Shane Beamer probably wouldn’t have addressed it if it weren’t the elephant in the room.

But, with a lot being made about the Gamecocks on the tipping point of bowl eligibility, Beamer wanted to refocus the team on having the process outweigh the result.

“I’m sure they’re hearing it on the outside, and they know. We addressed it briefly this morning that every time you think about getting bowl eligible to stop and think about in that moment what you have to do to prepare to play your very best against Missouri,” Beamer said. “It’s the whole process and result thing. Let’s not think about the result on Saturday.”

And the Gamecocks could hit that benchmark today with a win over Missouri, guaranteeing a non-losing record in the regular season and get to a place that’s eluded them for the last two seasons.

ESPN’s FPI gives South Carolina a 48.5 percent chance to beat the Tigers on the road, the highest win chance of any of the remaining three games, but the focus hasn’t been on bowl eligibility at all this week.

“We’re not really thinking about bowl eligibility. If we’re able to go out there and win this game this week and get bowl eligible, then what? We going to stop playing the last two games?” Jason Brown said. “We’re not thinking about bowl eligibility at all. We’re thinking about our next opponent, which is Missouri.”

South Carolina’s already eclipsed it’s 3.5 wins this season set in August by Vegas, and have a chance to at least get close to doubling it if they win Saturday on the road in the other Columbia.

The Gamecocks’ last win in the series came in 2018 and the last win on the road came the year prior, a 31-13 win en route to a nine-win year.

“I’m not really looking forward to bowl eligibility. I’m looking forward to being 8-4 when we go to a bowl game. People didn’t count on us this year. They had us at 3.5 wins. That’s a slap in the face,” Nick Muse said.

“We proved them wrong so far and have to keep proving them wrong. We’re not trying to get to 6-6 and make a bowl game. We’re trying to get to 8-4, make a bowl game, win it and be ranked next year."

Here’s where South Carolina’s bowl projections sit right now.

Bowl season: Birmingham Bowl vs. UTSA (Dec. 28, noon)

Yahoo Sports: Birmingham Bowl vs. Memphis (Dec. 28, noon)

ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Gasparilla vs. Boston College (Dec. 23, 7 p.m.)

ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Birmingham vs. Memphis (Dec. 28, noon)

USA Today: Birmingham vs. Memphis (Dec. 28, noon)

Bleacher Report: Gasparilla vs. Washington (Dec. 23, 7 p.m.)

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