I don't think we're a playoff team. I think next year if everyone comes back (we can literally return our entire starting offense save Koyack if you don't count Lombard as a starter and our entire defense save Riggs) we're absolutely a playoff caliber team with a MUCH easier schedule.
This year we have to go 11-1. We have 6 games left that we can conceivably lose without it being a huge upset... UNC, Louisville, ASU, USC, Stanford, FSU. I think UNC kind of sucks right now and if they don't improve we should handle them rather easily, but last year they got much better down the stretch. Right now Louisville doesn't look amazing but they look really well rounded and we could definitely lose that game. ASU is awesome offensively, but I think they're soft and overrated. USC is laughably overrated they looked like shit against Stanford BUT they're only going to get better as the year goes on. Stanford does not look like a winnable game right now, because they are set up to exploit our weaknesses. And then you have FSU, where I strangely think we have a decent chance of stealing that game.
I'd pick us for 9 wins right now. I think 11 is possible if we get past Stanford (don't think that will happen though) without injuries, but Stanford usually beats you up. If we continue to stay healthy through FSU/ASU/Louisville/USC then I think we win at least two of those games setting up entrance into one of the four "BCS" games where we hopefully play BYU or a B1G team and not fucking A&M/Bama/Georgia/Auburn.
I agree that SC could get better but with their lack of depth, injuries could really hurt them