Gamecock bowl projections: Week 7

The Gamecocks were off last week, getting a much-needed breather before starting a tough stretch of their schedule that will define whether or not they're playing in the postseason.

Right now they're sitting at 2-3, needing four wins over their final seven games to guarantee a bowl game. Even though there's still work to do, a few national outlets have the Gamecocks in bowl games after the season.

Five major outlets have the Gamecocks going bowling this winter with a bowl in Florida the most predicted outcome.

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Brett McMurphy, Saturday Down South and one ESPN analyst predict the Gamecocks playing in the Gator Bowl down in Jacksonville.

McMurphy, who writes for WatchStadium, has them playing Nebraska in Jacksonville while ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Saturday Down South matches them up with Michigan State.

Another ESPN writer, Kyle Bonagura, has South Carolina playing in the Music City Bowl against Duke, and Sports Illustrated predicts the Gamecocks to return to the Belk Bowl to face Pittsburgh.

Also see: Projecting South Carolina's hoops lineup this year

To secure a bowl game, the Gamecocks need four wins over their final seven games with four of those coming against top 25 teams: at No. 3 Georgia, vs. No. 7 Florida, at No. 24 Texas A&M and home against No. 2 Clemson.

ESPN's FPI predicts the Gamecocks (2-3, 1-2 SEC) going 5-7 with a plus-50 percent chance to win three of their remaining games: at Tennessee (63.7 percent), Vanderbilt (87.9) and vs. Appalachian State (79.4).

There is a chance, if there isn’t enough bowl eligible teams, South Carolina could get a bowl bid at 5-7. It would then depend on the school’s Academic Progress Rate (APR).

In the 19 seasons since 2000, South Carolina's only missed a bowl game five times and have had a below .500 record in the regular season three times, the last time coming in 2015 at 3-9.

The Gamecocks travel to Georgia this week for a noon kickoff on ESPN.

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Full list of bowl projections:

ESPN (Schlabach): Gator Bowl vs. Michigan State (Jan. 2, 7 p.m.)

ESPN (Bonagura): Music City Bowl vs. Duke (Dec. 30, 4 p.m.)

Sports Illustrated: Belk Bowl vs. Pittsburgh (Dec. 31, 3:45 p.m.)

WatchStadium (McMurphy): Gator Bowl vs. Nebraska (Jan. 2, 7 p.m.)

Saturday Down South: Gator Bowl vs. Michigan State (Dec. 31, noon)