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Was the 2012 Gamecock football team the best we ever had?

Poultrygeist

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2002
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That year we had Clowney, Lattimore (until he was injured), Shaw and Ellington. We beat Michigan, had the Clowney hit, and finished 8th in the polls at 11-2.
 
That year we had Clowney, Lattimore (until he was injured), Shaw and Ellington. We beat Michigan, had the Clowney hit, and finished 8th in the polls at 11-2.

I think so. I think 2013 may have been slightly better in the passing game. Overall i think 2012 was the best team we have had. Those teams should have won a championship. It is a sin that they didn’t.
 
I think so. I think 2013 may have been slightly better in the passing game. Overall i think 2012 was the best team we have had. Those teams should have won a championship. It is a sin that they didn’t.
I think 2012 for sure. Ace Sanders, DJ Swearinger. I think that was the year we dismantled Clemson at Clemson without Shaw or Lattimore and then they won the ACC. UGA also beat GT who played Clemson, so it wasn’t a very popular ACC title game, place looked empty. Good times, good times.
 
It's very hard to pick from those three teams, but I believe the best Gamecock team I ever saw was on that night in 2012 when they made a VERY VERY good Georgia team look like a SoCon team. That Georgia team only lost one other game, a squeaker to eventual national champion Alabama in the SEC Championship game. On their best night, that 2012 team would beat any other Gamecock team on their best night.
 
You'll be hard pressed to convince me SC has had a better team than the 2012 bunch. I was in Williams Brice the night they dismantled a very good Georgia team. A Georgia team, who had they beaten Bama in the SECCG, are probably national champs. To UGA's credit, there isn't a team in the country who would have beaten SC that night.
 
Each had their strengths, but I always reminisce that 2013 was the best and was literally 2 points away from Atlanta, and we win that, we’re in Pasadena. Think of Clowney going 100% all year, Lattimore being on the field, Ace staying like he should have. That’s the part I’ll never get over, and that’s exactly what Auburn did considering they lost early to LSU like we did UGA, maybe even the same day, but, they beat Tennessee 55-24 iirc that year like we should have. I think SOS’ coaching in that game makes me madder than him quitting. Imagine for a minute what happens if we make it to the MNC, even if we lose? SOS can go out almost on top, even though the fans would go nuclear, and we’re the 2nd best job (at least) in the country. I gotta be honest here, those few teams not playing for a big piece of the pie will always blow, and it’s hard to even get excited for me personally anymore because I wanted those specific players to do it. Yeah, I’d be happy if we did it anytime soon, but it would be the same. Just like the Final Four team, just like the 2010-12 Yardcox that did win it all. Great group(s) of Gamecocks, and some of the best individual players ever in their respective sport(s).
 
One year with Spurrier we finished 4th ! I think that should be considered our best year. Wasn’t that the year before he quit?
It took him one more year to type the resignation and Dylan Thompson threw his way to one more bowl win. Nuclear Meltdown went official 2015, this is the only reason I call 2016 year zero for Muschamp
 
One year with Spurrier we finished 4th ! I think that should be considered our best year. Wasn’t that the year before he quit?

We finished 4th in, both, the AP and Coaches Poll in 2013. Honestly, this was the closest we’ve ever come to winning a National Title. FSU beat Auburn in the National Championship. If not for a fluke catch in Knoxville, we would’ve played Auburn in Atlanta for a chance to play in Pasadena for the title.

The 2012 team was awesome, no doubt. Brutal 3-game stretch of UGa, @ LSU, and @ Florida was virtually impossible to get through unbeaten. If we had gone 2-1 in that stretch, they probably get the top spot. Instead, 1-2 and a 3rd place finish in the East.

I guess Head to Head at their best, I may take the 2012 team over the 2013 team. But as far as our best season, that’s the 2013 team.
 
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We had those teams and people say it's impossible for us to do well again.
 
I personally think 2012. The Georgia game cements that for me.

It is interesting how 2011 never gets any love in this debate. That team beat eventual ACC Champion, Clemson by 3 scores. Bad loss at Auburn at home kept us from playing Alabama to go to ship that year probably.
 
2011 is probably the biggest what if. That team still had Gilmore, Ingram, and Alshon. Lattimore was healthy. Added Clowney. Schedule was very favorable. The worst thing that happened was Shaw struggling against ECU and Spurrier having to go back to Garcia, even though Shaw was the better player. Took Garcia having an abysmal game against Auburn before he went back to Shaw.

We only got one full game of healthy Lattimore and Shaw together after Spurrier installed Shaw as the unquestioned starter, and it was a 54-3 drubbing of Kentucky.
 
That year we had Clowney, Lattimore (until he was injured), Shaw and Ellington. We beat Michigan, had the Clowney hit, and finished 8th in the polls at 11-2.
Yes. Sadly, that team never reached its full potential because of the bums Spurrier hired the previous couple of years.
 
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