South Carolina Football Christmas: Which opponents are on Gamecock Santa's naughty list?
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football Christmas:
Gamecock Santa's Nice List, The Old Dominion Monarchs
Old Dominion is still relatively new to Division-1 FBS football (bumping up to college football's highest level in 2014), so next August's meeting will be the first between the Gamecocks and the Monarchs.
There are some older South Carolina basketball fans who might hold a little animosity toward ODU for sending the Gamecocks controversial women's basketball coach Pam Parsons, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be any reason for the Carolina faithful to have any issues with Old Dominion fans.
The Monarchs recently lost the first-ever Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, but they did so in heartbreaking fashion, surrendering a 21-point lead to Western Kentucky in the final 20 minutes of the game. Many Carolina fans remember the Gamecocks giving up a similar type of lead in the 2005 Independence Bowl against the Missouri Tigers (back when Mizzou was in the Big 12), so ODU earns a few sympathy points there.
Frankly, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and his team will enter this game (the season opener) as solid favorites and should win the game. Unless something goes terribly wrong, Old Dominion belongs on Gamecock Santa's nice list.