Hours after and hours before Cleveland weather was in the low 60's, South Carolina's Gamecocks not only had to deal with Ohio State, but rainy conditions in the low 40's in their First Round game in Cleveland. But the Gamecocks prevailed in a battle between two legendary UFlorida coaches, as Steve Spurrier's team won 40-35 over Urban Meyer's Buckeyes.
South Carolina's offense sputtered early but drives were saved by circus catches, despite the conditions, by Gamecock receivers. USC started the scoring with a 39 yard Connor Shaw to Bruce Ellington to establish control. OSU's Braxton Miller's 33 yard run answered to tie the game.
But the Shaw-Ellington combination was hot on this cool day, this time, with QB Shaw as the receiver, and a 9 yard TD pass from Ellington put South Carolina up 14-7. Late in the first frame, OSU scored as Shaw was tackled in the end zone, to cut the lead to 14-9.
Shaw responded with another TD pass to Ellington, this time from 22 yard out, and the PAT failed for a 20-9 Gamecock lead.
In the last three and a half minutes of the first half, OSU QB Miller heated up the OSU faithful with a 57 yard pass to Jeff Heuerman (PAT was blocked), followed by a 3-yard run by the QB, and the Buckeyes were thinking Sugar Bowl with a 22-20 halftime lead.
Ohio State continued their momentum with a Carlos Hyde TD 1-yard run in the third to extend the lead to 29-20. But South Carolina did not fold, scoring on a Jerell Adams 3 yard pass from Shaw, and adding a field goal, to take the lead 30-29, as the teams and fans settled in for a fourth quarter battle.
A Buckeye TD pass from Miller to Hyde from 14 yards out gave OSU the lead back to OSU 35-30, but South Carolina went on a scoring string with a field goal followed by a Shaw 1 yard TD run, and the Gamecocks were up 40-35.
Ohio State had their chances, but Miller threw two devastating interceptions, and South Carolina held on. Four SEC teams will play in the quarterfinals, and South Carolina will play Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, which is allowed because they did not play in the regular season. Only the Michigan State-Stanford Rose Bowl can guarantee that the Final Four will not be filled with SEC teams.
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Updated tournament results:
FIRST ROUND:
In Cleveland:
7 Ohio State 35
9 South Carolina 40
In Tampa:
8 Missouri 41
10 Central Florida 40
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 Florida State
8 Missouri
Rose:
4 Michigan State 24
5 Stanford 20
Sugar:
2 Auburn
9 South Carolina
Fiesta:
3 Alabama 45
6 Baylor 41
Semi-Finals in Indianapolis:
Orange Bowl winner versus Michigan State
Sugar Bowl winner versus Alabama
BCS Championship in Pasadena
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