re: Oregon players: We don't want to play in the Rose Bowl, it's not a big deal

To be fair I can understand their point but on a smaller scale.

When the Gamecocks went to the Outback Bowl in the 2000, and subsequently in 2001, it was the greatest thing in the world to our fan base. We hadn't been to a bowl since 1995, hadn't been to a bowl worth a damn since the late 1980s Gator Bowls, and only had 1 bowl win at that time. We went down to Tampa in droves and beating Ohio St. in those games might as well have been beating them in the national title the way we reacted. Granted that first Outback Bowl we had come from a 1-21 stretch the previous two seasons but even if those weren't a big deal getting to the Outback Bowl was.

Now in 2008 and even last year in 2012 SC fans were very apathetic about it all. In 2012 yeah we were happy to get to 11 wins again and playing a big name like Michigan had it's draw but we didn't get to the SECCG and that's all that matters.

We've only been to the SECCG once and we got the doors blown off of us, but this is the 4th season in a row that if we don't get to the SECCG the season as a whole was a failure, though by historical standards it should already be considered a success.