No, it's not a marquee game on the Gamecock schedule and that's why Gamecocks needed to end the losing streak at 7
Prior to 2000, this was basically a toss-up game, with UK holding a slight 6-4-1 edge. Starting in 2000, we flipped the script and won 13 of 14 against Kentucky. For a little more than a decade, the Gamecocks basically added a win to their conference slate by turning a toss-up game into a reliable win. Then a switch flipped and they have won 7 out of 8 as of 2021.
It's a crucial win because that was one of the few reliable conference wins on the Gamecocks schedule that has now become a loss. Maybe, along with Vandy, UK was the only game the Gamecocks could look forward to as pretty certainly a win each season.
Making matters worse, the Gamecocks haven't replaced that reliable win with another game. Outside of Vandy and UK, for most seasons, the majority of the Gamecocks conference games have been toss-ups or likely losses. That's just life in the SEC. But, for the UK game, that's just one additional conference loss the Gamecocks are 7 out of the past 8 seasons as I said early in this post. That's a pretty big deal from the conference perspective, to have a reliable win flip to a likely loss.
The Gamecock have to get UK back to the reliable win column before they can step up in the SEC rankings. Yes that's priority 1. yes the Gamecocks have bigger goals like win the East, beat Clemson), but none of that is happening if the Gamecocks don't start beating UK.
Prior to 2000, this was basically a toss-up game, with UK holding a slight 6-4-1 edge. Starting in 2000, we flipped the script and won 13 of 14 against Kentucky. For a little more than a decade, the Gamecocks basically added a win to their conference slate by turning a toss-up game into a reliable win. Then a switch flipped and they have won 7 out of 8 as of 2021.
It's a crucial win because that was one of the few reliable conference wins on the Gamecocks schedule that has now become a loss. Maybe, along with Vandy, UK was the only game the Gamecocks could look forward to as pretty certainly a win each season.
Making matters worse, the Gamecocks haven't replaced that reliable win with another game. Outside of Vandy and UK, for most seasons, the majority of the Gamecocks conference games have been toss-ups or likely losses. That's just life in the SEC. But, for the UK game, that's just one additional conference loss the Gamecocks are 7 out of the past 8 seasons as I said early in this post. That's a pretty big deal from the conference perspective, to have a reliable win flip to a likely loss.
The Gamecock have to get UK back to the reliable win column before they can step up in the SEC rankings. Yes that's priority 1. yes the Gamecocks have bigger goals like win the East, beat Clemson), but none of that is happening if the Gamecocks don't start beating UK.
