Tennessee football: 10 Vols games vs. South Carolina that dramatically altered history
Tennessee football’s series against South Carolina is memorable. Here are 10 games between the Volunteers and Gamecocks that dramatically altered history.
When the South Carolina Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992, there was no way of knowing the impact it would have on Tennessee football. Fans remember how the rivalries with the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators took off after the divisions split.
However, South Carolina has been a significant game as well. Let’s not forget that these guys had two Hall of Fame coaches leading them for a period of 16 years with Lou Holtz from 1999 to 2004 and Steve Spurrier from 2005 to 2015.
Before joining the league, Tennessee football and South Carolina had only met 10 times, with the Vols winning seven times, the Gamecocks winning once, and the teams tying twice. But they’ve met every year since 1992.
In that time, the Vols have won 18 times while South Carolina has won eight times. However, this decade, the Gamecocks are 5-3 against the Vols and have won two straight. So when the two teams meet on Saturday, there will once again be lots to play for on both sides.
Previous games between these teams have dramatically altered history within the scope of the SEC and college football. It’s resulted in coach firings, turning points for programs, historical records being set, and catapulting coaches to new heights. And in rare cases, they actually determined division winners.
With this post, we’re going to look at those times the meeting between these schools changed things. We’ll analyze all the things it changed about the sport, and believe me, you’d be surprised about some of them. To be clear, these aren’t the most memorable games between the two schools. They are the ones that had the largest impact afterward.
No, this series hasn’t had the same impact that games against Georgia and Florida have. But it still has had its moments. And the landscape of the conference would not be the same if not for some significant outcomes of this game. Let’s take a look at those outcomes here. These are 10 games between Tennessee football and South Carolina that dramatically altered history.