Usually I take this time each week to recap what took place on Saturday with the South Carolina Gamecocks; however this week brings an issue of much more importance. For a review of the Kentucky game we’ve already got you covered. The big news that has everyone talking about the upcoming weekend is that this past Saturday after the Gamecocks wrapped up their fourth victory it was announced by ESPN that the University of South Carolina will hold College Gameday presented by the Home Depot on the historic Horseshoe.
The decision for the location of the October 6th airing of College Gameday came down to the matchup of West Virginia vs. Texas or Georgia vs. South Carolina. It all came down to whether or not the Bulldogs and Gamecocks could pull out their surprisingly difficult showdowns against Tennessee and Kentucky. Fortunately for Carolina fans, the ‘Cocks were able to pull it out in the second half and bring Corso, Herbie, and the boys back to Columbia. This is a trip that will be familiar to the Gameday crew as they came for the USC-Georgia game in 2004 which resulted in a close Bulldog win. Overall the Bulldogs hold the all-time record against the Gamecocks 46-16-2, but Carolina has taken the last two. The game brings extra importance as it is all but guaranteed at this point that the winner of this contest will take the SEC East Crown.
For those of you who do not understand the significance of the presence of College Gameday, allow me to explain. ESPN’s College Gameday is the most viewed college preview show in the nation. Each Saturday during the college football season, the show airs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. previewing and analyzing all of the football games scheduled for the day and their significance. Gameday chooses its location based on which home team has the best matchup for that weekend. One of the unique aspects of the show that sets it apart from all others is the ending segment in which Lee Corso makes his pick of the featured game by sporting a head of the team’s mascot of which he picks. Between the rowdiness of the fans, the in depth analysis, and the overall tailgate atmosphere, it’s hard not to love America’s favorite college football preview show. Here are some interesting facts that should give you a little better understanding of College Gameday going into Saturday:
- College Gameday first aired in 1987, but did not start going live on the road until 1993
- The first ever location for College Gameday in 1993 was in South Bend, Indiana when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the Florida State Seminoles and won
- Lee Corso first began the tradition of wearing his pick’s mascot head in 1996 when he sported the head of Brutus the Buckeye as Ohio State took on Penn State
- Ohio State University has received the most College Gameday visits with thirteen
- The Florida Gators have made the most appearances in College Gameday matchups with 32
- The University of Florida vs. Florida State matchup has been featured on College Gameday more than any other game, eight times
- Since 2004 the Washington State University flag has made more than 95 consecutive appearances on College Gameday
- The University of Missouri holds the record attendance for Gameday with 18,000 in 2010
This isn’t the Gamecocks first rodeo with College Gameday and it probably won’t be the last. The ‘Cocks do not have the best record during Gameday games, however they did win their last one in 2010 with a huge upset against the then number one Alabama Crimson Tide. Carolina’s Gameday record dates back to 2001 and includes some history you really should know before heading down to the Horseshoe Saturday morning:
- College Gameday has visited Columbia five times since 2001 including this Saturday
- Carolina is 1-3 in College Gameday games
- In 2004 Gameday previewed the South Carolina Georgia game, this was the only time Corso picked Carolina to win, but it resulted in a 20-16 Gamecock loss
- Corso is 2-2 with headgear picks in South Carolina games, picking correctly in 2001 vs. Florida and 2006 vs. Tennessee
Expect a boisterous crowd, expect outrageously clever signs, expect a crazy old man wearing a mascot head, but most of all expect pure pandemonium on the Horseshoe when College Gameday begins Saturday morning. In the words of Lee Fitting, College GameDay Sr. Coordinating Producer, “The Horseshoe is one of the best sites we’ve ever had for College GameDay.” The students of South Carolina surely won’t let this man’s words fall on deaf ears and will be out to show the nation just how ideal the Horseshoe is for Gameday. Get ready for all of the excitement come Saturday morning, and be sure to get out there early to lay claim to your spot at the biggest tailgate in Columbia.
