The 2024 incarnation of the Palmetto Bowl between Clemson and South Carolina will have far more riding on it than the usual statewide bragging rights.
For the first time in a very long time, the Tigers and Gamecocks are playing for more than just pride. They are playing for their postseason lives. Who would have thought?
The Palmetto Bowl has a long, rich tradition as one of the country’s grandest and most heated college football rivalries. But in 2024, the winner stands a strong chance of earning their way into the 12-team field of the college football play-offs as an at-large participant. Or, for the Clemson Tigers (9-2), they have a chance anyway to win the ACC championship should Miami lose to Syracuse.
For the Gamecocks (8-3), there is no hope of playing in the SEC championship game. Their play-off fate quite literally rests on defeating the Tigers. Strap in, Clemson. We are going to get South Carolina’s best shot and then some. The kitchen sink and a bottle of proverbial Draino. Both teams know what is at stake.
Saturday’s 12 noon kick-off was not what fans had hoped when ESPN released its broadcast information, but perhaps it was retaliation for head coach Dabo Swinney refusing to play the game on Black Friday. Good for him. It deserves to be a prime-time Saturday game, but everyone should be able to safely assume that ESPN also did not envision so much riding on the game.
The 121st installment of this storied rivalry will see both teams playing each other as top 20 ranked opponents since 2013 when the Gamecocks came into Death Valley and won 31-17. That night, the Tigers were ranked #6 and South Carolina #10. This year, Clemson holds the #12 ranking and current final at-large spot in the play-offs and South Carolina is ranked 15th.
Additionally, the last time the Gamecocks came to Clemson was two years ago and South Carolina won that match-up in stunning upset over the top five Tigers, 31-30. That day, a loss to South Carolina kept Clemson out of the play-offs. A win this year likely gets them in. There are ghosts to avenge and a score to settle. Clemson won on the road last year, 16-7, but will have to play much better than that this time around.
Clemson Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks | Full Game Highlights
Make no mistake, this will be a game of will. Clemson has struggled at times to stop the run so expect South Carolina coach Shane Beamer to test Clemson up front with the dynamic duo of quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Rocket Sanders.
Conversely, the Gamecocks have struggled to stop the pass so Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik will have to lock in and take the top off the South Carolina defense along with receivers Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore, and Bryant Wesco. Against a Gamecocks defensive line that has been among the best in the country, senior running back Phil Mafah may find sledding to be tough.
Palmetto Bowl attrition at its finest.
Less than 24 hours away from kick-off both teams are contemplating their fate, what a win would mean, and the heartbreak and loss would incur. Neither side will yield, both teams will empty the tank, and when the clock hits zero, one team will likely have a shot to win a national championship with a place in the field of 12.
For the Clemson Tigers, the 2024 Palmetto Bowl is the rivalry’s ultimate chance to show the little brothers from the south why the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness in the foothills of the Palmetto State. The time is now. Clemson has always dominated the series, holding a 73-43-4 advantage. Saturday afternoon is good a time as any to make it 74.
