Are the South Carolina Gamecocks (or some other team) national championship material?

[GCF Staff Support]

Some decent, but not necessarily thorough, analysis comparing our chances at a NC to some other team’s chances. Summary:

“South Carolina looks more like recent national championship teams than (some other team).”

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120712/PC20/120719745/are-the-south-carolina-gamecocks-or-clemson-tigers-national-championship-material

 

[FeatheredCock]

The odds are skewed. If the “other” team slips up and beats USC in November, they have a much, MUCH easier path to the NCG. USC has to run a gauntlet to get there, their journey is much harder. Fair or not, if the “other” team went undefeated in their cupcake conference and tripped up and managed to beat USC they very well might be playing for the the National Title. That makes their odds more similar to do the deed.

I’ll say this though, if South Carolina went undefeated with their schedule nothing on this planet would keep them from the National Title game. They would be the undefeated SEC Champions, probably having beat Alabama in the SEC CG, nobody else would have that kind of resume.

I wonder though, if we beat everyone but lost to LSU by the slimmest of margins in Baton Rouge, but then beat them in the SECCG on a neutral field…could anyone keep us out of the NCG? An undefeated Southern Cal and Stanford or Oregon or Oklahoma still wouldn’t look as good in that case, IMO.

Still overrated: FSU

Oh well. First, Vanderbilt.

 

[Mike]

The odds are skewed. If the “other” team slips up and beats USC in November, they have a much, MUCH easier path to the NCG. USC has to run a gauntlet to get there, their journey is much harder. Fair or not, if the “other” team went undefeated in their cupcake conference and tripped up and managed to beat USC they very well might be playing for the the National Title. That makes their odds more similar to do the deed.

I’ll say this though, if South Carolina went undefeated with their schedule nothing on this planet would keep them from the National Title game. They would be the undefeated SEC Champions, probably having beat Alabama in the SEC CG, nobody else would have that kind of resume.

I wonder though, if we beat everyone but lost to LSU by the slimmest of margins in Baton Rouge, but then beat them in the SECCG on a neutral field…could anyone keep us out of the NCG? An undefeated Southern Cal and Stanford or Oregon or Oklahoma still wouldn’t look as good in that case, IMO.

Still overrated: FSU

Oh well. First, Vanderbilt.

Very well said featheredcock, one big plus from me!