The way a rivalry should be

Clemson's dominance in its series with South Carolina continued here at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night as the Tigers walked away with a 23-21 win on Mark Buchholz's last-second field goal.
If you're a fan of either team, you probably weren't very comfortable during the last couple of minutes, though. Clemson fans were probably wondering if Buchholz could bounce back from a pair of earlier misses. USC fans had seen this movie before, a late lead going down the tubes when the opponent drove down the field at the end of the game.
From the standpoint of a media observer who has watched a bunch of these games over the past couple of decades, though, it's a welcome sight. Since Steve Spurrier got to USC, this rivalry has been hotly contested and close every year. Four points -- that's the widest margin of victory for either team so far since Spurrier's arrival in Columbia after the 2004 season. After sitting through the 63-17 debacle in 2003 and the brawl game the following season, the past three years have been a treat, especially the last two, with both games coming down a field goal at the end.
It also helps re-engergize the rivalry. Frankly, when Clemson was winning by big margins almost every year, the series became a bore, not only for me, but even for some fans.
Now, it's something to talk about again. And hopefully, no matter who wins, it will stay that way for a long, long time.

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