It seems every year there’s a big speech or motto that South Carolina fans rally behind in hopes of getting over the hump in the SEC.

At a school that’s never sniffed a trip to the conference title game, much less a BCS game, Gamecock Nation continues to believe every new season could be the year.

In the last 10 years, the additions of former coach Lou Holtz and current head man Steve Spurrier have brought on high expectations.

Not long after Holtz arrived in 1999 he said the Gamecocks had a “culture of losing” that he wanted to change. Despite going winless in his first season, Holtz turned USC around with back-to-back Outback Bowl victories over Ohio State before falling back into postseason futility his last three seasons.

Former Florida playing and coaching legend Steve Spurrier entered in 2005, ready to take USC to the level Holtz couldn’t.

Spurrier immediately preached change in how the Gamecocks thought of themselves. It wasn’t the same cultural change that Holtz had, but he wanted the team to start thinking like a champion, and he didn’t want fans to pat the team on the back for effort in losses.

It helped get the Gamecocks to the postseason his first two years — although the Independence Bowl (2005) and Liberty Bowl (2006) aren’t held in the highest of esteem — but USC’s 8-8 league record during that span didn’t produce an SEC title.

Last season the message changed. Spurrier was talking up his team all summer long, saying the Gamecocks were ready to compete for the division crown. Instead, they lost four straight league games and went from 6-1 overall and No. 6 in the nation to 6-6 (after another loss to rival Clemson) with no postseason trip.

Those lofty aren’t being thrown about for 2008. As the seasons change, so does the sermon.

“We’re trying to do things different; that’s the message,” Spurrier said. “We’re trying to be a team that plays a lot smarter with a lot more effort and not beat ourselves.”

This sounds pretty fundamental to me. There’s no air of supperority in that statement.

“Historically around here we beat ourselves a lot,” Spurrier said. “I haven’t changed it yet. Going to do my best to try and change it this year. (New defensive coordinator) Ellis Johnson and (new special teams coordinator) Ray Rychleski are going to do their best and try and change it. So, hopefully when we lose we just got beat. We didn’t beat ourselves.”

This “change” might sound very vague, but it’s about the little things. It’s not jumping offsides on an audible. It’s lining up in the right spot every time or getting on a loose ball quicker than the other team. It’s especially avoiding a senseless penalty that costs a would-be touchdown.

Spurrier’s also trying to change the way the team practices and prepares for games. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and the coaches, saying the players are only as good as how his staff coaches them up.

That’s why he made changes in the offseason. Spurrier and last year’s defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix came to an agreement to part ways. Spurrier then hired Brian Van Gorder, who quickly jumped ship back to the Falcons and opened the door for Johnson.

Bringing in Johnson, who has tons of experience as a coordinator and head coach, means hands off the defense for Spurrier, who won’t be checking behind Johnson like he did Nix.

Rychleski can also bring change. He’s already impressed his fellow coaches with his organized practices. In seven years at Maryland, Rychleski’s unit never had a punt blocked. That’s one of the little things Spurrier is talking about.

And while there’s still a slight difference in talent between USC and the big boys of the SEC, the depth and overall commitment level is improving.

“(Commitment) changed a lot last year,” USC receiver and former Westside standout Moe Brown said. “Before, you had people from the Lou Holtz era, there were different players, different staff. Now, you’ve got the seniors of the first (Spurrier) recruiting class. Everybody is buying into the system so naturally the commitment has gone up. It’s what they know and what they do.”

This year’s team is a far cry from one of USC’s darkest eras. The 1998 end of Brad Scott’s reign and the 1999 beginning of Lou Holtz’s brought on a 21-game losing streak. Ten years later, that’s an afterthought.

The talent has improved leaps and bounds. The facilities are on the way up, and the perception of Gamecock football is higher than ever before.

It’s winning close games that still plagues USC’s hopes for an SEC title. The schedule will never do it any favors. Battling UGA, Florida and Tennessee will always put the odds against them.

But, it’s not stifling Spurrier’s fire.

“It can be done,” Spurrier said. “We can win here. It’s been frustrating the way we’ve lost games. It would be good to win one at the end. Maybe that would help build confidence. Hope is all we got.”