Preseason, it seemed like Clemson vs. South Carolina might have post-season significance. Hopes were high for both programs, and fans from the upstate to the low country envisioned playoff seeding implications. By week 9, those dreams had long been crushed, and it looked like both teams could be fighting for bowl eligibility when they would meet in Columbia.
But unsurprisingly, Clemson is already bowl eligible, while the Gamecocks can’t make the post-season no matter the outcome. The standard of a bad season is just different for these two programs. The Gamecocks are no strangers to losing seasons and have barely been able to string together a 3-season bowl appearance streak.
The last time Clemson missed a bowl was 2004. Notably, this was not because of ineligibility. Clemson secured a bowl bid with its 600th win in program history over South Carolina in the final game of the 2004 season. Clemson declined their invitation because of the historic brawl that occurred in that game. This was probably the right decision by the team, but that scrap went down in the lore of the rivalry. Tensions were high that day in Clemson after the Gamecocks waited for the Tigers at the bottom of the Hill before the game even kicked off. Chaos ensued at the end of a contest full of dirty hits and provocation.
The Clemson-South Carolina brawl from 2004 was pure chaos 😳 pic.twitter.com/QbTl11afYt
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) November 19, 2025
Despite the settled post-season outlook for a tough 2025 season, this game matters for the purest reason. The Tigers have owned the Gamecocks in this rivalry. Before Clemson’s persistent success in the last decade and the current nature of college football where the pressure is on to make the playoff, rivalry week mattered more than any other.
Stripped of National Championship hopes and bowl eligibility secured, the meaning of the State Championship is intrinsic. The stakes are high with no need for manufactured hype or media telling fans why they need to care. This game always matters. In the poignant words of Dabo Swinney, “Carolina’s in Chapel Hill, USC’s in California, and THE University in this state always has been, always will be Clemson.”