The College Football Playoff committee’s task is a bit like trying to rank the best barbecue joints and in the South—everyone has an opinion, and none of them are wrong. South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer, however, is making a strong case for his Gamecocks to be at the top of that metaphorical list. Following a nail-biting 17-14 victory over Clemson, Beamer didn’t just celebrate the win. He sat in front of his locker, rubbed a hand through his hair, and admitted it all felt surreal.

“I get it, we’ve got three losses,” Shane Beamer admitted in his postgame presser on X, but that didn’t stop him from lobbying for a spot in the 12-team playoff. His argument? Strength of schedule, road dominance, and big-time wins. “We’re now four and one on the road this year, and our only loss was by two points in a hostile environment,” the head coach emphasized. He wasn’t wrong—South Carolina’s schedule ranks among the toughest in the country, and their four top-25 victories back up his claim. Look at them now, Palmetto Bowl champs.

Critics may scoff at the notion of a three-loss team cracking the playoff lineup, but Beamer’s Gamecocks are peaking at the right time. Their turnaround from a 5-7 record last season to a 9-3 campaign is nothing short of remarkable. “This time last year, we lost to Clemson to end a disappointing season. Now? We’ve got momentum and a team nobody wants to face,” Shane Beamer said, channeling both pride and pragmatism.

The debate raises a larger question about the role of strength of schedule in playoff selection. South Carolina’s case is built on a gauntlet of SEC opponents and road wins in some of the toughest environments in CFB. Beamer pointedly contrasted his team’s schedule with others: “We’re not playing in front of 20,000 fans in cupcake games. We’re battle-tested.” It’s a valid point—wins in the SEC often carry more weight than similar records in weaker conferences.

Still, there’s the matter of those three losses. In a playoff system designed to reward the “12 best teams,” how much should losses factor into the equation? Beamer believes it’s about the eye test. “If we pop up in that bracket, I don’t think any team would be excited to play us right now,” he said confidently. Given their recent form, we can’t blame the guy. Asking the committee to do the right thing, the Charleston native was not shy in giving his flowers to the reason for this win.

Shane Beamer tells the world about Sellers

The South Carolina man-in-charge wasn’t shy about hyping up his quarterback, LaNorris Sellers. Recalling a colleague’s earlier comment about Sellers being “You’ve got bleeping Superman playing quarterback back there,” Beamer doubled down after Saturday’s electrifying win, calling him “the best player in the country.” Beamer even made a passionate plea to Heisman voters, insisting, “If you’re not voting for that guy, you’re out of your minds.”

Sellers proved his coach right, delivering a superhuman performance in the Palmetto Bowl. With 16 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns, plus 164 yards through the air, Sellers accounted for 330 of the Gamecocks’ 431 total yards. His efforts powered South Carolina to just their second victory in the storied rivalry over the past decade, cementing his name in Gamecocks lore.

Love it or hate it, his Gamecocks have made a compelling case for why the playoff conversation should be about more than just wins and losses.