Gamecocks Trip To Clemson, Get Punked

Another year, another victory for the Clemson Tigers over their pathetic midlands rival. Today's easy 72-61 win was the 6th in a row for Purnell's squad. That should come as no shock to readers, as beating South Carolina every year is just something Clemson does. But what made today's win exceptional was the way the Tiger defense completely shut down the gamecocks' best player, Devan Downey. Downey didn't score until 10 minutes were left in the game, and he ended up with 7 total points (5 of which were garbage points). Downey could not shake the Tiger D, his frustration showing with each possession.



Coming off a mind-numbing loss to Illinois the other night, frustration is just what the Tigers needed to exorcise. Amazingly, this might end up counting as a quality win for Clemson when the selection committee is deciding where the Tigers will land in the Dance. Soon enough conference play will begin, and this year the ACC is up for grabs. Clemson isn't ready to win it at this juncture of the season, but this is a talented bunch that could make a strong run once it's all said and done. With a week off to enjoy today's glorified practice, a rested Tiger team will run through its OOC slate before a showdown with Duke on January 3rd. The gamecocks will recover from this, largely because they play in the worst conference in the history of college basketball, but Downey won't soon forget getting pwn3d by his rival.......again.



Here's some MOAG, both football and basketball-related. Let's start with a doozie:

- Spiller Hurt His NFL Stock Last Night

- Classless Spiller sat on bench after loss and Tech player came over to him. He is such a puss; he can run all over the field but cant walk to congratulate the winner?

- Spiller only came back for his senior season to improve his chances in the draft and get a bigger paycheck, has nothing to do with being classy.

- If we had Holmes and Archie we would be killing Clempson !

- Sad fact is that Clemson is not that good...The team we just lost to is not that good. I think they will be on the bubble come March. With Archie and Holmes I am confident we would have won.

- Sorry taters you suck in basketball too!!! LOL (editor's note - this was said 23 minutes after the game)

- If we had Archie and Holmes this game wouldn't be close.

- I'm about to toss my laptop watching the team shoot after taking the ball away so many times. This is not the offense that showed up vs Jacksonville State. And this is not the Defense that showed up either.

- Even being Downeys worst game ever they still only won by 11. Taters happy we only play once a year.

- Pitt's secondary is very weak. You saw what that Cinci quarterback did yesterday just imagine what Garcia will do.

- We play in the SEC. Pitt's defense should be nothing to us.

Uncle Fester's

I just got back from Columbia, and it was truly a great weekend. Lots of old friends, laughs, and fellowship. I used to live in Columbia, and it was fun being back in my old stomping grounds. Also, a couple of my friends unwittingly hung out and had a great time at a gay bar, which was an excellent encore to an already pleasant day. But even so, it's great to be back home with my family. There's nothing quite as warm as getting a big hug from your daughter after being away. I'll have more later this week as we prepare for the big ACC Title game this Saturday, but for now I'm going back for another hug.

Early Friday MOAG

- Look. I have said it before and I will say it again. CAROLINA plays HANDS DOWN the toughest schedule out of CAROLINA and KKKLIMPSON!!! NOTHING and I mean NOTHING that happens on SATURDAY will change that! taters can brag all they want now or after the game on Saturday, but the BOTTOM LINE is that CAROLINA plays a MUCH, MUCH better conference than KKKLIMPSON. That's a fact. They can sugar coat it all they want, but that is the WAY IT IS. taters got NOTHING to brag about. NOTHING. If they win the rest of their two games the fact is that they played a much weaker A-SHE-SHE schedule than the GAMECOCKS. Period. They have to live with that. We can hold our heads up for playing the VERY BEST in the land!!!GO COCKS!!!

- The truth is we have NO reason to play clempson.We play the Highest profile schedule in America.Nothing and I mean Nothing good comes from playing clempson.On the other hand it is clempsons season maker.The best thing we could do is DROP em.That would be sweet.They would be left with nothing to hang their hat on.

- If it were up to me I would never play another ACC team in any sport unless it was a tournament. That charter group of clowns could not take it when we starting beating their a$$e$. They did everything they could to take us down and I would do the same if given a chance.Had we stayed I think we would have countless ACC championships in all 3 of the major sports.

- would not bother me one way or the other, taters, neighbors, but we have other teams we play that mean more to us financially and from a p.r. standpoint, so it would convince some with results

- Most Clemson fans have an inate ability to make people dislike them. That's why I decided after going to Carolina, that it was a more civil and cultured environment that suited my style and personality.

- rivalry be damned. Think with your head instead of your, well heart I guess. Is it logical for SC to keep playing CU? Nope, so why do something illogical year in and year out?

- Every Cock has its day. USC will soon start beating the Taters more and more. The losing shoe's gonna hurt on those orange stained feet.

- Clemson is the last school to talk to anyone about owning someone.

I'm Thankful For MOAG

- Clemmons University about to run into a BUZZ SAW. This is one of those rare times that Ive felt this good about a USC/CU game. I know many of you have doubts due to the history but I think huge celebrations will be going on in here saturday night. This will be year one of a string of victories over the hated rival.

- Seems like Klempsin has the coaches' and players' full attention this year. That's the difference!

- I agree. I think Spiller and Parker get knocked out of the game and the domino effect is we win big. We're the best defense they will see all year since they don't play Virginia Tech (how is that anyway?)

- next year starts Saturday

- Tatersuck Fag Univ is just trying to copy what we did with Under Armour! They need to try and match the publicity that we got with the wounded warriors gig! That faget University will do anything to try and "one up" us!!!!

- Hey where can I down load one of those pictures of the kid pupping in the clumpsun helmet?

- Taters really do have an inferiority complex to us. They beat us regularly enough that they shouldn't. But then they do things like last Saturday. After we had a classy camoflage uniform and cleats with honor, integrety, committment etc. on the back, to honor the fallen warrior project. They come out and redneck up what is a nice gesture to honor our military. I guess the coaching staff saw our guys and rushed off to the local army/navy store and bought some camoflage hunting pants. I know they meant well, and it was nice. But you just kinda have to laugh at them. Bless their hearts.

- think we can shut Spiller down running. We match up better against the shifty types.

- Somebody has to win this ballgame so it might as well be us ....people near and far have Clemson so built up , yet they forget how they got that way , they play PoS teams that are all "use to be's"...

- he is good but who wouldn't be playing against the teams he has played against , put him against big powerhouse teams he would be CJ SPILT !!

- If our defense hits him hard and early, we could mentally take him out of the game. I dont think he has been physically challenged much all year with the acception of the FSU game.

Important Note

I'm not sure what happened, but today's blog posted below the sunday and monday blogs. Scroll down until you get to the one entitled, Urgent.

Monday Night MOAG

Just more of the good stuff:

- We are every bit as good as TCU or Georgia Tech, and we're better than Miami. Taters gonna find out on Saturday.

- If we suck so bad and yall are the future ACC Champs (at least champs of your division), then why did vegas set the line only at Clemson 2.5? I mean, it's such a SURE win and we're just this bottom tier SEC team... Why would the ACC champs only be a 2.5pt favorite over lowly South Carolina?


- Clemson is 22-47 vs Georgia Tech (32%)South Caraolina is 35-61-4 vs Clemson (37%)So if SC does not have a chance vs Clemson this weekend, why does Clemson even show up for the ACC Championship Game? The numbers show, as bad as SC is vs Clemson, its better than Clemson vs GT.


- We just came off a 24-14 home loss to the number one team in the nation, beat the number 4 team earlier in the year at home, and played the number 2 team well on the road. 20 points may be enough.

- fortunately for us we are facing a team that spit the bit against Maryland.


- This time next week....I will have been celebrating a Gamecock victory for hours. Not a shred of doubt in my mind. I BELIEVE! GO COCKS!!!


- This is rivalry week, time to get excited. This game is in our house and that western SC technical school full of inbred hillbillies should have nightmares after what is going to happen to them at WB next Saturday!!!! Get ready for a beat down you toothless redneck SOB's because next Saturday at noon hell will be unleashed on your sorry a$$es!!


- Keep Spiller and Ford from busting big plays and they are dead meat!

- James and Demps didn't do a dang thing and netiher will Spiller and Ford!!!

- We've played a MUCH more difficult schedule and when you look at the top 2 teams in America, we've played BOTH of them WELL into the fourth quarter! With the proper mindset, we SHOULD BEAT CLEMSON!!!!

- Carolina will win. The ACC does not stack up like the SEC. The only deserving team to go to the ACC championship is GT. Everyone else is mediocre (yes, the word used to describe our team and program). The SEC will be against 2 undefeated teams as of now. Clemson is 8-3 and has a chance to play for the crown and go to the Orange Bowl? Come on, no competition. We played a hard schedule with freshmen/sophmores and they at most times, gave it all they had. The SEC is a tough conference to dominate and if you do, you earned it. The thought of GT playing Clemson makes me sick. We are at home for the SC/Clemson game and the stands will rock again. This is our year to win and decent bowl depends on this game. 2010 will be interesting and should go our way as our guys gained a lot of good experience this year as a young team. We are a year ahead of other programs b/c we had freshmen/sophmores on the field. They should play well for the next few years.

- They havent seen a defense like ours all season and our home field advantage will be too much for them to overcome.

- If we play the way we did against florida we WILL win. Plain and simple if the players can get over making the #1 team in the country sweat for 3 quarters..... we WILL win.

Sunday Night MOAG

Just some good ol' fashioned moag for a Monday morning.

- No reason to lose to the Taters this year....NONE! and don't give me any of that Spiller & Ford crap.....I ain't buying it.....we've had 2 weeks to prepare for this one.....we've played better teams all year long.....it's time to open up a can on the Taters.....this crap (losing to those rednecks) needs to stop and it needs to stop now!!! Am I fired up? You better believe it.

- You're absolutely correct!! I do believe if we don't give it to them (examples: Tenn. & Ala. - even some inexcusables in the Ark. game) & play smart & tough for 4 FULL quarters (unlike the 3 we played against Fla.), we'll beat them! No reason not to with 2 weeks to prepare!!

- If we come out on D and hit them and on O we try to run the ball like we did against Florida we should be fine. If Clifton plays like he did against Florida we should be fine.

- Clemson will come into next week with a vaulted 6 game winning streak(of course Im assuming they will win today} but who have they beaten? NOBODY! only MIA is hanging on to the top 25 and they are losing to Duke and got lucky to beat wake..

- when Garcia is done he will be 3-0 against Clemson.

- I just feel like we are better than them. I realize they have looked well at times, but outside of the Wake game, they have dicked around all year against everyone they have played. If I am not mistaken, they have been favored in every game they have played this year but 1. We are better than anyone they have played since September. We just have to put it together one time on Saturday and I think we could lay it on them.

- The frustrating thing for us is that we watch Klempsin stumble and bumble through a vastly inferior conference only to have their little hearts break year after year until finally they backed into it.

- Your team usually beats us because of a lot of intangibles not the least of which is you have seemed to want it more.

- The defensive gameplan for Ellis Johnson could not be more simple. On top of that, we have the personel defensively to shut them down. No reason whatsoever why we should not win this game and with somewhat of a cushion to spare. NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

- We will win by two touchdowns, even if Clemson brings us their best game. We have them at home, had a week off,and can build on a strong showing in the Florida game.

- We bring in more money than Clemson, will soon have better facilities all the way around than Clemson, play in a more attractive conference with better TV exposure than Clemson, have a better bowl record over the past 15 years than Clemson, have a better winning percentage against the rest of the SEC and ACC this decade than Clemson, and based on all that have landed more highly regarded recruiting classes this decade than Clemson.

- We have an 80% winning percentage against the rest of the ACC this decade. Clemson doesn't have that. Clemson has a 17% winning percentage against the rest of the SEC this decade. We are obviously well above that.

- The WAC deserves a BCS bowl tie in more than the ACC does. Just a fact and really can't be disputed.

- Boise would go undefeated in the ACC. Nevada and Fresno would both win Clemson's division.

- We played #1,#2 and #4,we won aginst #4 so we are at least 1-2 aginst top 10 teams.You will finish 0-3.

- Carolina-clemPson opening line is out. It's a PICK 'EM. Goes to show you what Vegas thinks of the ACC

- Clemson beats teams the Byrnes High could beat and now there world beaters. I think we have just as much talent as Clemsucks and we are going to win that game Saturday.

- I credit Dabo for doing a good job with an average team this year. USC can easily win this game if they play sound football.

- I think there is NO EXCUSE for us losing to them again.

- Didn't realize that Dabo was still running down "The Hill" way out front of his team, acting like "Attila The Hun". Does he beat his chest too? When he's at press conferences - he keeps talking about team, team, team but when he's on the hill in front of all the fans, AD, TV cameras, etc - it's about me, me, me.

- clem won't beat us, we can only beat ourselves...***

Urgent

Your desire is insane
You can’t stop until you do it again - Foreigner


I don't know how old I was the first time I heard these lyrics. I don't know how old I was the first time I watched a Clemson/South Carolina football game, though it probably came when I was an infant in 1978. All I know is, these words were first sung in 1981, the same year Clemson won its first national championship in football, and effectively kicked its program into hyper-speed, leaving South Carolina choking on its cosmic dust. Nearly 40 years have passed since those two events collided to create the University of South Carolina's worst nightmare, and 40 more will certainly pass in kind.

Every November the South Carolina Gamecocks offer themselves up as sacrificial lambs to the mighty Tigers of Clemson, yet every year they enter the game actually believing they have a chance to win. They are fools. So are their fans. Since the Great Year, Clemson owns a 20-7-1 record in the series, dominating their arch rival in every imaginable way. Though that record is thoroughly impressive and shameful, consider that the record in Columbia over that same period is even more of both. On Clemson Tiger field at Williams-Brice stadium, the Tigers are 12-2. In four days that record will be 13-2. The Gamecocks are, in a word, goosed.

Nobody knows whether or not the bard, Lou Gramm, was specifically thinking of the Clemson/South Carolina rivalry when he first sang this song, not of forbearance, but of desperation. I have my opinion, but that's not important. Urgency breeds carelessness, and carelessness breeds 2-13 records against your arch rival on your home field. They want to win, but they aren't good enough. Their desire is insane. After losing on Saturday, they and their fans will spend a few months wallowing in their athletic crapulence. They'll talk of moving the game to the start of the season, or canceling the series altogether. They'll turn on each other, half of them wanting to fire Coach, the other half supporting Coach because "he's really building a winner here." It's become as much a part of the holidays as turkey and naps. But then around early February, the Gamecock faithful will come to life again, celebrating a vastly overrated recruiting class, its ranking bloated by worthless 4 star JUCO linemen and no less than 6 average safeties turned wide receiver. And then it will start anew. They won't be able to stop, and they'll do it again. They're so urgent. Emergency.

Just as I was born at the start of the Danny Ford era, my daughter came to us at the start of Dabo Swinney era (make of that what you will). She will probably watch bits and pieces of her first Clemson/South Carolina game this Saturday, though she surely won't remember it. Perhaps somewhere a young Brit is putting together a musical arrangement that will capture perfectly the theme of this rivalry over the course of her young lifetime. The odds of that are better than Carolina winning on Saturday.


Now today's MOAG, looks like the moral victories are starting early this year:

- I like the Gamecocks chances against clemson solely on the basis that SC is a better team.

- I have being saying the same thing since we joined the SEC, let's move the game to the beginning of the season and then we can shuffle our SEC schedule so that we aren't being punished at the end of the year. Let's start concentrating on winning the SEC and less about Clemson.

- The game belongs at the BEGINNING of the season. Anyone who thinks that this rivalry game should be at the end for tradition's sake is ignoring the game's history to begin with. No one says it has to be the opener, either - just near the beginning of the season. Let's get this thing going at the beginning of the season before USC has been through the SEC blender and the taters have finished their milquetoast ACC schedule. At least then we'd both be fresh instead of just the taters every year.

- There is no reason NOT to move it

- Better hope you get us this year taters because your next year is the real year one of the spurrier era.

- why do the taters fear moving the game up? I think we all know the answer.

- I have a new fight song for wimpson and the entire ACC for that matter. It's from Tiny Tim and the title fits your program like a glove "Tip Toe Through The Tulips". Now please go back to the bathroom because that's where your best thoughts come out. I'm waiting for the answer to the fairyland loss. Then I'll listen to you. GO GAMECOCKS!!! ROCK!

- You guys shadow box all season while we fight Ali for 11 rounds. Then you come in the ring for your match with us. That's what it's like. No excuse,just saying.

- Itwould give us a fair shot at the Tigers; as it is now, they play an ACCschedule that is arguably softer on the W/L's column, but moreso on theirinjuries. We enter the game afetr a grueling SEC schedule. If if is a test of the true in-state rivalry, then let's Tee it up on a level field on the first game.

*Special thanks to Ron Morris for making all of this possible today

Another Man Done Gone

Greetings MOAG fans and Gamecock losers who read this blog because you can't help yourselves. Y'all probably remember my blog from October 15 of last year, when I wrote about the psychological grip - mind of a gamecock - all Gamecocks come under sooner or later. The subject that day was Steve Spurrier, and my blog proved that even coaches weren't immune to this horrible wonderful disease. Well, today another of the top cocks accepted his fate. He goes by the name of Ellis Johnson, and here's what he had to say about the Clemson game today:

"When Carolina was in the ACC, the game typically affected the championship or the conference standings." "Then, when they became an independent, the Clemson game was a red letter day. Now that Carolina is in the SEC, it's a great environment every week. We have a bunch of big-time games every year at Williams-Brice Stadium or on the road. So we have to bring this game into focus and tell these kids that it's a big game for our university and our people and it needs to be a big game for you."

Now that you've finished laughing at the first part of that statement, let me translate the rest for you: "Since we have a bye week I'd like to get my excuse out there early. That way, by the time the last second ticks off the clock in 9 days, the few remaining gamecock fans left in the stadium will have heard it so many times they believe it as fact." Sure thing, Ellis. That's why, minutes after losing to Florida last weekend, your players were in the locker room talking about their "second season." Because they don't understand the importance of this game. As pathetic as it is that you expect anyone (other than every gamecock fan in America) to buy that tripe, it isn't nearly as pathetic as your shameless attempt to devalue the rivalry because your team can't keep up. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You had more to say:

"It's just different here." "When you play Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and all those guys and every time you go into a stadium there's 70,000 to 90,000 people, it's hard to make it a red letter day," Johnson said. "It's a game like we play every weekend. Our kids are in those tough environments every weekend in this conference."

Ellis, shut the #@&% up. I mean that in the nicest way possible. I'm not being rude or condescending; I'm trying to help you avoid making a spectacle of yourself in the future. If your guys don't get up for this game, it isn't because they've already played big games. It's because they know they are going to lose every time they step on the field with Clemson. You've been a part of this rivalry for a long time. It isn't any different now than it was 20, 40, or 60 years ago. To borrow a timeless line from Caddyshack 2's Jackie Mason - We win, you lose! That's how it's always been, and that's how it always will be. So one day, when the SEC finally decides it needs a new whipping boy and y'all go maverick again, you can look back on this day with deep shame, knowing you got served by The Blawg. I'm sure whatever failed gamecock coaching staff in place then will have a new set of ready-made excuses for why they've lost 10 of the last 12 to Clemson. If not, well, it is Green Week, so maybe they can recycle this one if it isn't in the garbage where it belongs.

Now for some MOAG, but before I get to it let me say a quick word. This is Clemson week MOAG, which I consider a treat for my readers. Sure they say stupid stuff about Clemson all year long, but this week they really kick it up a notch. Mere delusion becomes sheer hysteria, and everyone benefits. Enjoy:

- I believe this will be the best defense that the Tigers have faced all year. I believe that Clemson will win big Saturday against a hopeless Virgina team and then the Cock beat them the following week and then you will hear the excuses. USC wanted it more, they were thinking about Tampa etc, etc, etc.

- Funny how every experience I have with Clemson people is about as classless as "Lloyd and Harry" you showed me.Seriously, do they beat class out of kids in the upstate??? I just can't figure out how a whole group of people can lack so much.

- In this rival game, throw out the records and the best team does not always win. Anything can happen as history has proven!

- Clemson will have the better overall record the vast majority of the time due to their schedule. It boils down to we need to start playing our best game of the year like Clemson does. That would lead to different results.

- they would have won 5 games with our schedule, they probably would lose to either kentucky or ole miss maybe even both

- I say Vegas will still have us as a point or two favorite....

- I think by game time, Vegas will realize thet 5.5 is way too high... Line will be down to 2 or 3 tops.. Cocks win though 35-28

- We will be favored in this game by a few points by the time game time rolls around!! Whatever the line is to start with people around the country are going to put thier money on the SEC TEAM and we will have to give more points.

- Join "BEAT CLEMSON" cause on Facebook!!! I created the cause titled "BEAT CLEMSON" on Facebook. Hope it spreads like wildfire! The link is below.
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/401197/40330489

Yes, I included the link. That's all for tonight.

4 Out of 5 Ain't Bad, Plus a Bonus

Before I get to blogging today, I need to pass on a couple of administrative notes:

1. I'm a family man now, and even though she doesn't possess the ability, I won't be publishing comments that I wouldn't want my daughter to read.

2. I won't publish comments left anonymously. Now onto the good stuff.





I will be the first to admit that I was not thrilled with the idea of Assistant Coach Swinney becoming Head Coach Swinney, and 5 games into the season, I felt like my reservations were justified. But Coach Swinney appears well on his way to shutting me, and a lot of others (Philip), up. Nine games into the season, four of the five major team goals are still alive. That's winning the Atlantic division, winning the ACC, winning a BCS bowl game, and winning the Heisman Trophy for CJ Spiller. I consider that last one a team goal, because, despite Spiller's individual talents, no player can win it without the support of his teammates on the field. That's pretty dang good for a 39 year old with very little coaching experience. Not only has Coach Swinney changed the mindset of the players, but he has changed the mindset of the fans as well. We believe that Coach Swinney can lead us back to our glory days. This morning (11-11-09), right here, I am proud to announce that, for the first time, I am 100% All In.


I'm not sitting here saying that Clemson will achieve all, or even most, of the afore-mentioned goals, but I am saying that the team and the fans finally believe that Clemson can achieve all those goals. Yes We Can! And, unlike our fowl friends down the road, it isn't gonna be next year. Speaking of those guys........Rejoice!! Clemson fans, we just got some more good news last night. Steve Spurrier announced that he planned to stay in Columbia for at least 3-4 more years. If you've been paying attention, that news should excite you.

Now MOAG.

On Switching Conferences:

- If we swapped schedules right now, Clemson would go 6-6, or 7-5, Carolina would go 7-5 or 8-4, and Carolina would beat Clemson 75% of the time. In other words, they would swap places. If Clemson fans, who follow a perennial 8-4 team in the ACC, dont think they would start losing to Carolina if they played Bama, Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee, and we played Wake, NC State and Virginia leading up to our game, then you are in total denial.

- The reality is, you would be limping into your rivalry game just as we do every year, because we are similar programs and you play cupcakes for 4 weeks prior and we play some of the best teams in the country. And you usually win.

- Clemson would fare no better in the SEC than USC, and there's a good chance they'd fare worse...

- usc wouldnt have any trouble with florida"no defense" state and most of the others with clemsons schedule we would go 10-2 or 9-3

- How many CU victories over SC SHOULD be attributed to a demoralizing defeat at the hands of UF the game prior?

The Florida Game:

- SC beats UF on Saturday...............watch and see. SOS knows how to beat these guys.

- I predicted this about two weeks ago...I'm sticking by my prediction.

- WE CAN BEAT THE GATORS! I am starting to get excited about the game. We can make history with this win and IT IS POSSIBLE. If everyone would get behind this team and get fired up it would motivate the players. We have talent! We are capable of playing good football. Who is in???? GOOO GAMECOCKS!!

- with the refs it's going to be nearly impossible.

- I have been predicting the Gamecocks will beat UF this week all season, I think they will overlook our boys and I also think the crowd will be a big difference. I do not see UF's offense being as strong as it was last year and I have a strong feeling the Gamecock D will be up to the challenge!

- Not many of you give our guys a chance this weekend, and some of you think the Clemson game is more important anyway...I may be one of only a very few that is very optimistic about this weekend.

On Spurrier's Future:

- Spurrier ain't going no where but to atlanta in the next year or 2.then he will keep going back a few times before he retires for good.

- Even if Clemsux were to win again, they dont want to seeDarth Visor on our sidelines for 2,3,4 or even 5 more years.

On SEC/ACC Power Poll:

- why the HELL are we behind so many acc teams clemson is probably their best team and we gunna kick their butt in two weeks

- BS we are supposed to believe that out of the 24 teams in the SEC and the ACC that we are only better than 11 programs,what a joke.

On the Bye Week Before Clemson (which they begged for 5 years ago):

- I think the bye wek hurts us right before the Clemson game. While Clemson is focusing on there next opponent, we are already preparing for the Taters. We may be to ready to play this game and emotion last for maybe 4or 5 plays and them reality sets in. That may not be the case but for some reason, Clemson always comes out, plays harder, hits harder and has a better game plan.

The Old, Old, Old Ball Coach

I am a dog lover. I always have been. One of my least favorite movies of all time is Old Yeller; however, even at the tender age of 7 I understood why dude had to do what he did. The legendary dog had become a liability to his family, and he needed to die before he hurt someone. Well, it's time for the Gamecocks to channel Travis Coates. They need to take their beloved coach out to a field, tie him to a post, and blow his brains out.

In the last 4 games, South Carolina has scored a total of 49 points. They can't run the ball to save their lives (you know it's bad when professional writers are actually trying to suggest that Brian Maddox was a bright spot on Saturday against Arkansas). And it actually seems to be getting worse. The cure for a struggling offense desperately trying to avoid a 6-6 finish is probably not games against Florida and Clemson, both of which play great defense.

The problem for the Gamecocks here is two-fold. They don't want to be known as the school that ran off two coaching legends in succession, but they also can't continue doing what they've been doing under Spurrier and expect to get any better. It's a troubling dilemma (not for me) that is the result of grossly negligent foresight on their part. Rumor has it that A.D. Hyman hired Gary Patterson when he was at TCU, and if anyone is capable of fixing the Gamecocks, it's Patterson. But TCU could easily match, or better, any offer South Carolina made him, and does he really want to kill his career yet? I doubt it.

So it promises to be another long, long off-season, replete with a drastically overrated recruiting class, a fresh group of bad assistant coaches, and delusional fans finally having arrived in "next year."

Here's some classic MOAG:

- USC is a better team than Clemson regardless of how crappy we feel as a fanbase after the last couple of losses. Clemson has Spiller. That's it. Granted USC has no chance of stopping him so maybe they can step on that hurt toe. I'm sorry but Clemson is NOT better than, UT, Ark, UF, Ole Miss, Vandy, or UGA. Great, they beat a horrible Fla St. team and are going to the ACC Championship to represent the best of the worst. USC: 32, Clemson: 10

- why the HELL are we behind so many acc teams clemson is probably their best team and we gunna kick their butt in two weeks

- Spiller is weak. Spiller is a good player dont get me wrong, but he fakes injuries every game to avoid contact. He is running up and down the field... cutting on a dime yet he bounces outside on every play when a cut is not wide open he just runs out.

- we are 5-0 at home this season and have won 5 of our last SEC games at home. We have to defend those accomplishments at Williams Brice this weekend and our players will be named courage, valor, honor to support our wounded warriors. Get fired up and help support this team and their cause against the #1 team in the country!! We have lots to play for and a mountain to climb this Saturday afternoon.

- you can always count on Clemson to play their best game of the year against us. Maybe thats due to their coaches getting them prepared. I would like to at least see us get a few breaks in the contest, instead of the tigers getting all the luck.

- I still cannot believe that the taters were so foolish as to hire a real estate agent as a football coach!!! I know that taters are dumb, but even this was hard to believe!!!This right here tells you the difference in the prestige of the two programs in our state. One program in COLUMBIA is a top-flight, flagship school for the state with high standards that can only be met by HIRING THE VERY BEST.The other program in the cow pasture is a trailer park of a school without even enough prestige ot hire a real football coach! All they could do was to get a real estate guy or an insurance salesman or whatever he is. I'm not sure.There has never been a better tim to be a GAMECOCK!!! COACH SPURRIER has turned this program around AGAINST ALL ODDS in the TOUGHEST CONFERENCE IN AMERICA. In the meanwhile Dabo Dabo Do has been busy loosing to teams like Maryland in the weak A-SHE-SHE with a teamload of convicts and a stadium full of fans with no teeth who work at Waffle HOUSE. LOL!!!!We are living in a GOLDEN AGE of GAMECOCK football. Enjoy it while you can! I sure am!!!GO COCKS!!!

- Not one for moral victories and excuses; but Can anyone tell me WHEN...in the name of all that is good and decent...will we get a schedule reprieve? I mean 11 straight weeks is INCREDIBLY UNFAIR!!! If that was not enough, we are having to play our very best competition when we are nursing the injuries and fatigue of 8-9 straight weeks.

Blog Note

I'm remembering now one of the big problems I had with the blog last year. All the anonymous comments create confusion amongst the readers. It's a disservice to everyone, so from now on I won't be publishing any anonymous comments. Thanks for your understanding. Iit's going to make for a livelier and more sensible conversation.

Welcome Back, MOAG Fans & Haters

Yes, it's true. Mind of a Gamecock is back! For some of you, this news is a batman kick to the throat, while for others, it's second only to the joyous news we received last year on October 14. That was the day our long, national nightmare ended, and the dawn of a new era began in Clemson. I'm not going to re-hash those events, because we're all in a better place now, but I do feel that I owe to you, my loyal readers, an explanation of exactly what happened to Mind of a Gamecock. On the surface, it might have seemed like I disappeared at exactly the same time that Clemson was imploding on the football field, but I can assure you that Clemson's downward spiral last year had nothing to do with the MOAG hiatus. What had happened was, this site was becoming too big for me to handle. I was not expecting the kind of instant, overwhelming success Mind of a Gamecock received. I literally could not go anywhere without people asking (actually hounding) me about it. It got to be too much. The same thing happened to Dave Chappelle. When he bailed on his show I called him a quitter, but now I know how he felt. Some people also said some really mean things about me and my family, and it made me very upset.

But that's all in the past now. As I previously, Mind of a Gamecock is back! I realize in writing this that some of you are going to find the timing of my return as suspicious as the timing of my departure, but let me assuage you of those concerns. It is merely a coincidence. It has nothing to do with the fact that Clemson is looking good for their first trip to the ACC Championship Game. It has nothing to do with the fact that the Gamecocks are getting a head start on their yearly November swoon. It was simply a logistical decision. The timing is right for my family and me. Speaking of my family, we welcomed a little girl into the world last March. Speaking of little girls, did anyone catch Chris Culliver's performance on Saturday night against Tennessee? Yes.

So, folks, I welcome every last one of you back to Mind of a Gamecock. The premise of the blog remains the same (got some really good post-Tennessee MOAG coming over the next few days). I'm going to open the forum up to questions. I'm sure y'all have a lot of them. So fire away. Oh yeah, things got a little distasteful last time around in the comments section, so try to conduct yourselves with the maturity that everyone expects from southern college football fans.