South Carolina must focus internally, avoid SEC comparisons

If you are someone like South Carolina, it would be easy to look across the SEC East and wonder about other teams’ success. But that’s not a formula for success.

Tennessee was the breakout team of the 2022 season, winning 10 regular season games and winning an Orange Bowl. Georgia is building the latest dynasty in college football with back-to-back national championships. Even LSU across the way made it to Atlanta in Year One of Brian Kelly.

Shame Beamer has been building in Columbia, especially with wins over Tennessee and then in-state rival Clemson a week later. But despite South Carolina being right on the verge, they are still a step behind other SEC programs.

In order to move forward and be put on similar pedestals, On3’s J.D. PicKell believes South Carolina needs to focus internally. Running a rat race in the SEC is common. The Gamecocks blocking out other programs’ progress levels is key, though.

“I don’t think you lose sleep over what other teams in your conference are doing,” PicKell said. “It does you no service to look at Georgia and say ‘man, we got to do what Georgia is doing.’ Or look at Tennessee and say ‘man, Josh Heupel put it together so quickly. How did they do that?’

“Don’t look at that. Run your race. Be excited about the fact that you have Shane Beamer and he’s going to recruit his tail off and he’s got a culture that is second to none.”

Beamer has done great work during his time with the program. The two wins at the end of last season really accelerated the timeline, getting South Carolina to eight wins. That’s only happened once since the 2014 season — Steve Spurrier‘s final full year in charge.

Recruiting has picked up as well. Beamer brought in the No. 16 overall class during the 2023 cycle and is building well in 2024. When going up against monster SEC programs, building through the high school ranks is how battles are going to be won. South Carolina is on the right track under Beamer according to PicKell.

“I feel extremely confident, if I am a South Carolina fan, that we have got a guy to take us to where we want to go,” PicKell said. “You’re in it for the long haul now. You’re building in the most difficult conference in college football… You’re building in a gladiator-style conference where you have to bring it every single week. That’s the reality for South Carolina.”