How would an SEC play-in weekend have impacted South Carolina in 2024?

In the ever-evolving landscape of college football, the latest major topic of discussion among the Power 4 conferences is how to handle championship weekend. Once seen as a crucial lead-up to the national championship, even the prestigious SEC Championship game seemed less impactful this season, with empty seats in Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the Texas-Georgia matchup.

One of the biggest issues being raised is the potential unfairness of dropping teams that make their conference championship games but ultimately lose, specifically regarding their chances to make the College Football Playoff. SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee voiced concerns about this, prompting further discussions.

Reports suggest conferences are moving quickly to explore changes to the traditional championship weekend format. Pete Nakos of On3 shared that both the SEC and Big Ten are considering a three-game weekend. This new format would feature the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds facing off for the championship, while No. 3 would play No. 6 and No. 4 would face No. 5. The winners of these two matchups would automatically qualify for the College Football Playoff, with the top two seeds already earning auto-bids.

Such a shift would, of course, require significant adjustments to the College Football Playoff structure, potentially allowing for four automatic bids for the SEC and Big Ten. There’s also been talk of a four-game weekend, modeled after a traditional eight-team tournament, with all four winners receiving league bids.

While these ideas are still in the exploration phase, one can’t help but wonder what impact this could have had on the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2024. With a 9-3 regular season record, the Gamecocks were on the edge of making the College Football Playoff. Under the new potential format, South Carolina could have secured a spot in “championship weekend” as the six-seed, facing off against old SEC East rival Tennessee.

Though the whirlwind of changes in college football can sometimes feel overwhelming, the prospect of LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks’ defense facing off against Nico Iamaleava and the Vols for a playoff berth adds a thrilling “what if” scenario to an already memorable season. Would it have taken South Carolina even further? We may never know, but it’s a fascinating possibility.

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First-Round Projections Have South Carolina DT T.J. Sanders As a Top NFL Draft Pick

The 2025 NFL Draft process is in full swing, and former South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders is now considered a potential first-round pick.

Although Sanders might have flown under the radar this season due to the dominant performances of South Carolina’s EDGE rushers, Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard, he is gaining recognition as the draft approaches. National analysts, including NFL Network’s lead draft expert, Daniel Jeremiah, are starting to take notice of Sanders’ impressive tape.

Jeremiah recently released his updated NFL Mock Draft, where he has Sanders going 31st overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. Regarding the potential selection, Jeremiah commented:

“There has not been a lot of buzz for Sanders, but I thought his tape was outstanding. He’s really twitchy and would fit right in with the bevy of talented defensive linemen in Philly.”

T.J. Sanders’ accolades include:

• 2024 Third-Team All-America (College Football Nation)
• 2024 First-Team All-SEC (College Football Nation)
• 2024 Second-Team All-SEC (AP, Phil Steele)
• 2024 SEC Interior Defender of the Year (College Football Nation)
• 2023 Third-Team All-SEC (College Football Network)
• 2023 Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• 2023 Nutrition Award
• 2023 Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring
• 2023 co-South Carolina Spirit Award – Defense