South Carolina deserves respect after pounding Ohio State.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

TAMPA, Fla. _ Maybe one day South Carolina's Gamecocks will deliver a more satisfying football performance. Maybe one day they will enjoy sweeter moments. Maybe one day they will author a more significant victory than Monday's 24-7 thrashing of Ohio State.

The triumph represents the perfect finish to a breakthrough season, of course. Call the numbers on the scoreboard for the college football world to see the symbolic cherry atop the banana split.

But this means so much more.

The team that began the season saddled with a 21-game losing streak emerged to play for a berth in the SEC championship game and finished with a show that should provide a place in the final national rankings. Along the way, they chased away the ghosts and goblins in the school's football history and accomplished missions that no one outside the Carolina locker room envisioned in August.

The final chapter in their season to remember illustrated not only how far they have come but also painted a portrait of some bright tomorrows. Simply, they took on a big, physical football team and brought one of the game's most prominent programs to its knees.

Long before coach Lou Holtz received the triumphant Gatorade shower in the game's final minute, they had established a measure of respect seldom earned by Carolina teams and the promise of more should be the cause of celebration.

Heroes everywhere. Join the Gamecocks on their victory lap around Raymond James Stadium that shared the joy with the legions of fans who poured into the Tampa Bay area, and heroes are everywhere. Ryan Brewer, Phil Petty, the offensive line, a defense of steel and all the rest combined to make the moment.