The CFP rankings always bring out the politicking in coaches. Lane Kiffin is known for his outspoken opinions. Now, it seems like Shane Beamer, the South Carolina head coach, is joining the fray. While Kiffin and Beamer might be playing nice on the surface, there’s definitely some underlying tension brewing. Beamer has been subtly throwing shade at both Kiffin’s Ole Miss and DeBoer’s Alabama for a while, implying that his Gamecocks deserve a playoff spot more.

According to Jordan Kaye’s X post, Shane Beamer stated, “We told our teammates the very first night that Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, chose us. They could have chose any team in the NCCA, any team, Alabama, Ole Miss, any of those teams. They had their choice, and they chose the University of South Carolina to be here.”

So, why South Carolina? They were on a hot streak, having won six straight games, including a big win over Clemson. The HC has attempted to argue that even though his team has lost to the Rebels and Bama, they are now playing better football, and he believes that should give them the advantage over the other two SEC teams.

Through the X post, the HC of SC is basically criticizing the Rebels and Bama because both teams had a 9-3 record and were not given the opportunity to enter the playoffs. However, in addition to that, he also expresses admiration for his own squad.

But before the Citrus Bowl, Beamer made a bold comment to stimulate the local fans. “They didn’t just choose our football team. They chose our fan base. So thank you guys for showing up. And as we told our players, we want to validate that decision. So you guys validated with what y’all do over the next two days. We’re going to do our part to make sure we try to validate it tomorrow as well,” said the head coach. Along with that, he mentioned, “We plan to make one heck of a data point tomorrow.”

And to get the fans even more excited, the third-year coach reminds them of South Carolina’s significant victories this season. They had some amazing moments during the 2024 football season, whether it was the triumph over Texas A&M at home, the game in Kentucky, or the second week in Lexington. It’s also important to remember the exciting win over Missouri as well as the even more remarkable triumph over the upstate squad last month.

Now, the 9-3 SEC team is ready to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. But what exactly was Coach Beamer hinting at when he talked about the game?

What’s Shane Beamer’s take on Illinois?

When SC coach Shane Beamer spoke to local reporters for the last time before the Citrus Bowl at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando, he had nothing but praise for former SEC-turned-Illinois coach Bret Bielema. The seasons of both groups ended with a 9-3 record. The Illini finished November with a 3-0 record, defeating teams like Rutgers, MI State, and Northwestern.

Tuesday’s Cheez-It bowl game between the SEC and the Big 10 will pit South Carolina against Illinois. In preparation for the NFL Draft, SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kennard will not be playing for the Gamecocks, who have been favorites in their last five games and are 4-1 against betting odds. It’s a homecoming for Illinois, who have 17 Florida players on their roster.

Despite all these, Gamecocks’ coach Beamer only praised the rival, Illinois. He stated, “They’re a good football team. They won nine football games. They’re in a league where they got four birds in the college football playoff as well, and they lost the two playoff teams. We’ve got a big challenge tomorrow.”

Undoubtedly a formidable task! The Bowl game was the consolation prize for the Gamecocks after the playoffs snub. And now they’re ready to see if they can bring home the trophy. Will Shane Beamer’s squad come out swinging against Illinois?