Charity Starts At Home, Except In The SEC
posted by Scott Hood on Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Although the start of the season is still 2-1/2 months away, I’m comfortable in predicting that USC will be favored in six of their first seven games of the season.
Other than Georgia, I see no opponent among the first seven that has more talent than the Gamecocks. So, does that mean USC will be 6-1 in those games? No, it just means if USC plays the way they’re capable of and brings their ‘A’ game from the opening kickoff, they shouldn’t lose any of those games.
So, here we go again. USC should be 6-1 with the much-discussed five-game gauntlet remaining.
Last season, the Gamecocks handled the final five games poorly, failing to make plays in the clutch when multiple games were there for the taking.
In my opinion, the entire season will turn on the stretch of three consecutive home games against LSU (10/18), Tennessee (11/1) and Arkansas (11/8).
In order for this upcoming season to be declared successful, I believe USC has to win two of those three games. No, it won’t be easy, but it’s high time the Gamecocks cop an attitude and start defending their home turf.
In 2006, USC went 0-4 at home against SEC opponents, seemingly inventing new ways to fall short each time out. Last year, they were 2-2 in the friendly confines with victories over Kentucky and Mississippi State and losses to Vanderbilt (don’t remind me) and Florida.
Doing the math, that means the Gamecocks are 2-6 against SEC foes at Williams-Brice Stadium in the past two years.
I have two words for that: totally unacceptable.
I don’t care who the opponent is or where they’re ranked in the Top 25 or how many fans an opponent brings with them or how much money the opposing head coach is earning annually. Win the bleeping game.
Will Georgia be the No. 1 team in the country when they come to Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 13? As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter.
Win the game anyway.
Refuse to lose.
Great teams (i.e. great programs) don’t care whom they’re squaring off against inside their own stadiums. They defend their home turf with a passion. Winning at home is the foundation of every relevant college football program.
More importantly, great teams take immense PRIDE in defending their home turf.
It’s time for USC to start doing the same.
Will the Gamecocks win every home game this season? Probably not. But anything less than a 5-2 mark won’t cut it in the SEC and shouldn’t cut it with Gamecock Nation unless the fan base is happy playing in the Independence Bowl again.
Unfortunately, USC’s struggles at home against SEC opponents didn’t start in the last two seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002 season, a stretch of six seasons, USC is just 9-15 when they play a SEC team at Williams-Brice Stadium. Here’s the season-by-season breakdown:
2007: 2-2
2006: 0-4
2005: 3-1
2004: 1-3
2003: 2-2
2002: 1-3
Only once (2005) during that span have the Gamecocks won three or more games against conference opponents in a single season. USC has never finished undefeated at home against conference opponents since joining the SEC in 1992.
Even if you take the 3-1 home marks in 2000 and 2001 into consideration, that still means USC is under .500 (15-17) at home in conference clashes over the last eight seasons.
Still not good enough.
That has to change if USC fancies itself as a possible contender in the SEC East race, whether it’s this year or future years.
Make no mistake, USC will not become a serious threat to win the SEC Eastern Division until it begins winning its conference home games on a consistent basis.
From this point forward, years like 2006 are completely out of the question.
The 2008 edition of the Gamecocks have an excellent opportunity to alter the disturbing recent history of USC losing far too many SEC home games.
Charity may start at home, but not in the SEC.
Success in the conference demands USC learn that valuable lesson.
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The more I look at South Carolina’s 2008 schedule, the more I’m convinced the four home games against SEC opponents will tell the tale of Steve Spurrier’s fourth season as head coach.
Although the start of the season is still 2-1/2 months away, I’m comfortable in predicting that USC will be favored in six of their first seven games of the season.
Other than Georgia, I see no opponent among the first seven that has more talent than the Gamecocks. So, does that mean USC will be 6-1 in those games? No, it just means if USC plays the way they’re capable of and brings their ‘A’ game from the opening kickoff, they shouldn’t lose any of those games.
So, here we go again. USC should be 6-1 with the much-discussed five-game gauntlet remaining.
Last season, the Gamecocks handled the final five games poorly, failing to make plays in the clutch when multiple games were there for the taking.
In my opinion, the entire season will turn on the stretch of three consecutive home games against LSU (10/18), Tennessee (11/1) and Arkansas (11/8).
In order for this upcoming season to be declared successful, I believe USC has to win two of those three games. No, it won’t be easy, but it’s high time the Gamecocks cop an attitude and start defending their home turf.
In 2006, USC went 0-4 at home against SEC opponents, seemingly inventing new ways to fall short each time out. Last year, they were 2-2 in the friendly confines with victories over Kentucky and Mississippi State and losses to Vanderbilt (don’t remind me) and Florida.
Doing the math, that means the Gamecocks are 2-6 against SEC foes at Williams-Brice Stadium in the past two years.
I have two words for that: totally unacceptable.
I don’t care who the opponent is or where they’re ranked in the Top 25 or how many fans an opponent brings with them or how much money the opposing head coach is earning annually. Win the bleeping game.
Will Georgia be the No. 1 team in the country when they come to Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 13? As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter.
Win the game anyway.
Refuse to lose.
Great teams (i.e. great programs) don’t care whom they’re squaring off against inside their own stadiums. They defend their home turf with a passion. Winning at home is the foundation of every relevant college football program.
More importantly, great teams take immense PRIDE in defending their home turf.
It’s time for USC to start doing the same.
Will the Gamecocks win every home game this season? Probably not. But anything less than a 5-2 mark won’t cut it in the SEC and shouldn’t cut it with Gamecock Nation unless the fan base is happy playing in the Independence Bowl again.
Unfortunately, USC’s struggles at home against SEC opponents didn’t start in the last two seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002 season, a stretch of six seasons, USC is just 9-15 when they play a SEC team at Williams-Brice Stadium. Here’s the season-by-season breakdown:
2007: 2-2
2006: 0-4
2005: 3-1
2004: 1-3
2003: 2-2
2002: 1-3
Only once (2005) during that span have the Gamecocks won three or more games against conference opponents in a single season. USC has never finished undefeated at home against conference opponents since joining the SEC in 1992.
Even if you take the 3-1 home marks in 2000 and 2001 into consideration, that still means USC is under .500 (15-17) at home in conference clashes over the last eight seasons.
Still not good enough.
That has to change if USC fancies itself as a possible contender in the SEC East race, whether it’s this year or future years.
Make no mistake, USC will not become a serious threat to win the SEC Eastern Division until it begins winning its conference home games on a consistent basis.
From this point forward, years like 2006 are completely out of the question.
The 2008 edition of the Gamecocks have an excellent opportunity to alter the disturbing recent history of USC losing far too many SEC home games.
Charity may start at home, but not in the SEC.
Success in the conference demands USC learn that valuable lesson.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.