A November To Remember?

by Skulls and Spurs on Nov 2, 2025 4:41 PM EDT

The month of November has been an absolute nightmare for the South Carolina Gamecocks in the past. But that's what it is - the past - and this November we're more talented and even have a little bit of leeway. Obviously, it would be ideal for Carolina to win out, finish the regular season at 10-2 (6-2), and play for an SEC Championship in Atlanta. It would be a season of things accomplished: first trip to the SEC title game, first win over a #1 ranked team, first win in The Swamp, first back-to-back victories over Clemson in longer than we want to remember, etc.

But does the team have to do all of that to satisfy its fans? Would you be happy to finish 9-3 (5-3) with wins over Arkansas, Troy, and Clemson? I don't think that would "satisfy" Gamecock Nation, but it would taste pretty good. For me, two things can ruin another November of South Carolina football: consecutive losses to Arkansas and Florida, or a loss to Clemson and a loss to Florida after they've beaten Vanderbilt. Obviously, anything worse than that falls into the same category. I can stomach a loss to the team in the upstate if we get to Atlanta. By stomach I mean hover slightly above ruin. Losing to Clemson would put a huge damper on November 2010, but Gamecocks would remember this as the first time we won the East. Albeit, we'd all prefer to do it in style.

For Carolina to achieve what it needs to this season to progress as a program, I believe the Gamecocks must, at a minimum, defeat Florida, Troy, and Clemson, and make an appearance in the SEC Championship Game. 9-3 (5-3) and SEC Eastern Division Champs says something. One can argue that another combination of wins and losses in the 8-4 or 9-3 range will suffice barring we're not excluded from Atlanta, but I think beating Florida in Gainesville and beating Clemson over two straight seasons, in combination with playing for the conference title, displays true progress. What say you?

Poll

What finish to the regular season will satisfy you as a fan and show the college football world at large that South Carolina has made real progress as a program? *We're all hoping for 10-2 (6-2), but what will you and the hypemeter settle for?

SEC East Champs, 10-2 (6-2)

229 votes

SEC East Champs, 9-3 (5-3), loss to Arkansas

152 votes

SEC East Champs, 9-3 (6-2), loss to Clemson

13 votes

9-3 (5-3), loss to Florida

41 votes

8-4 (4-4), beat Clemson for second straight year

16 votes

451 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 10 comments | Add comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: South Carolina Gamecocks, Arkansas Razorbacks at South Carolina Gamecocks, Nov 6, 2025 7:00 PM EDT, South Carolina Gamecocks at Clemson Tigers, Nov 27, 2025 7:05 PM EST, South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators, Nov 13, 2025 7:15 PM EST, Troy Trojans at South Carolina Gamecocks, Nov 20, 2025 7:05 PM EST

Comments

I know this will sound weak...

But I won’t be heartbroken if we finish 9-3 with a loss to Florida. Or rather, more precisely, I won’t be heartbroken after the Clemson win; I probably will be after losing to Florida. But 9-3 would be a good season considering this program’s history. And if we could get it to 10 wins with a bowl victory, I doubt anyone would still be complaining.

That said, I want that Eastern Division title.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog By and For Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Nov 2, 2025 6:41 PM EDT reply actions

10-3 is definitely a great season for South Carolina.

1984 is the only season we’ve reached the 10 win plateau.

by Skulls and Spurs on Nov 2, 2025 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

When looking back on it

9-3 would be amazing. But I’m sure after how close we would have been to that elusive SEC East crown, it would sting for a while.

by R-F on Nov 2, 2025 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions

It would sting, sure...

But I think we could learn to live with it.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog By and For Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Nov 2, 2025 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions

With how this season has played out.

We have to win the East. I will be pissed beyond measure if we don’t. Mostly at the coaches. I will look back at the Kentucky loss as costing us the East and it will make me bitter. I don’t want to ‘wait till next year’ again. I am done with that. I also think that as a fan base, we all should be. Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, they aren’t used to ‘wait till next year’. Remember how SOS used to talk about changing the expectations in Columbia? In my mind, this is what he was talking about. I want to expect to win the East, not be OK with coming in Second. I would like to win out the rest of the season, but I think that 9-3 is more reasonable of an expectation. I just hope the loss comes against Arkansas if its going to come at all. The rest of the games are must wins.

by Charlestowne on Nov 2, 2025 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, the whole wait 'til next year thing is played out.

Spurrier has had plenty of time to build whatever he envisioned. He’s messed up quite a bit along the way, squandering Newton, and also destroying a perfectly good secondary for two instances. I expect people making as much money as a big time college coach to not make huge mistakes. My patience has run out. Win the East, or USC needs to move on with somebody else.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Nov 3, 2025 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions

You doubt wrong.

I’d complain quite often.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Nov 3, 2025 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry, but I've run out of patience with our coaches.

This team has too much talent not to go 10-2. The biggest thing holding us back is the secondary, and we have four and five star recruits in the secondary. There is absolutely no excuse to drop more than two games. If they want to waste one of those on Kentucky, fine. That’s their prerogative, but that doesn’t mean I’ll settle for losing to a better team than Kentucky, like Arkansas.

I had questions about Garcia coming into the season, but Spurrier is supposed to be a quarterbacks coach, and he has had a lot of years to find one. I’m not giving him slack on it anymore. Some quarterback on the team needs to get us 10 wins.

I said 10 wins prior to the season, and I’m sticking with it. Not only that, but we should at least put up a good showing at the conference championship game, and whatever bowl game we’re in. I’ve run out of patience with our poor showings in the post-season as well. That’s just me though. You all can settle for whatever.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Nov 2, 2025 7:12 PM EDT reply actions

Well, I take that back.

If we go 9-3, but win the conference championship game and at least put up a good showing in the bowl game, I’ll settle for that too. I’m not sure if that is expecting more or less than what I wrote previously, but whatever.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Nov 2, 2025 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d be happy with a 9-3 record and SEC East Champs, but I love the fact that a majority of this fan base would not be happy with anything less than a 10-2 record.