[81alum]

South Carolina is from the SEC, and their schedule was probably loaded with road games no more than a few hundred miles from home since there are many programs from the ACC and the SEC nearby.

Now they need to fly all the way to Seattle.  Will they go back to South Carolina for the week to attend classes?  If yes, they would be signing up for 2 very long road trips.  If the seeds hold Stanford would play a team that flew from South Carolina to Seattle then back to South Carolina only to fly out to SJC/SFO a few days later.  Ignore the #2 or #1 question.  THAT is not ideal, and I would have to think it will turn into a big advantage for Stanford.

BTW - Alternatively they could elect to miss class and stay on the West Coast but that would mean hotel living for several days, and that is not much better.

Yes, I agree with that analysis, which is why Stanford and South Carolina should have been reverse and they should have gone to Iowa rather than Seattle.  As for how this could play out at Maples--you could be correct and we might have a decisive advantage over South Carolina in the even that both we and they win our first three games.

But I am much, much, much more worried about surviving Iowa State just now.  Beating South Carolina at Maples could frankly be easier than beating Iowa State in Ames--regardless of rankings.  But I would count our odds of both getting to that game as no better than 50/50 at this point.  We will probably have to beat Penn State, too, which is probably better than our competition in the Pac 12.  And I wonder if Oregon State might surprise some people and knock off South Carolina,or maybe North Carolina will--as they already have this year.  No, a South Carolina/Stanford match up is a bit iffy.  But I would love it if it happens, since it would mean we got one game further along than last year. 

[81alum]

South Carolina is from the SEC, and their schedule was probably loaded with road games no more than a few hundred miles from home since there are many programs from the ACC and the SEC nearby.

Now they need to fly all the way to Seattle.  Will they go back to South Carolina for the week to attend classes?  If yes, they would be signing up for 2 very long road trips.  If the seeds hold Stanford would play a team that flew from South Carolina to Seattle then back to South Carolina only to fly out to SJC/SFO a few days later.  Ignore the #2 or #1 question.  THAT is not ideal, and I would have to think it will turn into a big advantage for Stanford.

BTW - Alternatively they could elect to miss class and stay on the West Coast but that would mean hotel living for several days, and that is not much better.

Yes, I agree with that analysis, which is why Stanford and South Carolina should have been reverse and they should have gone to Iowa rather than Seattle.  As for how this could play out at Maples--you could be correct and we might have a decisive advantage over South Carolina in the even that both we and they win our first three games.

But I am much, much, much more worried about surviving Iowa State just now.  Beating South Carolina at Maples could frankly be easier than beating Iowa State in Ames--regardless of rankings.  But I would count our odds of both getting to that game as no better than 50/50 at this point.  We will probably have to beat Penn State, too, which is probably better than our competition in the Pac 12.  And I wonder if Oregon State might surprise some people and knock off South Carolina,or maybe North Carolina will--as they already have this year.  No, a South Carolina/Stanford match up is a bit iffy.  But I would love it if it happens, since it would mean we got one game further along than last year.