Gamecocks’ loss stings but doesn’t take that much from what 2018 season can be

There’s something that happens around games like No. 24 South Carolina’s showdown-turned-blowout loss to No. 3 Georgia on Saturday.

The hint of an upset, the vague potential of one, goes from something to speculate on to something that’s almost expected. Eyes get big, expectations grow and a loss like the 41-17 game Saturday get a larger sense of disappointment.

And that’s for a team that still has a lot ahead.

Much like many fans thought USC could overcome the 10-point line, things could swing the other way with a big loss. The Gamecocks were by most measures a long shot and an underdog. They played like one for a while and eventually wore down.

No matter how many extra points UGA put on USC, it only counts as one loss, one most thought was much more likely than not.

South Carolina could still go on and win the nine or 10 games many predicted. That doesn’t really change if Georgia wins by 24 or three.

At year’s end, it might just turn out the Bulldogs are loaded with four- and five-star talent (they are), and it’s in the hands of great offensive and defensive minds (it is). That might’ve been one of the three or four most talented teams in the country on the Williams-Brice Stadium field Saturday.

If the Gamecocks were perfect, an upset was possible, but they weren’t and the Bulldogs played well in their own right. When a team that talented does that, it’ll be a long day.

Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp hammered the point several times that there’s still more football to be played. There are 10 regular games left, in fact.

Most of those games will be against teams not close to Georgia’s league in terms of talent.

In the past two seasons, South Carolina’s story was far from written after a 2-4 start in 2016 or a 3-2 start in 2017.

We were reminded Saturday these Gamecocks are likely not ready to make a jump past one of the best teams in the country, but it took the wildest brand of optimism to think that was in the cards so quickly.

The Gamecocks took one on the chin, no doubt, but at game’s end, they find themselves in the position most expected, with plenty more ball to play.