10 South Carolina memes cracking up the internet after humiliating Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois

The internet wasted no time turning South Carolina’s tough bowl loss into comedy gold. The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl spun into a social media frenzy as No. 20 Illinois claimed a 21-17 win over No. 15 South Carolina on Tuesday evening at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Illinois capped its season with a 10-3 record, making it the fifth team in program history to hit double-digit wins, joining the likes of the 1902, 1983, 1989 and 2001 squads. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt, leaving fans to stew over what might have been after missing the College Football Playoff.

From sarcastic jabs to outright roasts, here are the funniest memes taking over the internet, poking fun at the Gamecocks.

#1 A cheeky meme about Alabama and South Carolina insisting they should’ve made the College Football Playoff this year.

#2 Another one poking fun at South Carolina and Alabama for losing when they thought they deserved playoff spots over Indiana and SMU.

#3 A sarcastic take: “South Carolina should’ve been in the playoffs for sure!”

#4 A meme targeting Shane Beamer’s emotional outbursts during the game, questioning his EQ.

Adding fuel to the fire, a heated exchange between coaches Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema during the game gave meme-makers plenty of material.

#5 A hilarious visual of Beamer and Bielema’s postgame handshake, looking more like a fight in the making.

#6 A brutal roast: “Not many things can make fans root for South Carolina, but this walking bag of diabetes somehow did.”

#7 A snarky comment: “Wait… this South Carolina team was supposed to be playoff material?”

#8 A joke about how fans will greet South Carolina supporters until next season: awkward silence.

#9 A meme showing Beamer staring down Bielema after a touchdown, giving serious villain origin story vibes.

#10 And finally, a meme suggesting Beamer and Bielema acted out an internet meme in real life.

Illinois edges South Carolina in Citrus Bowl thriller

In a tightly contested Citrus Bowl, Illinois secured a hard-fought 21-17 victory over South Carolina on New Year's Eve. The win improved Illinois to a 10-3 overall record (6-3 Big Ten), while South Carolina closed their season at 9-4 (5-3 Southeastern Conference).

Score by Quarters

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
South Carolina	3	0	7	7	17
Illinois	7	0	7	7	21

Despite South Carolina's strong effort, Illinois capitalized on key moments to claim the trophy.