South Carolina had to do it the hard way. To get to the level of success it had last year, it had to go through the gauntlet that was an 18-game SEC slate. There was no alternate route or shortcut. The Gamecocks had to face it head on. And they did — for the most part. The feel-good story could’ve fizzled out after a 40-point loss to Auburn followed by a last-second loss to a mediocre LSU team. But South Carolina responded well and weathered the storm, finishing tied for the second-best record in the SEC. [See what other fans are saying on The Insiders Forum!] Now as the Gamecocks enter a new …