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Zealot [751]
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New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 5, 2012, 3:47 PM
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I'm sure I'm not the only one to think about this, so I'm not taking credit. Also, this is not an excuse. Dabo will always be in my doghouse until he wins the ACC and beats South Carolina. One of the two isn't good enough for me. Now onto the theory.
Gamecock fans love to crow about Spurrier setting the bar higher than "beating Clemson." I've heard them talk about winning the SEC. Then riddle me this: Why does South Carolina continue to schedule a cupcake game the week before Clemson? Of Spurriers 4 wins against Clemson while at all of them came with an 'extra' week to prepare.
2005: Coming off a 5-game SEC win streak, including wins over UF and UT, South Carolina loses to Clemson 13-9.
2006: South Carolina plays MTSU and beats Clemson the next week.
2007: After losing 51-31 and despite an extra week of prep, South Carolina loses 23-21.
2008: After a 56-6 loss at UF, the extra week doesn't help: another loss 31-14.
2009: Even though they lost to UF, the extra week helps as South Carolina beats Clemson 34-17. Let the SEC dominance talk begin.
2010: South Carolina must play mighty Troy the week before Clemson, then beats Clemson 29-7.
2011: The Gamecocks play powerhouse Citadel and go on to beat Clemson 34-13.
2012:
With the exception of Spurrier's first season at South Carolina, they have scheduled a nobody or had the week off every year before playing Clemson. In contrast Clemson has played a meaningful conference game before playing South Carolina every season. The lone exception was 2006 when Clemson had the week off, but as already noted South Carolina played a nobody that year before playing Clemson, so they had extra time.
A couple of points to end this post. 1) While at Florida Spurrier did the same thing. Florida always ended their SEC schedule with South Carolina and Vandy which gave them more time to focus on FSU. 2) Looking ahead by coaches happens all the time. A professor I know who worked for the football department at FSU said that's why they consistently lost to Wake Forest. He said he watched coaches and start players watch game film of the next opponent two to three days before the Wake Forest game.
The question I have for you Gamecocks: If Clemson is so unimportant and beneath you, why schedule a nobody or take the week off before our game every year? Moreover, I think Clemson should respond in kind. We should start to move one of our non-conference September cupcakes to the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
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CU Guru [1053]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 5, 2012, 3:50 PM
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The SEC does this pretty much across the board. It helps the public perception of them being the 'dominant' conference.
I believe we are beginning to do it next year (taking a cupcake the week before Scar)
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CU Guru [1053]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 5, 2012, 3:57 PM
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This year:
Florida plays Jacksonville State the week before FSU
Bama took on Michigan in season opener (advantage could be argued either way here, but none the less, no big distraction the week before OOC game)
Auburn opened with us, but it didn't work out for them.
UGA plays Georgia Southern before GT
Ole Miss had UTEP before Texas
Tennessee opened season with NC State
and the rest unmentioned don't have any notable OOC games this year.
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Legend [19210]
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You lost me with the doghouse stuff.***
Oct 5, 2012, 3:51 PM
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Orange Blooded [4367]
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Gave you a TU because it obviously took a lot of effort but
Oct 5, 2012, 3:51 PM
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Legend [15223]
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It's an SEC thing. And I think the ACC always schedules
Oct 5, 2012, 3:53 PM
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a conf game that week for whatever reason. I think it's due to the fairness in the ACC Champ game. At least that's the rationale...maybe...
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Rock Defender [54]
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it really doesn't matter. they won the most recent game.
Oct 5, 2012, 3:58 PM
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we have to win this year.
it's pretty simple.
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Rock Defender [54]
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Spurrier did this because he was told how important.....
Oct 5, 2012, 4:06 PM
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it was to beat us. Did you also notice this year that their uga game is later in the schedule than what it was in the past?
I really dislike Spurrier. I think he's an ahole. He's won everywhere he's been except in the nfl. It has taken him *forever* to win at usuc. His days there are numbered and then they'll fall right back into their losing tradition (despite what Ron Morris' kissarse article said today).
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Rock Defender [54]
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Re: Spurrier did this because he was told how important.....
Oct 5, 2012, 6:57 PM
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Umm Georgia later on in the year would be a disadvantage.
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CU Guru [1952]
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I think they have beaten us b/c they have had a defense***
Oct 5, 2012, 4:36 PM
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Rock Defender [54]
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Too much logic.......mind blown***
Oct 5, 2012, 6:57 PM
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All-TigerNet [10871]
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They can act like they don't care all they want...
Oct 5, 2012, 7:36 PM
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Thats just their method of preparing to start losing to Clemson.
Also, the ol' ######## cannot stop making comments about our team so how can they really 'look ahead' of us lol.
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Amateur [36]
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Excuses are like butt holes...
Oct 5, 2012, 7:45 PM
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everybody has one, but yours just flat out stinks. Take last years loss like a man and just wait and see what happens this year. That's why the game is played every November.
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110%er [5315]
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being a coot you know all about butt holes and #####
Oct 5, 2012, 7:59 PM
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right
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Orange Blooded [2293]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 5, 2012, 10:27 PM
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"The bar has been lowered to depths we cannot fathom.."
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Orange Blooded [2609]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 6, 2012, 12:56 AM
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but Clemson plays cupcake U the saturday after Thanksgiving.
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Legend [16174]
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How ironic that the cupcake Spurrier used to schedule before
Oct 6, 2012, 2:13 AM
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FSU was typically SCU?
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Rooter [205]
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To be honest, the game is still important, but it doesn't
Oct 6, 2012, 2:17 AM
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carry as much weight as it used to, at least not right now, because we are competitive in the SEC east.
You won't like this response, but we get an easier opponent before you because the SEC is just a tougher schedule overall, this year being a prime example of that.
Not to mention, the record over the last 7 years is only 4-3 in favor of South Carolina, not really seeing a distinct advantage there.
Factor in the 2006 season where you said Clemson had the week off, but South Carolina played an inferior opponent so they had extra time. That really doesn't make sense, considering they still had to prepare for another (albeit the team was inferior), Clemson still had more time to game plan for South Carolina than South Carolina did for Clemson.
Your logic is flawed considering both teams are collectively 1-3 when coming off a bye week (1-2 for South Carolina). It's just a convenient bailout to counter the recent success and improvement of South Carolina.
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Orange Blooded [4787]
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competitive, yes. good enough to win it, no.
Oct 6, 2012, 6:19 AM
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to win the sec east you have to beat 2 teams. uga is better than they have been the last few years and uf is looking pretty good again,albeit very young. who knows what tenn. is doing. the rest of the divisions teams are wf/duke wannabee's. i think you lose to both uga and uf. that is why the clemson game is important to usuc, but, that game is a win for us, this november in the valley.
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110%er [7010]
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Rock Defender [54]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 6, 2012, 5:54 AM
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We had Furman before FSU and that didnt help us out.
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All-In [25428]
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Hate to say this, but I don't recall much discussion over
Oct 6, 2012, 6:14 AM
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the years about who plays whom the week before. Both fan bases have long considered the game to be based more on emotions with little regard given to the prior week's opponents. The Gamecocks have beaten us the past three years simply because they had the better team on the days we played and/or the better team overall.
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All-American [554]
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Re: New Theory about South Carolina/Clemson rivalry.
Oct 6, 2012, 8:24 AM
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the SEC has definitely moved more towards wrapping up conference games a little earlier. i think that changes next year and our conference season stretches out again. us not playing anyone that week is an SEC decision. if they do not schedule a conference game that week then we either keep it open or play a cupcake. no school would schedule a tough ooc game that late except for a rivalry game.
just throwing this out there also, these last 3 years we have also had greater success against other teams who usually have beaten us. it could be we are just a better team than in the past rather than an effect of creative scheduling.
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