CLEMSON | Clemson's last non-conference, regular-season opponent to finish in the Top 5 of the final Associated Press poll was -- get this -- South Carolina in 2013.

That was just over six years ago but it feels like an eternity, both for Clemson's dramatic ascent and South Carolina's dramatic decline.

Six seasons have since passed, and the Tigers' two major non-conference opponents per season have been hit and miss relating to how they reflect on Clemson's overall strength of schedule.

Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone message board!

The "miss" part consists mainly of South Carolina, which has gone six straight seasons without finishing in the final AP poll.

(And yes, in light of this trend it's certainly amusing that Gamecock fans take such interest in pointing out the lack of rigor in Clemson's schedule.)

There have been some hits on the other half of the equation, which in the playoff era has been composed of Texas A&M, Auburn, Notre Dame and Georgia.

But last season demonstrated the defining unpredictability of the non-conference scheduling game: Texas A&M finished the season unranked, losing five games while navigating an uncommonly difficult schedule. South Carolina cratered and finished 4-8.