"You can't just show up and win just because you're Alabama," said Ingram after the top-ranked Tide fell 35-21 to South Carolina. "You've got to focus. You've got to play with a lot of intensity and play Alabama football." As Alabama's tailback reminded, "Losing isn't acceptable in this program." But losing may have been inevitable. "I think this game was meant to be," said Spurrier, the South Carolina coach. He noted that South Carolina's basketball team knocked off No. 1 Kentucky last winter. And that the baseball team knocked off No. 1. Arizona State on the way to a College World Series title. "Fellas, if fate means for us to win this game Saturday, then let's give it a chance. Let's give fate a chance to happen," Spurrier told his team. Fate gets a helping hand when a quarterback like the Gamecocks' Stephen Garcia hits 17 of 20 passes and throws three touchdowns. Fate gets a helping hand when defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, once in the employ of the University of Alabama, devises a sweet-revenge defense that holds Ingram to a mere 205 fewer yards than he gained a year ago against the Gamecocks. Fate gets a helping hand when "we didn't necessarily bring our 'A' game," as Saban put it.
"We got out-coached today, too," he said.
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