... unless you're smart enough to TAKE THE POINTS and bet it.
It's been EIGHT YEARS since clemson won in Columbia ... on a last second FG that didn't come CLOSE to covering the spread. We finished 2007 6-6 and didn't go anywhere. clemson was 9-3 ranked Top 25 and a 10-point favorite when a BS 50-yarder set up that FG with under a minute to go, costing us the game straight up but WINNING the bet with ease.
The year before we went to clemson, they were again ranked Top 25 ... we had just barely beaten Middle Tennessee the week before to become 'bowl eligible' - clemson was an 11-point favorite and we beat them STRAIGHT UP (coming back from THREE scores down). Then WE (on a high) beat Houston in the Liberty Bowl while clemson went on to crap against Kentucky in their bowl game.
After that loss in 2007 (a WIN ATS) clemson beat us there in '08 and then the STREAK started - FIVE IN A ROW (three of which clemson entered the game as the betting FAVORITE).
We beat 'em with good teams, we beat their BEST teams with teams that weren't really all that hot, we beat 'em with GREAT teams ... even when they've been OBVIOUSLY 'better' we've beaten 'em and we've CERTAINLY ALMOST ALWAYS "beaten the spread".
clemson has a very good team, they would probably be the 4th or 5th best team in the SEC this year but they ARE NOT 17 1/2 points better than the Gamecocks. When our guys 'quit' we get slaughtered (see 63 in '03) when clemson quits THEY get slaughtered (see 70 v. WVA not too long ago). When we BOTH play 'hard' we do BETTER than 'good' and we play VERY WELL in Columbia when the fans are screaming and clemson is dropping the ball.
IF our guys SHOW UP we will 'cover' ... and lesser SC teams have beaten higher ranked, much better clemson teams STRAIGHT UP before ... HERE and THERE - but especially HERE when the fans are screaming. We've got NOTHING to lose ... they have EVERYTHING to lose. clemson CANNOT take the pressure. We have NO pressure. clemson may well win, they SHOULD win, they're BETTER than we are ... so what?!!! We've 'been there' MANY times before and pulled it off. RECENTLY, very recently.
clemson ain't gonna' cover 17 1/2 ... and they might drop it a few times and LOSE. THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO!!!
It's been EIGHT YEARS since clemson won in Columbia ... on a last second FG that didn't come CLOSE to covering the spread. We finished 2007 6-6 and didn't go anywhere. clemson was 9-3 ranked Top 25 and a 10-point favorite when a BS 50-yarder set up that FG with under a minute to go, costing us the game straight up but WINNING the bet with ease.
The year before we went to clemson, they were again ranked Top 25 ... we had just barely beaten Middle Tennessee the week before to become 'bowl eligible' - clemson was an 11-point favorite and we beat them STRAIGHT UP (coming back from THREE scores down). Then WE (on a high) beat Houston in the Liberty Bowl while clemson went on to crap against Kentucky in their bowl game.
After that loss in 2007 (a WIN ATS) clemson beat us there in '08 and then the STREAK started - FIVE IN A ROW (three of which clemson entered the game as the betting FAVORITE).
We beat 'em with good teams, we beat their BEST teams with teams that weren't really all that hot, we beat 'em with GREAT teams ... even when they've been OBVIOUSLY 'better' we've beaten 'em and we've CERTAINLY ALMOST ALWAYS "beaten the spread".
clemson has a very good team, they would probably be the 4th or 5th best team in the SEC this year but they ARE NOT 17 1/2 points better than the Gamecocks. When our guys 'quit' we get slaughtered (see 63 in '03) when clemson quits THEY get slaughtered (see 70 v. WVA not too long ago). When we BOTH play 'hard' we do BETTER than 'good' and we play VERY WELL in Columbia when the fans are screaming and clemson is dropping the ball.
IF our guys SHOW UP we will 'cover' ... and lesser SC teams have beaten higher ranked, much better clemson teams STRAIGHT UP before ... HERE and THERE - but especially HERE when the fans are screaming. We've got NOTHING to lose ... they have EVERYTHING to lose. clemson CANNOT take the pressure. We have NO pressure. clemson may well win, they SHOULD win, they're BETTER than we are ... so what?!!! We've 'been there' MANY times before and pulled it off. RECENTLY, very recently.
clemson ain't gonna' cover 17 1/2 ... and they might drop it a few times and LOSE. THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO!!!