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Thanks to an impressive 34-24 bowl win over Wisconsin and several losses by teams ranked ahead of South Carolina heading into bowl season, the Gamecocks finished the season ranked No. 4 in both of the major polls. The ranking represents the best season-ending position in program history.
After dipping to No. 20 following a disheartening loss to Tennessee, South Carolina rattled off six straight wins to close out the year and finish in the top five. Losses by Ohio State, Baylor, Stanford, and Alabama allowed the Gamecocks to move up into the top four.
The Gamecocks finish the year 5-0 against top 25 opponents, including a 3-0 mark against the top ten.
Steve Spurrier released the following statement on the Gamecocks' best-ever finish:
"Being ranked No. 4 in both major polls is an honor for the University of South Carolina and for our football program. Thanks to the players for achieving another 11-2 record. Thanks also to the coaches, the support staff and our fans for their contributions. Also thanks to the voters for thinking so highly of us. We are very appreciative and thankful for being the highest-ranked team in school history and hope to do better next year."
The AP Poll
| Ranking | School | Last Week |
| 1 | Florida State | 1 |
| 2 | Auburn | 2 |
| 3 | Michigan State | 4 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 8 |
| 5 | Missouri | 9 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 11 |
| 7 | Alabama | 3 |
| 8 | Clemson | 12 |
| 9 | Oregon | 10 |
| 10 | UCF | 15 |
| 11 | Stanford | 5 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 7 |
| 13 | Baylor | 6 |
| 14 | LSU | 14 |
| 15 | Louisville | 18 |
| 16 | UCLA | 17 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State | 13 |
| 18 | Texas A&M | 20 |
| 19 | USC | 26 |
| 20 | Notre Dame | 25 |
| 21 | Arizona State | 16 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 19 |
| 23 | Duke | 22 |
| 24 | Vanderbilt | 29 |
| 25 | Washington | 33 |
The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | FIRST PLACE VOTES | PREVIOUS RANK | CHANGE | HI/LOW* |
| 1 | Florida State Seminoles |
14-0 | 1475 | 59 | 1 | 1/10 | |
| 2 | Auburn Tigers |
12-2 | 1388 | 0 | 2 | 2/NR | |
| 3 | Michigan State Spartans |
13-1 | 1375 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3/NR |
| 4 | South Carolina Gamecocks |
11-2 | 1219 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4/20 |
| 5 | Missouri Tigers |
12-2 | 1200 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5/NR |
| 6 | Oklahoma Sooners |
11-2 | 1189 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6/18 |
| 7 | Clemson Tigers |
11-2 | 1091 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 4/11 |
| 8 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
11-2 | 1086 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1/8 |
| 9 | Oregon Ducks |
11-2 | 975 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 2/12 |
| 10 | Stanford Cardinal |
11-3 | 872 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4/13 |
| 10 | Ohio State Buckeyes |
12-2 | 872 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2/10 |
| 12 | Central Florida Knights |
12-1 | 865 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 12/NR |
| 13 | Baylor Bears |
11-2 | 796 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 4/NR |
| 14 | LSU Tigers |
10-3 | 719 | 0 | 14 | 6/19 | |
| 15 | Louisville Cardinals |
12-1 | 703 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 6/17 |
| 16 | UCLA Bruins |
10-3 | 597 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 10/22 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State Cowboys |
10-3 | 587 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 6/20 |
| 18 | Texas A&M Aggies |
9-4 | 443 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 6/25 |
| 19 | USC Trojans |
10-4 | 313 | 0 | NR | 19/NR | |
| 20 | Arizona State Sun Devils |
10-4 | 302 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 13/NR |
| 21 | Wisconsin Badgers |
9-4 | 266 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 14/NR |
| 22 | Duke Blue Devils |
10-4 | 202 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 20/NR |
| 23 | Vanderbilt Commodores |
9-4 | 180 | 0 | NR | 23/NR | |
| 24 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
9-4 | 125 | 0 | NR | 13/NR | |
| 25 | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
9-4 | 123 | 0 | NR | 15/NR |
Others Receiving VotesWashington 67; Fresno State 54; Northern Illinois 21; Marshall 17; Texas Tech 13; Kansas State 11; Mississippi 7; Texas 4; Miami (Fla.) 4; East Carolina 3; Cincinnati 3; Arizona 2; North Texas 2; Utah State 2; Navy 1; Louisiana-Lafayette 1.
Do you think South Carolina is deserving of its No. 4 ranking? Are the Gamecocks really the fourth-best team in the country?
If you had been told at the beginning of the season that the Gamecocks would miss out on Atlanta but would finish in the top four and ranked second-highest among SEC teams, would you have been satisfied with that?
