South Carolina 35 + Alabama 21 = Amazing Football!

Warning, if you are not a football fan, this post will be boring for you.

I have heard a lot about SEC football since coming to South Carolina, especially about Gamecock football. People around here do not seem to really care much about football outside the SEC. They do seem to live and breathe football within the SEC. It would appear that everyone is a fan.

Today my dad and I were able to go to the #19 South Carolina vs. #1 Alabama game. It was the most amazing football experience I have ever had. Here are some of the reasons why.

Tailgate parties stretch for miles around the stadium. We had to park about a mile and a half away because everything closer was for tailgating. My definition of tailgating has completely changed. People had huge spreads of food, big-screen tvs, electric fans ...

...and in this case, even chandeliers. People arrive first thing in the morning to start tailgating. The guy who sat next to us at the game had set up at 8:00 in the morning (game time was 3:30 p.m.).

Sell out crowds of 80,000 plus people are the norm, not the exception. People are in their seats before the game begins.

Nosebleed seats still offer a great view and atmosphere (four rows from the top).

A band that can spell.
Final touchdown to give USC their first ever win over a team ranked #1.

Fireworks after every touchdown.

Free tickets for undergrads.

Fans who only sit down during change of possessions, in between quarters and at halftime.

Fans so loud, the stadium literally rocks - you can feel it!

Fans who don’t leave the game early and stay glued to their seats well after the final whistle has blown.

Getting high 5’s from total strangers who feel like friends by the end of the game.

Beating a quarterback that hadn’t lost a game since junior high school.

Fans of opposing teams who still manage to enjoy a game together.

Well deserved reputation for the coolest entry in college football and one of the loudest stadiums. (In the below video, Alabama timed their entry to interrupt USC's entry. Not cool, but kind of ironic since it was the most exciting thing Alabama did the entire ballgame.)