Clemson Football: When’s the next time the Tigers lose to South Carolina?

The Clemson football program currently holds a five-game winning streak over South Carolina. When will that streak come to an end?

All good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean it has to be this year… or the next… or the next… especially when it comes to Clemson football.

The Tigers are experiencing a ton of success and are considered one of the top programs in the nation.

As a result, Dabo Swinney has led the Clemson football program to a five-game winning streak against in-state rival South Carolina. During that time, the Tigers beat Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl, won two National Titles, competed in four-straight CFB Playoffs and won four-straight ACC Championships.

As we prepare for the annual rivalry matchup against the Gamecocks, it certainly begs an interesting question: When’s the next time Clemson football will lose to South Carolina?

The short answer: It doesn’t look like it’ll be anytime soon.

First, to fully understand the future, we have to look at the past. Clemson has always dominated the Palmetto Bowl. The Tigers hold a 70-42-4 advantage, meaning Clemson would have to lose 28-straight years for the series to be tied.

Though South Carolina held a five-game winning streak over the Tigers earlier this decade, that was the longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry for the Gamecocks and it was during a time under Steve Spurrier where South Carolina was experiencing unprecedented success.

But what about in the current landscape of things?

It certainly doesn’t stand to reason that Clemson is going to lose this weekend in Williams-Brice. Next season, the Tigers will return Trevor Lawrence, Justyn Ross and a plethora of other stars and the game will be at home. In many ways, the 2020 Clemson football team could be better than the one we saw on the field in 2019.

At that point, assuming a victory, the Tigers would have a 7-game winning streak, tying the longest win-streak against South Carolina in program history (1934-40).

2021 could be a year in which the Gamecocks look to reel off a win, but it stands to reason that Clemson’s 2020 recruiting class- currently ranked No. 1 in the nation- would provide more talent than what South Carolina currently has. The Tigers would likely have DJ Uiagalelei at quarterback and likely one of the most explosive defenses in the nation.

The truth is that it’s tough to tell the next time South Carolina pulls off a victory over Clemson football. The Tigers are set to be in the national picture for the next few seasons and the Gamecocks aren’t set to be climbing to national relevance anytime soon.

However, things can change in a heartbeat and the Tigers need to continue to produce at a high-level and not focus on the massive winning streak that could ensue, but rather taking it one game at a time.