South Carolina learns its bowl destination today. A look at the final projections

With conference championship games across the country now decided, FBS teams are poised to learn their postseason destinations.

No. 19 South Carolina will play a bowl game for the second season in a row under coach Shane Beamer, and they’ll soon find out when and where.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports in his final projections has the in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, with Illinois as the opponent. The Reliaquest Bowl — formerly the Outback Bowl — will air at noon Jan. 2 on ESPN2. The game is played on a Monday at Raymond James Stadium.

There are no bowl games on New Year’s Day this year, with Jan. 1 falling on a Sunday and featuring the NFL’s Week 17 slate of games.

College Football News put the Gamecocks in the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Fighting Illini as well.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network also placed USC in the ReliaQuest Bowl, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as the opposing team.

South Carolina has played in five Outback Bowls since 2001 — winning all five of them. The Gamecocks defeated Michigan 26-19 in the Outback Bowl that followed the 2017 season.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports placed South Carolina against Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which is played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida on Dec. 30. The game will be shown on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. that day.

USC has not played in the Gator Bowl since 1987.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller is an outlier, placing USC in the early slate of bowl games. That projection has the Gamecocks in the Dec. 17 Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon. The game is played at Allegiant Stadium and starts at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

South Carolina picked up wins against Tennessee and Clemson to close out the season, with both of those opponents being ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 at the time they faced USC.

The Gamecocks are expected to learn the official bowl news sometime after 2 p.m. Sunday. Head coach Shane Beamer is scheduled to speak with local media at 5 p.m.

South Carolina has won six of its last eight bowl games.

Gamecock bowl history

Bowls listed by season

• 2021 — Duke’s Mayo Bowl (W, 38-21 vs. UNC)

• 2018 — Belk Bowl (L, 28-0 vs. Virginia)

• 2017 — Outback Bowl (W, 26-19 vs. Michigan)

• 2016 — Birmingham Bowl (L, 46-39/OT vs. South Florida)

• 2015 — Independence Bowl (W, 24-21 vs. Miami)

• 2014 — Capital One Bowl (W, 34-24 vs. Wisconsin)

• 2013 — Outback Bowl (W, 33-28 vs. Michigan)

• 2012 — Capital One Bowl (W, 30-13 vs. Nebraska)

• 2010 — Chick-fil-A Bowl (L, 26-17 vs. Florida State)

• 2009 — Papajohns.com Bowl (L, 20-7 vs. UConn)

• 2008 — Outback Bowl (L, 31-10 vs. Iowa)

• 2006 — Liberty Bowl (W, 44-36 vs. Houston)

• 2005 — Independence Bowl (L, 38-31 vs. Missouri)

• 2001 — Outback Bowl (W, 31-28 vs. Ohio State)

• 2000 — Outback Bowl (W, 24-7 vs. Ohio State)

• 1994 — Carquest Bowl (W, 24-21 vs. West Virginia)

• 1988 — Liberty Bowl (L, 34-10 vs. Indiana)

• 1987 — Gator Bowl (L, 30-13 vs. LSU)

• 1984 — Gator Bowl (L, 21-14 vs. Oklahoma State)

• 1980 — Gator Bowl (L, 37-9 vs. Pitt)

• 1979 — Hall of Fame Bowl (L, 24-14 vs.Misouri)

• 1975 — Tangerine Bowl (L, 20-7 vs.Miami of Ohio)

• 1969 — Peach Bowl (L, 14-3 vs. West Virginia)

• 1945 — Gator Bowl (L, 26-14 vs. Wake Forest)