2014 SEC Tournament: Florida vs. South Carolina open thread

Florida and South Carolina have a bit of a history in postseason play.

In 2012, it was South Carolina that sent Florida to the losers' bracket, and its eventual two-and-'cue departure, in Omaha. In 2011, South Carolina topped Florida in the championship series of the event.

And now, with slightly smaller stakes, the Gators and Gamecocks meet in Hoover at the 2014 SEC Tournament on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. (SportSouth or Sun Sports/ESPN3/Gator Radio Network, with the loser headed home and the winner getting another shot at breaking through for a tournament title.

This game matters a lot more to Carolina than Florida. The Gamecocks could afford to shore up their standing as potential NCAA Regional hosts, though their shot at being a national seed is longer than long. Florida, meanwhile, is playing to ... be the No. 2 national seed instead of the No. 3 national seed? The Gators' top-five RPI will inure them against falling out of the national seed pack even with a terrible loss today.

So I don't think you should get too wrapped up in today's result. Florida may win. Florida may lose.

Ultimately, it won't matter much.