Positives and Negatives

Yabba Dabo Debut

Life in Clemson was very similar to the theme around the new tv series "Life on Mars". It was like waking up in a different time and culture. Was it just me or did it not seem odd that Clemson fans were all of a sudden okay with a loss due to the boost in morale it gave the players? For future reference, those are called moral victories. Clemson fans should know, they've been giving South Carolina fans plenty of grief over the years for seasons full of them. Funny how outlooks change when the shoe is on the other foot.

Dabo did okay, but a season that started with promise is looking like it'll end with a different promise (to be home for Christmas). I doubt highly they can win four of the next five. However, given the circumstances, it'd be nice to see Clemson win three of the next four and have the South Carolina game mean something other than bragging rights for the second year in a row.

So Close

South Carolina has been to the edge of the next step for the past three years. At some point, Spurrier has to figure out how to get over that hump (side note: has any other sports cliche' been used more in one state over the past decade?). The SEC is no longer on the table for the Gamecocks, however with a win over Tennessee and Arkansas, they can finish the season at .500 in the SEC, and a shot at a better bowl destination than in years past. South Carolina also has a shot at only their second 9 or 10 win season ever. The last 10 win season was un Morrison is 1984 and the last 9 win season was under Holtz in 2001.

All of the above mentioned goals are acceptable to South Carolina fans, however, in both scenarios when the team hit the 9 and 10 win marks, the following 2 seasons were losing ones. Spurrier must find an offensive line and a running game to avoid repeating history in Columbia. Excuse me for stating the obvious, but those two defficiencies are the difference between close wins and close losses, and Outback Bowl and a Sugar Bowl.

Everything aside, this was a season that did hold much hope for the Gamecocks. Maybe be they end, they'll begin to see the top of that hump.