OU is now MUST MUST win

[18IsTheMan]

Coming into the season, most fans wrote off the stretch of Ole Miss, Bama and OU as an 0-3 stretch and looked us for to pull an upset somewhere else on the schedule, perhaps an upset of LSU or A&M at WB. However, after shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly to stumble to losses against Bama and LSU in games we could have easily won, and with A&M looking much improved and Vandy not being the pushover we thought they'd be AND with OU looking like a beatable team, this game looms very large. OU's offense is actually worse than ours in just about every category. They haven't beaten a good team so far (but maybe we haven't either).

Even with the game at OU, the line has moved to -1.5. This game was penciled in as a loss by pretty much the entire fan base pre-season, but it has moved solidly into the winnable category. After bumbling our way to losses in winnable games against LSU and Bama, this is a game we simply have to refuse to lose. Our fan base senses that this is a game we should be competitive in and have a realistic shot at winning. If we lose, I think the fans will be utterly deflated. At this point, the only thing keeping fans hanging on is the tantalizing thought of what might have been against LSU and Bama. At some point, we just have to win a games we are capable of winning.

Now, maybe OU comes out and blows our doors off or maybe we look like we did against Ole Miss. Aside from that, though, if this is a competitive game, we simply have to win.

 

[1vagamecock]

Coming into the season, most fans wrote off the stretch of Ole Miss, Bama and OU as an 0-3 stretch and looked us for to pull an upset somewhere else on the schedule, perhaps an upset of LSU or A&M at WB. However, after shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly to stumble to losses against Bama and LSU in games we could have easily won, and with A&M looking much improved and Vandy not being the pushover we thought they'd be AND with OU looking like a beatable team, this game looms very large. OU's offense is actually worse than ours in just about every category. They haven't beaten a good team so far (but maybe we haven't either).

Even with the game at OU, the line has moved to -1.5. This game was penciled in as a loss by pretty much the entire fan base pre-season, but it has moved solidly into the winnable category. After bumbling our way to losses in winnable games against LSU and Bama, this is a game we simply have to refuse to lose. Our fan base senses that this is a game we should be competitive in and have a realistic shot at winning. If we lose, I think the fans will be utterly deflated. At this point, the only thing keeping fans hanging on is the tantalizing thought of what might have been against LSU and Bama. At some point, we just have to win a games we are capable of winning.

Now, maybe OU comes out and blows our doors off or maybe we look like we did against Ole Miss. Aside from that, though, if this is a competitive game, we simply have to win.

I would tend to agree with your statement although falling just short might be the identity of this team for 2024.
If we get completely destroyed it is an awful look for the team, especially after what happened after th LSU game.
After so many years of watching Gamecock football i come to expect .500 football. If we are under .500 I do something else if we are over .500 I enjoy it.....most the time.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I would tend to agree with your statement although falling just short might be the identity of this team for 2024.
If we get completely destroyed it is an awful look for the team, especially after what happened after th LSU game.
After so many years of watching Gamecock football i come to expect .500 football. If we are under .500 I do something else if we are over .500 I enjoy it.....most the time.

Personally, I can handle being taken to the woodshed a lot easier than continually falling short. For one thing, it consumes less of my time if we get blown out than it does when we lose in heartbreaking fashion.

 

[18IsTheMan]

From Oklahoma news site. Four of their 7 reporters predicted a Gamecocks win.

Seems they feel much the same about their team as we feel about ours.

OU football vs South Carolina score predictions for Sooners-Gamecocks in Week 8

OU has generally performed well the game after playing Texas. The Sooners are hoping that history will hold up when they face South Carolina on Saturday.

www.oklahoman.com

 

[gamecock stock]

Coming into the season, most fans wrote off the stretch of Ole Miss, Bama and OU as an 0-3 stretch and looked us for to pull an upset somewhere else on the schedule, perhaps an upset of LSU or A&M at WB. However, after shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly to stumble to losses against Bama and LSU in games we could have easily won, and with A&M looking much improved and Vandy not being the pushover we thought they'd be AND with OU looking like a beatable team, this game looms very large. OU's offense is actually worse than ours in just about every category. They haven't beaten a good team so far (but maybe we haven't either).

Even with the game at OU, the line has moved to -1.5. This game was penciled in as a loss by pretty much the entire fan base pre-season, but it has moved solidly into the winnable category. After bumbling our way to losses in winnable games against LSU and Bama, this is a game we simply have to refuse to lose. Our fan base senses that this is a game we should be competitive in and have a realistic shot at winning. If we lose, I think the fans will be utterly deflated. At this point, the only thing keeping fans hanging on is the tantalizing thought of what might have been against LSU and Bama. At some point, we just have to win a games we are capable of winning.

Now, maybe OU comes out and blows our doors off or maybe we look like we did against Ole Miss. Aside from that, though, if this is a competitive game, we simply have to win.

It's a "must win" for them too after being blown out by rival Texas, don't you think?

 

[18IsTheMan]

It's a "must win" for them too after being blown out by rival Texas, don't you think?

Yep. Whoever loses likely sees their bowl chances evaporate.

 

[Lurker123]

I see a low scoring defensive battle, allowing for a single mistake to make the difference.

But every time I see that coming, it's a high scoring shootout.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I see a low scoring defensive battle, allowing for a single mistake to make the difference.

But every time I see that coming, it's a high scoring shootout.

Turnovers may be the difference. It's a major problem for us and not much of a problem for OU.

Also not really sure what to expect. Everything about this says it should be a competitive game. If our history is indication, that means we're ripe for a blowout.

 

[Piscis]

Venables may be coaching for his job in this game. I think the OU fans have about had enough of him and a loss to South Carolina might be enough to bring out the pitchforks.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Venables may be coaching for his job in this game. I think the OU fans have about had enough of him and a loss to South Carolina might be enough to bring out the pitchforks.

Aside from us and Auburn, their other 6 SEC games are: UT, Texas, Ole Miss, Mizzou, Bama and LSU. If they can't beat us, it's tough to see them beating Ole Miss, Mizzou, Bama or LSU. A 1-7 or 2-6 conference record could be in the works for them.

We got our own problems, though.

 

[Piscis]

Aside from us and Auburn, their other 6 SEC games are: UT, Texas, Ole Miss, Mizzou, Bama and LSU. If they can't beat us, it's tough to see them beating Ole Miss, Mizzou, Bama or LSU. A 1-7 or 2-6 conference record could be in the works for them.

We got our own problems, though.

Yeah; my point was, I don't think Venables or the OU team will be taking us lightly at all and this probably isn't good for us.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

Venables may be coaching for his job in this game. I think the OU fans have about had enough of him and a loss to South Carolina might be enough to bring out the pitchforks.

Even experienced coordinators have trouble transitioning to HC and moving to the SEC doesn't help.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Yeah; my point was, I don't think Venables or the OU team will be taking us lightly at all and this probably isn't good for us.

Not to be overly pessimistic, but I've been down this road too many times to remember. After some narrow misses against highly ranked teams, we come into a game like this thinking it should be a pretty even match. Then we get boat raced. Either because the opposing team with a putrid offense suddenly discovers some random RB we can't stop or because we look thoroughly unprepared. I've seen it all.

 

[92Pony]

Not to be overly pessimistic, but I've been down this road too many times to remember. After some narrow misses against highly ranked teams, we come into a game like this thinking it should be a pretty even match. Then we get boat raced. Either because the opposing team with a putrid offense suddenly discovers some random RB we can't stop or because we look thoroughly unprepared. I've seen it all.

This is right where I'm at: I'm afraid we're gonna get smoked. Their O will look all-world, and we'll have 6 TOs..... (I know I'm being very pessimistic; but I've been a Gamecock fan for 50yrs - that's about as far back as I can remember anyways - so I think I've earned the right to be pessimistic! )

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

Not to be overly pessimistic, but I've been down this road too many times to remember. After some narrow misses against highly ranked teams, we come into a game like this thinking it should be a pretty even match. Then we get boat raced. Either because the opposing team with a putrid offense suddenly discovers some random RB we can't stop or because we look thoroughly unprepared. I've seen it all.

Since we did not have an off week, I'm hoping we are better prepared.
But we do make ''player of the week'' out of unknown players.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Since we did not have an off week, I'm hoping we are better prepared.
But we do make ''player of the week'' out of unknown players.

Odds are someone will etch their name into Sooner lore this weekend.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Even though OU is seemingly down this year, a win adds an air of legitimacy to our program. Kind of like beating ND @ ND in 1984 when Faust was the coach. It wasn't the ND of old, but it was a still a win at ND.

A loss signals just more of the same.

 

[Beanerball]

OU was a 3 point favorite, as of today we are a 1 point favorite. I hope Vegas is right, but to the point, a must win game.

 

[Anon1707433287]

Have a feeling it all comes down to Sellers avoiding the Oklahoma D

 

[USCEE82]

I just don't have any faith in our offense. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[ThinnyJ]

Turnovers may be the difference. It's a major problem for us and not much of a problem for OU.

Also not really sure what to expect. Everything about this says it should be a competitive game. If our history is indication, that means we're ripe for a blowout.

Flipped the script on this one