Dabo Swinney's quote on Clemson-South Carolina rivalry makes this weekend even better

Every game of the season is always important, but some are more important than others, and the rivalry game is always going to be the most important game to fans, players, and coaches. Both South Carolina and Clemson have a lot riding on this year's Palmetto Bowl as not only does it prove who the better team is, but this year it has College Football Playoff implications riding on it.

If there is one thing about a rivalry game, no one forgets what happens for the entire next year. For 365 days, the team that wins gets to remind the team that lost about it every single day until the next time they face off. Clemson head coach Dabo Sweeney understands that feeling because he has lost to South Carolina before, and not only did Gamecocks fans let him know it, but his own fans did as well.

Sweeney is right, rivalry games are personal and mean so much to both fan bases. It also means more because sometimes one team's rivalry is not the same as the other. think of Florida and Georgia, but they also have other rivalries. However, for South Carolina and Clemson, it's just these two teams trying to prove who owns the state.

With a possible College Football Playoff spot on the line, everything is so much bigger with this game. If Clemson wins, they are most likely in with just two losses and have just beaten a top-15 team. It is not so simple for South Carolina, though.

The Gamecocks need help from a few other teams in order to secure their spot in the playoffs. First of all, South Carolina has to win this game, if they lose, they can kiss the playoff goodbye. Then They also could benefit greatly from Alabama losing to Auburn, who just beat Texas A&M, and Ole Miss losing to Mississippi State. Notre Dame and Tennessee losing would also go the Gamecocks some favors, but even with none of that happening, the Gamecocks have a shot.

Even if South Carolina just barely misses the College Football Playoff, even if they beat Clemson, they could still have the satisfaction of knowing they didn't just beat their bitter rival but also spoiled their chances at the playoff. The Palmetto Bowl has never been bigger, and we are ready to see who will take home the trophy this season.