If we win out...

[Bubba Fett]

...and we do not make the playoff, please, please, let us NOT whine, moan, and bee-itch, like Free Shoes U did last year. Or do the "revenge tour" BS. We need to just build on it.

We have, at least, one more year with Sellers. We have some decent recruits, and there should be a bunch of talent wanting to come join Sellers through the Portal.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I can't imagine anyone actually whining about us not making it with 3 losses. It would take a downright miracle and an extremely favorable view from the committee for us to get it.

As it stands, there's no reason we should get in. Yeah, we're playing very well right now, but as another poster on here said "you are what your record says you are." I know there's lots of "if the refs hadn't screwed us against LSU" but the refs didn't have anything to do with us blowing our initial 17-0 lead.

I'd say we could make it interesting if we just went out and mauled Clemson. Even so, my opinion when expansion was announced was that nobody with 3 losses should sniff playing for a national title, and I stand by that.

 

[Gamecock72]

With 3 losses, I would have no issue being left out. I think that is fair under the current setup.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I can't imagine anyone actually whining about us not making it with 3 losses. It would take a downright miracle and an extremely favorable view from the committee for us to get it.

As it stands, there's no reason we should get in. Yeah, we're playing very well right now, but as another poster on here said "you are what your record says you are." I know there's lots of "if the refs hadn't screwed us against LSU" but the refs didn't have anything to do with us blowing our initial 17-0 lead.

I'd say we could make it interesting if we just went out and mauled Clemson. Even so, my opinion when expansion was announced was that nobody with 3 losses should sniff playing for a national title, and I stand by that.

Depends on how it goes. I can see some whining if we win out and some 2 loss teams take another loss. There is a chance that the loser of the SEC Championship game will then be a 3 loss team. There is a lot of great football remaining!

 

[Maccmaine12]

I would only be mad at the refs cheating us against LSU. I actually blame the SEC more than the refs though. Seem like the league trying their best to get the most teams in the playoffs as possible and they thought LSU would have a better chance. Just my opinion

 

[1vagamecock]

We are the highest ranked 3 loss team, I can't see us whining about

 

[gamecock stock]

Saban said if there was one thing he could change about the playoff system, it would be for college football to do like college basketball: take strength of schedule into consideration on the selections. Right now, that is not the case. The selection people look at the body of work over an entire season no matter how weak or strong the schedule is. So, right now, with 3 losses, we are out of luck making the playoffs.

I will say what I previously said: shoot for running the table and thus finishing the season in the Top 15. That has been done only 6 times in the entire history of SC football. Do that and build on it. Build on it by bringing in quality players through the Transfer Portal. In the first year of the Transfer Portal, we brought in a Top 10 class. We followed that up by winning 8 games. In the 2nd year of the Portal, we did not do so good and followed that up with the disappointing 2023 season. In the most recent Portal, we brought in another Top 10 class. The result is this year's team and performance. So, run the table on the field this season and bring in a great Transfer Portal Class. Then, we could make the playoffs next season, without any doubt.

 

[3USC1801]

For the life of me I can’t understand an argument predicated on W/L record alone. Strength of schedule must also be a huge factor. Look at ND. They lose to a vastly inferior program, play weak teams and are ranked #6 (!).

USC has the 6th ranked most difficult schedule in the nation, plays shoulder-to-shoulder with highly ranked teams (8), beating four (and five if they beat Clemson) ranked teams, and have fought and scratched their way to a . . . #19 rank.

Should USC be included in the playoffs if they win out? ABSOLUTELY! With 3 losses? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Do I expect it? No.

 

[18IsTheMan]

For the life of me I can’t understand an argument predicated on W/L record alone. Strength of schedule must also be a huge factor. Look at ND. They lose to a vastly inferior program, play weak teams and are ranked #6 (!).

USC has the 6th ranked most difficult schedule in the nation, plays shoulder-to-shoulder with highly ranked teams (8), beating four (and five if they beat Clemson) ranked teams, and have fought and scratched their way to a . . . #19 rank.

Should USC be included in the playoffs if they win out? ABSOLUTELY! With 3 losses? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Do I expect it? No.

I think SOS should absolutely come into play when evaluating teams with comparable records. I just don't see SOS getting us to the top 12 though. Bad calls from the LSU game aside, we blew a 17-0 lead. We pooped the bed against Ole Miss. The Bama game we just blew it with 4 turnovers.

We're a play or two away from being a 2-loss team and in the thick of it, but we did it to ourselves.

 

[3USC1801]

I think SOS should absolutely come into play when evaluating teams with comparable records. I just don't see SOS getting us to the top 12 though. Bad calls from the LSU game aside, we blew a 17-0 lead. We pooped the bed against Ole Miss. The Bama game we just blew it with 4 turnovers.

We're a play or two away from being a 2-loss team and in the thick of it, but we did it to ourselves.

No, I don’t think there’s even a slight chance USC makes the playoffs. It’s nice to be close and receive national attention but all the talk is just fluff.

Aside from the LSU game where the scales of winning were tipped against us, you are correct: we should have won against Bama. Assuming we win out, a 10-2 record would most certainly have put us in serious contention for the playoffs. Close but no cigar.

Even so, this program has exceeded expectations and lifted its profile nationally to where it might positively impact recruiting. That bodes well for the near future.

 

[Uscg1984]

If we win out with 6 straight wins and a beating of Clemson, any Gamecock fan who whines about how this season went down needs to be slapped.

 

[18IsTheMan]

If we win out with 6 straight wins and a beating of Clemson, any Gamecock fan who whines about how this season went down needs to be slapped.

Going out on a limb, but I don't think we have ever finished a regular season with 6 straight wins (disclaimer: only looked at 1984 and 2011-2013). So, yes, there should be nothing to complain about.