That game did not matter.
Five words that I absolutely despise.
When it comes to bragging rights in this state, WHEN the game is played should matter. During football season, Clemson and South Carolina play at the very end of the regular season. Every season, that game that displays much hatred between two passionate fanbases has rooted meaning and value because of many factors but also because of when it is played.
A season ago, we saw Clemson Football lose to Georgia in the opening weekend of the 2024 season. Ultimately, Clemson was able to bounce back and win the ACC Championship which gave them a birth into the College Football Playoff.
On the hardwood, the two programs faced off on the seventeenth of December. South Carolina defeated their bitter rival in Clemson that evening by a score of 91-88. That game in no shape or form was indicative of how the season went for either program. Since that game, the Tigers have only lost twice and the Gamecocks have only won three games. Having the game later in the season in my mind would fuel the rivalry when both teams are having good seasons. Granted, moving the game later in the season this year wouldn't change much because of how disappointing the season has been for South Carolina, but when both programs are doing well, I believe the game would have more meaning played late.
On the diamond, the two programs also play very early in the season. Clemson and South Carolina will face off in a three-game series this weekend; the last day of February and the first two days of March. Am I saying that this series won't matter to each fanbase? Absolutely not, however, I do think the series being played later in the season would hold much more weight.
Just as it does in the college football season, I want this series in all three major sports to have post-season implications to each program.
Nonetheless, I still love when these two fanbases get to go at it and see who claims bragging rights for an entire calendar year.