrier to get. But Beamer's calling card to be hired was that he was a once in a generation and fantastic recruiter. But his recruiting has been about the same as his predecessors. Let's see what he does on the football field this season. I'm pulling for Shane. I like him. But, it's not personal. It's business.

The ridiculous raise after the 2024 season, when absolutely no other program had shown any interest in hiring Shane, shackled SC to Beamer for a while. I agree 6 wins shouldn't be enough to keep his job, but the buyout gives him a lot of leeway.

6 wins would be painted as "50% more wins than the previous season" and I'm sure we would be fed a steady dose of how difficult the schedule was. 6 wins would also mean a bowl game, probably against a pretty weak opponent. A bowl win to get to 7 wins would generate a lot of off season excitement.

gamecock stock · Monday at 10:56 AM

Piscis said:
The ridiculous raise after the 2024 season, when absolutely no other program had shown any interest in hiring Shane, shackled SC to Beamer for a while. I agree 6 wins shouldn't be enough to keep his job, but the buyout gives him a lot of leeway.

6 wins would be painted as "50% more wins than the previous season" and I'm sure we would be fed a steady dose of how difficult the schedule was. 6 wins would also mean a bowl game, probably against a pretty weak opponent. A bowl win to get to 7 wins would generate a lot of off season excitement.

Yes, in the back of my mind it's the buyout that I think might save him, no matter what. I'm hoping if he does not produce that it won't. But I don't know what our financial situation is. I'm not sure we realized what those 2 national baseball championships would cost us at the time.

Lurker123 · Monday at 11:44 AM

gamecock stock said:
Yes, in the back of my mind it's the buyout that I think might save him, no matter what. I'm hoping if he does not produce that it won't. But I don't know what our financial situation is. I'm not sure we realized what those 2 national baseball championships would cost us at the time.

Not only that buyout, but remember that we are juggling possibly 3 buyouts in a year or two period.

JohnnySolo · Monday at 11:56 AM

Penciled-in is all you need to know.

Piscis · Monday at 1:16 PM

Lurker123 said:
Not only that buyout, but remember that we are juggling possibly 3 buyouts in a year or two period.

Yep. Of course, Paris will probably limp his way to a winning record on the season and he will be retained and the tradition of mediocrity in men's sports will march along.

gamecock stock · Monday at 5:05 PM

Have any of Tanner's hires worked out?

cocksx5 · 2026-08-19T08:13:49-0500

Piscis said:
Yep. Of course, Paris will probably limp his way to a winning record on the season and he will be retained and the tradition of mediocrity in men's sports will march along.

no way, he signed bunch of players no one wanted
they will struggle incredibly to beat the most minimal of opponents.
this will be his worst yr, this team couldn't win southern conference,
he was only retained cause of $$$$$$ very sadddddddddddd

Piscis · 2026-08-19T08:40:06-0500

cocksx5 said:
no way, he signed bunch of players no one wanted
they will struggle incredibly to beat the most minimal of opponents.
this will be his worst yr, this team couldn't win southern conference,
he was only retained cause of $$$$$$ very sadddddddddddd

The South Carolina way is to surprise everyone with a moderately successful season. There will probably be a big win upset to excite the fans, but the overall season will be middling at best. The season won't be good enough for a tournament berth but might get an NIT invite. Paris will win just enough to keep his job and the mediocrity will march on.

Harvard Gamecock · 2026-08-19T08:46:01-0500

Lurker123 said:
I watched only one game of theirs last year, and it was the bowl. They had a young qb, a very athletic running qb, and the announcers hyped him the entire game long. Right up until he broke his leg late in the game.

Ill have to look him up, but he looked like the type of guy to give DC'S headaches. But he could also not be recovered yet.

Don't even get me started on having a 5-7 team representing in a bowl game.

How important is the Mississippi State game?

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