Spring football 25: South Carolina Gamecocks

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Spring football 25: South Carolina Gamecocks

What happened in 2012
South Carolina had the greatest disappointing season one could imagine.
The Gamecocks had two losses all season: at LSU, which was No. 9 at the time, and the next week at Florida, which was No. 2 at the time. The LSU loss was by two points. The Florida game was a blowout, but still, there's no shame in losing at either of those stadiums.
For this, the Gamecocks got third place in their division and a trip to the Outback Bowl, which is behind the BCS Championship Game (a SEC given at this point), Sugar Bowl and Capital One Bowl in the SEC bowl pecking order, and considered equal with the Cotton Bowl.
An 11-win season with victories against Clemson, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas would generally be a season to reminisce about for many years. The Gamecocks probably would have been a runaway champion in any conference but one. Its final ranking in the coaches poll was No. 7, the best in school history. Yet the 2012 season for a really talented South Carolina team seemed just a little empty, with no division title, no conference title and a good but not great bowl game. The good news for the Gamecocks is they'll still be loaded in 2013, and can make a run at a division title and maybe more.
What makes them interesting in 2013

We all know the reason they're going to be one of the most watched teams in college football this year, but we'll get to him in a moment. This team is much more than a one-man show, anyway.
South Carolina brings back 36 lettermen and 12 starters, a lot of talent and experience on both lines and a couple of capable quarterbacks. There are some question marks, particularly at the offensive skill positions, but the foundation for this team is pretty strong.
What really makes this team unique is that there are just four scholarship seniors on the roster. True, the best player isn't a senior but will be the top pick of the 2014 NFL draft, but overall this is a team that should be in the mix for a SEC title and returns just about everyone for 2014 as well. Coach Steve Spurrier has done a tremendous job building the program.

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