The bowl bump was real.
South Carolina’s football team finished with the second-most votes of any team not in the final AP Top 25, earning 46. Washington had 84, and No. 25 Memphis had 119.
Playoff teams Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Clemson were the top four in that order. Undefeated Central Florida was sixth, but received four first-place votes.
The Gamecocks had received no AP votes and only four coaches poll votes after an 8-4 regular season that saw them sneak into the College Football Playoff rankings one week.