South Carolina Gamecocks football: Championship Envy
It wasn’t too long ago when it appeared that the Gamecocks were the most dominant football program in South Carolina.
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Once upon a time it appeared the South Carolina Gamecocks were going to set some team record every time they took the field. They had amassed their longest winning streak over the Clemson Tigers. There were able to post back to back 11-win seasons. Former head coach Steve Spurrier became the program’s all-time leader in wins. They even had a couple of their players mentioned as Heisman candidates, namely former running back Marcus Lattimore and former defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Then it happened.
The Gamecocks entered the 2014 season with a top-ten ranking and high expectations. Then ESPN came to Columbia, South Carolina and with the entire country watching, the Gamecocks laid an egg. The normally friendly confines of William’s Brice Stadium was turned into a “house of horrors”, and the Gamecocks were pushed all over the field, resulting in a 52-28 loss. That loss began an unraveling in this program, and the Gamecocks have limped on ever since.
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That 2014 season was one of the most disappointing in the program’s history because of the expectations. South Carolina would finish with a record of 7-6 (3-5 in the SEC). Their winning streak over the Tigers ended with a 35-17 loss at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Both programs, at that point, switched places.
The Tigers are now clearly not only the dominant program in South Carolina, they’re also one of the most dominant programs in the country. They’re the defending national champions, and the Gamecocks and their faithful fans are hoping they can just put a winning season together.
There’s also been some discussion about what to make of the hiring of head coach Will Muschamp even after having him at the helm for an entire season. Muschamp wasn’t the Gamecocks’ first choice (or their second). He’s already failed once as the Florida Gators’ head man, and at this point, few believe he’s fully capable of leading South Carolina to college football’s mountaintop. He is, however, partially responsible for putting together a recruiting class that 247Sports.com sees as 21st in all of college football.
This influx of talent gives Gamecocks fans hope. It won’t be an overnight process, It certainly wasn’t for Dabo Swinney and Clemson. Still there’s a theory that exists in the state of South Carolina. Some believe if the Tigers are capable of creating a winning culture in Clemson, the Gamecocks should be able to win in Columbia. Gamecocks fans are some of the most loyal in sports, and they’re hoping this proud university can bring a national championship home. After all, they did it in back-to-back years in baseball.