The Most Important Game Of The Year
posted by Scott Hood, Thursday, July 24, 2008
Yes, I fully understand that all the games are important and that in the overall victory count for a bowl bid a win over UAB or Wofford counts just as much as one over Georgia, Florida or LSU.
But, to paraphrase a notable writer, all games are created equal but some are more equal than others.
So, why Tennessee? Because the perception in the college football universe is that the Gamecocks and Volunteers are battling for third place in the SEC East behind Georgia and Florida.
Also, Steve Spurrier urgently needs a victory over Tennessee to show the USC program is making progress. If USC loses to Georgia on Sept. 13, then a win over the Vols is vital because USC can’t afford being shutout by the so-called “Big Three” like they were in 2006. They were 1-2 against the trio in 2007.
If USC fancies itself being part of the SEC East race, the days of going 0-3 against Georgia, Florida and Tennessee must be declared over. Do that again in 2008 and the Gamecocks will be more pretender than contender.
After USC stunned Tennessee, 16-15, in Knoxville in 2005, the Gamecocks gift-wrapped a pair of losses to Tennessee over the next two years.
An interception and batted ball in the end zone produced two first-half touchdowns for the Vols in 2006 at Williams-Brice Stadium before a major special teams meltdown following the go-ahead field goal last year with under two minutes left in Knoxville led to a game-tying field goal and then an OT defeat.
If USC carried a three-game winning streak (which it should have) over Tennessee into this year’s game, I would claim that another game was the most important of the season for USC.
But they don’t, so I won’t.
Based on the seemingly excruciating ways USC has fallen the last two years to Tennessee, it’s time to start making plays at crunch time and beat the Vols at home.
Also, the contest against Tennessee falls the week after the LSU game. Let’s say USC loses to the Tigers (a very good possibility considering how talented LSU is, especially on defense), then another defeat to Tennessee would, in my opinion, send Gamecock Nation into the same “here we go again” funk that sabotaged the 2007 season.
When you look at the season as a whole, I believe USC must win at least two of the three home games scheduled against LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas during a key stretch extending from Oct. 18 to Nov. 8.
If you compare the schedules for USC and Tennessee, everything falls perfectly into place for the Gamecocks. USC has the final Saturday in October off while Tennessee must face heated rival Alabama in Knoxville.
And this year’s meeting between the Vols and Tide could be even more frenzied than normal. Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, one of the best in the business, reported late Thursday afternoon on the newspaper’s web site that Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer was served with a subpoena when he arrived at the Wynfrey Hotel earlier in the day as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by an Alabama booster against the NCAA and others.
According to an article on the website of the Knoxville News, the plaintiff is a used car salesman in Chattanooga. So, a used car salesman is sung the NCAA. Now that's irony.
Higgins reported that Fulmer is required to appear at a law office in Birmingham for a deposition on Sept. 25, two days before the Vols are supposed to play at Auburn. Interesting.
For his part, Fulmer said all the right things Thursday during his appearance at SEC Media Days. He talked about the great effort put forth by his players over the summer, about his excitement over the new-look UT offense and about the lack of respect Tenenssee was getting from the media.
I admit I almost believed it.
So, you have two teams that many people feel are fairy equal in talent, Tennessee is breaking in a new QB and a new offensive coordinator and USC will rest comfortably seven days before the matchup while the Vols will expend considerable mental and physical energy battling one of their arch-rivals.
And their head coach could be distracted by the machinations of a clumsy lawsuit.
Considering all those factors, if USC doesn’t get it done this year against Tennessee, then, quite frankly, when will they?
After two near-misses, the time is now for USC to finally slay the dragon on its home turf.
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After reading a few of the pre-season magazines and digesting all the information available to the media here at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., I’ve reached the following conclusion: the home game against Tennessee on Nov. 1 is the most important game of the year for South Carolina.
Yes, I fully understand that all the games are important and that in the overall victory count for a bowl bid a win over UAB or Wofford counts just as much as one over Georgia, Florida or LSU.
But, to paraphrase a notable writer, all games are created equal but some are more equal than others.
So, why Tennessee? Because the perception in the college football universe is that the Gamecocks and Volunteers are battling for third place in the SEC East behind Georgia and Florida.
Also, Steve Spurrier urgently needs a victory over Tennessee to show the USC program is making progress. If USC loses to Georgia on Sept. 13, then a win over the Vols is vital because USC can’t afford being shutout by the so-called “Big Three” like they were in 2006. They were 1-2 against the trio in 2007.
If USC fancies itself being part of the SEC East race, the days of going 0-3 against Georgia, Florida and Tennessee must be declared over. Do that again in 2008 and the Gamecocks will be more pretender than contender.
After USC stunned Tennessee, 16-15, in Knoxville in 2005, the Gamecocks gift-wrapped a pair of losses to Tennessee over the next two years.
An interception and batted ball in the end zone produced two first-half touchdowns for the Vols in 2006 at Williams-Brice Stadium before a major special teams meltdown following the go-ahead field goal last year with under two minutes left in Knoxville led to a game-tying field goal and then an OT defeat.
If USC carried a three-game winning streak (which it should have) over Tennessee into this year’s game, I would claim that another game was the most important of the season for USC.
But they don’t, so I won’t.
Based on the seemingly excruciating ways USC has fallen the last two years to Tennessee, it’s time to start making plays at crunch time and beat the Vols at home.
Also, the contest against Tennessee falls the week after the LSU game. Let’s say USC loses to the Tigers (a very good possibility considering how talented LSU is, especially on defense), then another defeat to Tennessee would, in my opinion, send Gamecock Nation into the same “here we go again” funk that sabotaged the 2007 season.
When you look at the season as a whole, I believe USC must win at least two of the three home games scheduled against LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas during a key stretch extending from Oct. 18 to Nov. 8.
If you compare the schedules for USC and Tennessee, everything falls perfectly into place for the Gamecocks. USC has the final Saturday in October off while Tennessee must face heated rival Alabama in Knoxville.
And this year’s meeting between the Vols and Tide could be even more frenzied than normal. Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, one of the best in the business, reported late Thursday afternoon on the newspaper’s web site that Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer was served with a subpoena when he arrived at the Wynfrey Hotel earlier in the day as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by an Alabama booster against the NCAA and others.
According to an article on the website of the Knoxville News, the plaintiff is a used car salesman in Chattanooga. So, a used car salesman is sung the NCAA. Now that's irony.
Higgins reported that Fulmer is required to appear at a law office in Birmingham for a deposition on Sept. 25, two days before the Vols are supposed to play at Auburn. Interesting.
For his part, Fulmer said all the right things Thursday during his appearance at SEC Media Days. He talked about the great effort put forth by his players over the summer, about his excitement over the new-look UT offense and about the lack of respect Tenenssee was getting from the media.
I admit I almost believed it.
So, you have two teams that many people feel are fairy equal in talent, Tennessee is breaking in a new QB and a new offensive coordinator and USC will rest comfortably seven days before the matchup while the Vols will expend considerable mental and physical energy battling one of their arch-rivals.
And their head coach could be distracted by the machinations of a clumsy lawsuit.
Considering all those factors, if USC doesn’t get it done this year against Tennessee, then, quite frankly, when will they?
After two near-misses, the time is now for USC to finally slay the dragon on its home turf.
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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 @.