South Carolina’s 2-0 start, ‘GameDay’ spotlight present new problem for Gamecocks
If there was ever a time to steal one of Nick Saban’s phrases, the opportunity was ripe for Shane Beamer on Tuesday. Saban is going to be at South Carolina this week as part of the “College GameDay” crew and he might hear the hype and see the distractions and wonder if South Carolina ate the rat poison.
That was Saban’s phrase for all the outside noise. The media praise. Family and friends telling players how great they are. Inflated egos. It sounds great, but it’s toxic.
Beamer knows the same thing. He just uses different monikers.
On Tuesday, he explained that in a few months we’re all going to look last Saturday’s 31-6 demolition of Kentucky one of two ways. Either it’s the turning point of the season, the game that propelled South Carolina to a stellar year, or the contest right before the Gamecocks munched on rat poison and the season went in the toilet.
“(We could) look back at that Kentucky game and say, ‘What an opportunity we wasted,’ ” Beamer said. “That we played like that then sat around and drank the Kool-Aid all week, listening to all the pats on the back that we’re getting instead of getting ready to play.”
To most, this Saturday’s game against No. 16 LSU is what programs dream of. “College GameDay” is on campus. You’re undefeated, playing a ranked team at home. Every hope and dream for the season is alive. You’re playing at noon on ABC with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call.
It’s an opportunity — one South Carolina hasn’t had since 2022, when it knocked off No. 5 Tennessee and folks started to turn their eyes to Columbia, South Carolina. Of course, the Gamecocks took advantage, keeping the hype train churning with a win at No. 8 Clemson a week later.
Yet, most of the faces from that team are gone. It’s only been two years, yet nine of USC’s current 11 offensive starters weren’t playing for the Gamecocks in 2022.
In other words: A majority of this South Carolina team has never been tempted with rat poison, has never been challenged with an opportunity, a challenge like the one they’ll face this week.
“We have to handle success the right way,” Beamer said. “I don’t wanna say distractions, but there’s a lot going on this week that we didn’t have to deal with last week — or, that we didn’t get to deal with last week. It’s a positive. We need to get used to it.”
So far this season, “College GameDay” has been to a pair of campuses — Texas A&M for Week 1 and Michigan for Week 2. The home team lost both times. That is not to say there is some “College GameDay” curse — schools went 7-4 last season the week they hosted “GameDay” — but there certainly is more hoopla.
Heck, Beamer said so many recruits have asked to attend the game that South Carolina has had to turn some prospects away. That is relevant to this because imagine you’re a 20-year-old on South Carolina. Some folks cared less about you and your team two weeks ago and now they’re asking for tickets, blasting out highlights, telling you you’re among the best in the SEC, taking your mind away from the actual game.
That is what Beamer has to protect against.
“The bandwagon, if you will, is getting full,” he said. “Understanding that there’s people on that bandwagon right now who might jump right off the next time things don’t go well.
“The key for us is just continuing to work and continuing to get better,” Beamer added. “That’s gonna be the key for us: Not getting caught up in the national spotlight.”
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. LSU
- Who: South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC)
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
- When: Noon Saturday
- TV: ABC
- Stream: ESPN app
- Line: LSU by 7
This story was originally published September 11, 2024 at 8:15 AM.
