Its time to leave the SEC BE HONEST

Oct 11, 2015
674
659
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Be honest this **** just isnt working. No program does less with more than USC. We need 9-10 win seasons to become a contender and its NEVER happening in the SEC. We should leave for the ACC or Big12
 
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SouthernBelly

Senior
Sep 16, 2024
862
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Gamecocks weren't any good prior to the SEC. I think they have a loosing record against most of the ACC opponents they used to play with regularity. So if that is any sort of metric then leaving the SEC ain't fixing anything. But don't disagree with the less with more statement. At least they number one in something.
 
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cocksx5

Redshirt
Aug 16, 2026
65
30
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wouldnt effect women's sports, our bball program n shambles, baseball hopefully coming back, football would effect in making for more level playing field with other teams that aren't ever going to b tip 25 consistently. but right now louisville duke Miami smu probably all beat us n fball play Clemson there they win but ncst wake va rest 50/50 don't sleep on vt-franklin was great hire so we might b middle of road and have winning conference record but we wouldn't win conference but would b playing more teams like us, historically mediocre
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
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?? - Spurrier didn't seem to have a problem with it - until he quit.
Spurrier had 3 really good seasons, 7 so-so seasons, and 1 season where he quit on the team mid season.

Fans really overvalue what he did at SC. He did not win a championship of any kind, didn't go to a major bowl, really didn't do anything of consequence other than win some seemingly big regular season games.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
3,243
113
We won the ACC before. Simple: Clemson becomes a conference game so we can schedule 3 G5/FCS teams. Thats 3. Already 1 better than we can get in the SEC. BC, Syracuse, Wake, NCSU, Maryland, Va Tech, much more our style than the SEC
That ACC championship was so long ago, most students, fans and players who celebrated it are dead now.

The upside would be that the schedule would have more teams who exist at our level of mediocrity in football on it.
 

I4CtheFuture

All-Conference
Oct 5, 2024
1,381
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Spurrier had 3 really good seasons, 7 so-so seasons, and 1 season where he quit on the team mid season.

Fans really overvalue what he did at SC. He did not win a championship of any kind, didn't go to a major bowl, really didn't do anything of consequence other than win some seemingly big regular season games.
Oh, I totally agree with you. TLDR: We were about 5 years behind father time in him becoming our coach.

I'm still pissed at him. - It took a few years to get things rolling, then we got Lattimore and Clowney and those guys. IMHO, he screwed up and didn't listen to his own advice after Lattimore ran all over Georgia that one day. He even said after the game that the play calling really wasn't all that complicated. "Just give the ball to Marcus." - DUH!!!!!!

If he would've / could've listened to his own darn advice, I believe Marcus would have run straight to the Heisman trophy.... thus increasing USC football program status THAT MUCH MORE in addition to the name / coach "Spurrier." - We would have gotten even more better recruits.

But he just couldn't help himself and kept calling pass plays. Marcus got hurt, the rest is history. Spurrier *ALMOST* had us over the hump, and he quit. Quit recruiting. Quit caring. Didn't have the fire for that one final push to the mountain top. IE: He quit. - Yes, I'm still pissed about it. Sooooooo freakin' close. He quit, it fell apart. Now we're here.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
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Oh, I totally agree with you. TLDR: We were about 5 years behind father time in him becoming our coach.

I'm still pissed at him. - It took a few years to get things rolling, then we got Lattimore and Clowney and those guys. IMHO, he screwed up and didn't listen to his own advice after Lattimore ran all over Georgia that one day. He even said after the game that the play calling really wasn't all that complicated. "Just give the ball to Marcus." - DUH!!!!!!

If he would've / could've listened to his own darn advice, I believe Marcus would have run straight to the Heisman trophy.... thus increasing USC football program status THAT MUCH MORE in addition to the name / coach "Spurrier." - We would have gotten even more better recruits.

But he just couldn't help himself and kept calling pass plays. Marcus got hurt, the rest is history. Spurrier *ALMOST* had us over the hump, and he quit. Quit recruiting. Quit caring. Didn't have the fire for that one final push to the mountain top. IE: He quit. - Yes, I'm still pissed about it. Sooooooo freakin' close. He quit, it fell apart. Now we're here.
Once the "easy" success of having Shaw, Jeffrey, Lattimore and Clowney on the roster went away, Spurrier didn't want to put in any more hard work. He was done. I think he took the SC job because his ego wouldn't let him retire as a failure after his NFL coaching debacle. He still wanted to believe he was the "evil genius" who could cast a magic spell on a college team and win big. His ego was/is huge and he couldn't abide the thought that his time had passed.
 
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KingWard

All-American
Feb 15, 2022
8,547
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Once the "easy" success of having Shaw, Jeffrey, Lattimore and Clowney on the roster went away, Spurrier didn't want to put in any more hard work. He was done. I think he took the SC job because his ego wouldn't let him retire as a failure after his NFL coaching debacle. He still wanted to believe he was the "evil genius" who could cast a magic spell on a college team and win big. His ego was/is huge and he couldn't abide the thought that his time had passed.
It was primarily the disintegration of the staff over time. That was the proximate cause of the downturn. We weren't the same after Ellis Johnson left and Lorenzo Ward took over the defense. Mangus was a bad loss also, and the lazy Spurrier Jr. as recruiting coordinator (de facto) and co-offensive coordinator with Shawn Elliott (a decent line coach but that was about all) was disastrous. The best running backs coach Spurrier had while he was here left. Those are just off the top of my head. The organization had deteriorated critically by the time the 2014 season started, but the downward arc had been trending.
 
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Psycock

Joined Jan 20, 2001
Jan 29, 2022
1,147
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Agree with King. SOS did great things for the program, took us to new heights. I think the biggest fault was not replacing the quality coaches we lost with equally good coaches. Don`t know if he couldn`t hire who he wanted to(? $$$) or he just wanted to give lesser known coaches a chance like someone gave him when he was an up & coming assistant. One reason I have hope for the current team is I think our assistants seem to be an upgrade this year for sure. It may not have looked like it last night but hopefully we will improve.
 

uscjunkie

Senior
Jan 27, 2022
991
724
93
It was primarily the disintegration of the staff over time. That was the proximate cause of the downturn. We weren't the same after Ellis Johnson left and Lorenzo Ward took over the defense. Mangus was a bad loss also, and the lazy Spurrier Jr. as recruiting coordinator (de facto) and co-offensive coordinator with Shawn Elliott (a decent line coach but that was about all) was disastrous. The best running backs coach Spurrier had while he was here left. Those are just off the top of my head. The organization had deteriorated critically by the time the 2014 season started, but the downward arc had been trending.
Sorta funny you mention the recruiting downfall under Spurrier Jr......remember who the recruiting coordinator was when we got all those great players??? Beamer himself!
 

Statelinecock

Junior
Oct 2, 2010
178
206
43
South Carolina is known for being a bad football program with great and loyal fans. That hasn't changed one bit for the decades I've followed them. I no longer expect anything different. I know them so well that last night when they were up 23-21 I told my wife lets go out to eat because this game is over and no need to sit here and watch it systematically happen.
 
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uscjunkie

Senior
Jan 27, 2022
991
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South Carolina is known for being a bad football program with great and loyal fans. That hasn't changed one bit for the decades I've followed them. I no longer expect anything different. I know them so well that last night when they were up 23-21 I told my wife lets go out to eat because this game is over and no need to sit here and watch it systematically happen.
You must be pretty young....lol... I knew when we didn't score TD's at the beginning of the game.
 

TheRoo

Joined Nov 3, 2021
Feb 6, 2022
247
152
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Dropping back to a lesser league isn't the worse idea if the system doesn't change.

If you could get in a league where your fundraising would be Top 3 in the conference, it might be worth considering.

Yes - The SEC pays well but now that you can openly paid for your team -- donor funds would far exceed that if you were in the playoff hunt on any consistent basis.

The rub would be a painful regular season schedule.

Not to mention, it would send a big message to college football that they need to change their ways.
 

KingWard

All-American
Feb 15, 2022
8,547
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Sorta funny you mention the recruiting downfall under Spurrier Jr......remember who the recruiting coordinator was when we got all those great players??? Beamer himself!
Exactly, and now he has become the poster child for the Peter Principle.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
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Dropping back to a lesser league isn't the worse idea if the system doesn't change.

If you could get in a league where your fundraising would be Top 3 in the conference, it might be worth considering.

Yes - The SEC pays well but now that you can openly paid for your team -- donor funds would far exceed that if you were in the playoff hunt on any consistent basis.

The rub would be a painful regular season schedule.

Not to mention, it would send a big message to college football that they need to change their ways.
I think the message it would send would be, "South Carolina couldn't make it in the SEC so they dropped down to a lower level of competition".
 
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TheRoo

Joined Nov 3, 2021
Feb 6, 2022
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I think the message it would send would be, "South Carolina couldn't make it in the SEC so they dropped down to a lower level of competition".

And that would largely be true. If we were still operating in the old (non-pay) system and could find another big name coach to naturally pull in recruits, it would be a different story.

Also, messages don't really mean much anyone. If you end up in the playoffs by hook or crook, all will be forgotten.
 

Dutch Cock

Joined Nov 14, 2005
Nov 14, 2005
2,835
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Never leave the SEC, while our athletic acumen has not been the best, it's better than being in a dying ACC or some other podunk conference. Think we can't recruit now, put us in the ACC and see what happens.
 
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Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
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And that would largely be true. If we were still operating in the old (non-pay) system and could find another big name coach to naturally pull in recruits, it would be a different story.

Also, messages don't really mean much anyone. If you end up in the playoffs by hook or crook, all will be forgotten.
I agree 100% about the playoff thing. I do think the path to the playoff would be much easier if we were not in the SEC.

A schedule with one or two powerhouse teams on it vs. four or five would make a huge difference.
 
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Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
3,243
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Never leave the SEC, while our athletic acumen has not been the best, it's better than being in a dying ACC or some other podunk conference. Think we can't recruit now, put us in the ACC and see what happens.
Clemson has been able to recruit just fine in the ACC. They can offer top recruits an easier path to better college stats than an SEC team can.

I don't think being in the SEC is pulling any recruits to us that we wouldn't get anyway. If they are really good, other SEC teams are recruiting them too.
 
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RevRuss

Senior
Feb 2, 2022
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This could be most ridiculous question ever. (1) It's all about the money. (2) being a mediocre SEC team is better than winning any other conference. (3) all sports (WBB, MBB, BB, softball) even football would suffer - recruits don't want to go to 3rd rate conference. Did I mention, it's all about the money.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
3,243
113
This could be most ridiculous question ever. (1) It's all about the money. (2) being a mediocre SEC team is better than winning any other conference. (3) all sports (WBB, MBB, BB, softball) even football would suffer - recruits don't want to go to 3rd rate conference. Did I mention, it's all about the money.
You do realize an ACC team played for the football national championship last year? A Big XII team played for the NC in 2022. An ACC team was in the CWS championship this year. A Big East team played for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship this year.

If money is the driver, we should figure out a way to get into the B1G. We could be mediocre there and get paid more for it.
 

TheRoo

Joined Nov 3, 2021
Feb 6, 2022
247
152
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You do realize an ACC team played for the football national championship last year? A Big XII team played for the NC in 2022. An ACC team was in the CWS championship this year. A Big East team played for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship this year.

If money is the driver, we should figure out a way to get into the B1G. We could be mediocre there and get paid more for it.

We'll never do it in a million years but you'd only be losing $20 million a year on average to go back to the ACC (across all sports.)

If you could finish in the Top 3 or 4 in the ACC with a 24-Field Playoff, that would more than make up for the deficiet alone via exposure and corporate donor interest.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
25,650
3,243
113
We'll never do it in a million years but you'd only be losing $20 million a year on average to go back to the ACC (across all sports.)

If you could finish in the Top 3 or 4 in the ACC with a 24-Field Playoff, that would more than make up for the deficiet alone via exposure and corporate donor interest.
In today's ACC, I think finishing in the top 3 or 4 would be very doable. I think we would be top 3 or 4 in almost all major sports and the non revenue sports as well.

I think SC fans would enjoy being a big fish in a smaller ACC pond than irrelevant in almost everything in the SEC. Donors would like it more too in my opinion.
 

TheRoo

Joined Nov 3, 2021
Feb 6, 2022
247
152
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In today's ACC, I think finishing in the top 3 or 4 would be very doable. I think we would be top 3 or 4 in almost all major sports and the non revenue sports as well.

I think SC fans would enjoy being a big fish in a smaller ACC pond than irrelevant in almost everything in the SEC. Donors would like it more too in my opinion.
Agree. It will never happen though. The SEC would need to kick us out before we would leave.
 
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