I'd say these are the most critical games for the Gamecock football team this fall:

1. @Georgia- USC has a chance to knock off the league champs. However, they'll have to do it in a hostile environment. This game is also important for recruiting purposes and is also a big rivalry for the 'Cocks.
2. @ Tennessee- This has always been South Carolina's second biggest SEC rival, even though the lone win against Phil Fulmer's Vol army came back during the last days of the Sparky Woods regime. Should the 'Cocks lose to UGa, this game could very well decide third place in the SEC East. Like UGa-UF, the games are always heated, but USC has a bad losing streak in this one. Lou Holtz knows that all of the recruiting accolades in the world won't win him an SEC championship, so he's got to start beating the Vols sooner or later on the field. In addition, this game is big from a recruiting standpoint as well.
3. vs. Clemson: Battle for the Palmetto State. Need I say more??

If Holtz is going to build any SEC championship contender at South Carolina, he's going to have to sweep these three teams on a somewhat consistent basis, or at least win 2 of 3. It has always seemed like these games have always determined South Carolina's future prospects in anything, IMO, from the moment the Gamecocks entered the league.

UT & UGA certainly are big games for us simply due to the fact that both are legit SEC contenders, however I feel our games at Ole Miss & Arkansas are more critical simply because they appear to be more winnable, & therefore losing to them would be more devastating. I'd throw our home game with UVA in there as well, but the most critical for Lou Holtz & USC at this point is our home finale with Clemson. Lou Holtz has gone 1-3 vs a Tiger program that hasn't exactly been setting the woods on fire.

I'd know "****-a-doodle-Lou" would like to beat his former player Houston Nutt @ Arkansas. So far, the pupil's 3-1 over the teacher.

WPS

Yeah. No doubt........I give Nutt a lot of credit. He seems to know how to take advantage of Holtz' system. I think Nutt is very underrated as a coach and I think he's doing a great job in Arkansas. I expect a tough battle every year from the Hogs, and I hate that we always have to play you guys in Little Rock. BTW........the Razorback fans are among the classiest fans I've had the pleasure to meet. I was at the game in Columbia 2 years ago when we won 27-7, and I sat next to the Arkansas section. Very nice folks with a lot of class.....

I pretty much agree with what Drakeman said above. I don't see us sweeping UGA, UT and Clemson this year. If that happens I'll be in shock. Next year it's possible........but I just can't see it this season. But here are my most important games:

1) Virginia - This is the game of the year, in many ways. It will determine our season, IMO. Lose it, and this year is going to be a long one.
2) Clemson - We have to beat them this year; no ifs, ands or buts.......we have to beat Clemson. Lou cannot fall to 1-4 vs. the Tigs.
3) Georgia - Recruiting and the 1st SEC game of the year are reasons enough.
4) The Ole Miss/Arkansas road trip combo - Unfortunately, when you're playing UGA, UT and Florida every season, games like these suddenly become must wins. Those are two very tall orders for must wins......But if we don't win at least one of them, it could keep us at home come bowling season.
5) Florida - This may be our best chance to beat the Gators since entering the SEC. I don't know if it'll happen, but if we don't get them now, we may NEVER get them.

I'm hoping for 6 wins and a bowl.....but it's going to be very, very difficult.

Very classy post Galactus If you make it to the LR game, lemme know and we'll buy you a few.

Basically, it's because of Lou that you guys end up in Little Rock every time. Lou Holtz once made the quote that the "worst place for an opposing team to be was in Little Rock on a Saturday night". That one pretty much sealed USC's fate for Little Rock games, though I wouldn't mind seeing you guys come to Fayetteville for a little bit bigger audience.

Problem with Nutt right now IMO is that some coaches he can really come up with a gameplan, and some he panics and it all blows up in his face. For example, against Tommy Tuberville, Nutt is 4-1, the one loss being with our 6-6 team by 2 pts. Nutt's won every other time against Tuberville by a margin no less than 21 points. That's why we're never scared to play Auburn. Nutt will then turn around and get schooled by Richt and Franchione, or choke one like UK last year. Inconsistency is what's hurting us right now..we never know what team is coming to play.

As for fans..after decades of Texas ego-maniacs, we've learned what NOT to do. Mostly, we're more for pulling for our team than pulling against the other team. Miss. State, Tennessee, and Alabama seem to be the opposite amongst fans I've seen. Never have many problems with the SEC East schools..and I'd like to see Carolina's new hoops arena, since it was designed and built by the same folks who did Walton Arena here. I heard it's very similiar to what we have.

WPS

One day I hope to make it to a game out there........it's a long trip, not sure I can do it this year.

Our basketball arena is nice! Now, all we need is a decent team to play in it!! LOL.....

Good points about Nutt. A lot of it is about matchups, too. For example, Holtz always gives Tennessee fits........but Florida just blows us away. Tennessee runs right at us and we handle that OK......but Florida's speed always wipes us out and Holtz doesn't seem to have an answer. (BTW......I was really pulling for you guys a few years ago when you could've spoiled Tennessee's season at Knoxville, but lost the game when you fumbled it away. That hurt........that's exactly the kind of thing that would happen to us. I know how that stings!! We've had more than our share of those moments....)

I had forgotten about that comment by Holtz! Well, we could've won there two years ago, but we blew it!! :crying:

I haven't met too many classy fans in the SEC, besides those Hog fans and the Vanderbilt fans, to be honest. I lived in south Florida for close to five years.......and all I heard was Gators, Noles and Canes........and those fans get pretty nasty and personal. As for Texas, a buddy of mine who's in the Army was stationed at Lubbock for a time.......and he became a Texas Tech fan because he said he got tired of hearing the Longhorns' fans mouths!! lol.....he hates Texas now, too......

Forget the dismal record vs. ARK

I want Lou to steal one vs. UT or UF

Virginia is the watershed game. If we don't win that one, we ain't going nowhere, fella.

King Ward Wrote:Virginia is the watershed game. If we don't win that one, we ain't going nowhere, fella.

We know what you think ACC Fan :rolleyes:

Galactus Wrote:Yeah. No doubt........I give Nutt a lot of credit. He seems to know how to take advantage of Holtz' system. I think Nutt is very underrated as a coach and I think he's doing a great job in Arkansas. I expect a tough battle every year from the Hogs, and I hate that we always have to play you guys in Little Rock. BTW........the Razorback fans are among the classiest fans I've had the pleasure to meet. I was at the game in Columbia 2 years ago when we won 27-7, and I sat next to the Arkansas section. Very nice folks with a lot of class.....

I pretty much agree with what Drakeman said above. I don't see us sweeping UGA, UT and Clemson this year. If that happens I'll be in shock. Next year it's possible........but I just can't see it this season. But here are my most important games:

1) Virginia - This is the game of the year, in many ways. It will determine our season, IMO. Lose it, and this year is going to be a long one.
2) Clemson - We have to beat them this year; no ifs, ands or buts.......we have to beat Clemson. Lou cannot fall to 1-4 vs. the Tigs.
3) Georgia - Recruiting and the 1st SEC game of the year are reasons enough.
4) The Ole Miss/Arkansas road trip combo - Unfortunately, when you're playing UGA, UT and Florida every season, games like these suddenly become must wins. Those are two very tall orders for must wins......But if we don't win at least one of them, it could keep us at home come bowling season.
5) Florida - This may be our best chance to beat the Gators since entering the SEC. I don't know if it'll happen, but if we don't get them now, we may NEVER get them.

I'm hoping for 6 wins and a bowl.....but it's going to be very, very difficult.

Tennessee had better be your #3 team and I'll tell you why. They are the second SEC opponent you face, and they routinely steal recruits from your state. Quite a few of them Gamecock recruits I might add too.
IMO, this is why South Carolina has never really made any headway in the SEC. You worry about your own state recruiting first (by beating the tar out of Tennessee & Clemson) before you go raiding other states (Georgia & Florida) for talent.

DawgNBama Wrote:Tennessee had better be your #3 team and I'll tell you why. They are the second SEC opponent you face, and they routinely steal recruits from your state. Quite a few of them Gamecock recruits I might add too.
IMO, this is why South Carolina has never really made any headway in the SEC. You worry about your own state recruiting first (by beating the tar out of Tennessee & Clemson) before you go raiding other states (Georgia & Florida) for talent.

That has changed over the lasts 2-3 years. Last year, they got only one of the top 10 players from SC and the year before I don't think they got any. We will continue to recruit other states. We got one of the best HS QB's in the nation from the state of Georgia last year in Blake Mitchell.

We are getting the guys we need to win. If it translates onto the field, we will be in good shape. The team that hits the field this year may be to most talanted at USC that I can remember, ESPECIALLY on defense. They are young but they are good. We are now getting the talent we need to compete on the SEC level. I think we are going to make a little nosie this year but next year should be our break out year. We will return 16 staters, 8 on each of the ball including ALL of our skill players.

Dawg n Bama,

That's a good point. Really, any game on our schedule could be argued as "most important," but I'll stand by my list. I don't think we have a shot at UT if we can't even the other guys on my list. I don't see us going to Athens and losing, yet turning around and winning in Knoxville. It could happen, but I doubt it.

Still, you make a good point. A win over the Vols would be huge for us.

Galactus Wrote:A win over the Vols would be huge for us.

No doubt, & outside of Clemson, I can't think of a team on our schedule that I hate more than UT, which sort of goes along w/ DawginBama's comment about them being our rival.

Right, I completely agree with you there. Next to Clemson, UT is the team I can't stand more than any other on our slate. :mad:

Galactus Wrote:Right, I completely agree with you there. Next to Clemson, UT is the team I can't stand more than any other on our slate. :mad:

ditto

1st and Goal Wrote:

King Ward Wrote:Virginia is the watershed game.  If we don't win that one, we ain't going nowhere, fella.

We know what you think ACC Fan :rolleyes:

Well, suppose you tell me how well you think we'll do if we lose the UVA game. You don't think we'll win on the road at Athens or Knoxville if we lose to UVA at home, do you?? :rolleyes:

That's just it. Given the usual mentality of our football team, we are never the type of team that can lose a game like the Virginia game, then suddenly pull together and turn it around. That won't happen......it never does.....not for us, anyway. We'll get down mentally, and then UGA and UT will blow us to kingdom come.

Virginia is a must-win........biggest must-win game since the UGA game in Athens two years ago.