From the dreary days immediately following the Belk Bowl through that equally sad stretch ahead of us until August 31, South Carolina fans have to sit with a strange and bad taste in their mouths about the 2018 football season. At this point, I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone — even the most faithful — willing to consider this year a success, and rightfully so. The question, then, is this: How much of a failure was the Gamecocks’ 2018 campaign? I’m not trying to rip open any fresh wounds here, but with the New Year, it’s time for some reflection.