With SEC realignment, here's 3 yearly games South Carolina football fans should be glad to get rid of
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football's 3 yearly games fans should be glad to be rid of:
Vanderbilt Commodores
On the other end of the spectrum, Carolina fans should be glad that the annual matchup against Vanderbilt Commodores will be less frequent moving forward. They are on the schedule the next two seasons, but barring changes to the SEC scheduling plan, they will roll off the next two years after that.
Frankly, playing Vanderbilt doesn't do much for any SEC team other than provide them with what should be a relatively easy victory. The Gamecocks have the best long-term record over the Commodores among SEC teams (15 wins in a row; 29-4 all-time record). Even below-average USC squads typically smack Vandberilt as the 2023 'Cocks whipped Vandy 47-6.
Attending a game against the 'Dores or watching it on television provides little entertainment for the fans, and it doesn't help make the team on the field much better. The game is somewhere between a cupcake and a competitive conference game, and though the Gamecocks could use the nearly free win each yet, in the long run, playing a better team would be more beneficial as Shane Beamer's program attempts to climb the ladder of the SEC hierarchy to become real contenders in the league.