SB Nation’s Arkansas and South Carolina communities discuss today’s game, and whether the Gamecocks can weather their traditional late-season faceplant:
Arkansas Vs. South Carolina: Can Gamecocks Bust Traditional November Slump?
Recent history shows that the Gamecocks tend to start strong and then fade in November. Is this the year you avoid the swoon, or do you see it coming again? And either way, what does that answer mean for Steve Spurrier’s future?
Whether we avoid it this year or not remains to be seen, of course. However, I do think the chances of it happening are better than they have been in the past. One thing that many folks (cough*UGA fans*cough) oftentimes leave out regarding the infamous Carolina November swoon is that the teams Carolina plays in late October and early November are all tough teams that give most programs problems--Tennessee, Florida, and, yes, even Arkansas, although you’ll grant that you’re not exactly in Florida territory. Carolina may tend to tally up most of its losses late in the season, but it’s not like we’re going into most of these games as favorites and then totally wetting the bed. We’re usually just losing to the teams that are supposed to beat us. That should be a bit different this year. Out of the typical Tennessee-Arkansas-Florida-Clemson run, only Arkansas looks to have a team approaching or measurably better than the norm. Combine that with the fact that Carolina looks a bit better than usual, and I think you have the recipe for a strong finish in Columbia. We’ll see, of course, but that’s the way I see it right now.
As far as Spurrier’s future goes, I think it depends on who you ask.
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