CONGRATULATIONS … OR SOMETHING
By FITSNEWS || Was any other team in college football a bigger disappointment in 2014 than the South Carolina Gamecocks? No … in fact it’s not even close.
South Carolina began the 2014 season ranked No. 9 in the nation. They were picked to win the SEC Eastern Division and contend for a national championship.
Obviously none of that happened. Steve Spurrier‘s squad was badly exposed in its season opening loss to Texas A&M – with its defense giving up 52 points and a school-record 680 yards to an Aggie team that turned out to be not quite as good as the Gamecocks made them out to be.
Still, on September 27 – a month after the humiliating home loss to Texas A&M – the Gamecocks enjoyed a 20-7 lead over Missouri with less than seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter. A win over the Tigers and Spurrier’s squad would have been 4-1 on the season … but it was not to be.
Carolina collapsed against Missouri … and then again in even more spectacular fashion the next week against Kentucky. And then once more for good measure the following month against Tennessee.
The end result? A 6-6 record that could produce Spurrier’s first losing season as a college coach since 1987 – his first year as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils.
Oklahoma is the only other team that began the 2014 season ranked in the Top Ten … only to finish it unranked. But the Sooners posted a much better 8-4 record, and three of their losses were to top tier opponents – No. 5 Baylor, No. 6 TCU and No. 11 Kansas State.
Stanford began the season ranked No. 11 … and also finished unranked. But the Cardinal lost to multiple ranked opponents along the way including No. 2 Oregon, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 23 Utah and No. 24 USC.
South Carolina lost to three teams that finished the season unranked – and to No. 16 Missouri, No. 17 Clemson and No. 19 Auburn. Its strength of schedule was much weaker than either Oklahoma or Stanford – and the Gamecocks posted a worse record.
From 2010-13, South Carolina exceeded expectations in the national rankings (including a No. 4 finish last season after beginning the year ranked No. 6).
This year, it just wasn’t meant to be …
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11 comments
One of the major plumbing fixture manufacturers should sponsor a bowl, “The Toilet Bowl”. And the two major college teams that have the most disappointing seasons would be invited to play in it. And if there was such bowl, not even close as the article states, for my beloved alma mater not being one of the two participants this year.
Chicken Curse
Nothing more than believing the hype boys and girls.
I had hoped for a much better season but let’s get real for a minute here folks (the people and Will). We lost waaaaaaaaay more talent last year than a lot of teams had. A win at all costs QB, a top pick defender with a cast of supporters that made them both look better than they really were. What did you expect would happen?
I don’t know, people to step up and fill shoes? It’s difficult to believe those teams from the last three years revolved around two players.
More than just those two, that’s one of my problems with where we are, the HBC and company should have seen this coming.
HBC never saw it coming because he had little confidence in Shaw and his relationship with JC was awful to start with aeve ever got better. Wtf does USC keep coaches like Spurrier and ward and hire guys like frank ‘ utalkintome’ Martin…
Yeah and all those load mouths who doubted Shaw and thought that JC was not workin hard enough on the plantation got the QB and team they deserved. spurrier is too busy throwing his visor around and grimacing than coaching….see y’all next year!
Whammy Ball
we got it Fits you Jack-Both born POS!!! U are a clempson fan. All i want for Christmas is to see u at the CLA for Basketball or better yet down in Shreveport after a bad night at the Casino!!!
The 2014 Gamecocks were far from disappointing for TBG. The only three really disappointing games were Florida, Georgia and East Carolina.
and texas a&m, kentucky, tennessee, missouri and clemson. other than those, how did you enjoy the plaly mrs. lincoln?