Sunday, October 19, 2008

MOAG Power 20

1. Texas
2. Penn St.
3. Alabama
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Oklahoma St.
8. Georgia
9. Texas Tech
10. Ohio St.
11. LSU
12. Utah
13. Georgia Tech
14. TCU
15. Boise St
16. South Florida
17. Tulsa
18. Pittsburgh
19. Boston College
20. Kansas

Friday, October 17, 2008

Jordin Lindsey Still a Paste Eater

When asked about last year's fake field goal in Baton Rouge, the highly aggresive, stupid, alcoholic Lindsey had this to say:
" It made me feel like they thought they could toy with us and it pissed me
off."

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I Have An Announcement

Folks, this blog has become tedious. It is much harder, and more time consuming, than I had initially thought it would be. With that in mind, I have decided to approach it like I have most of the difficult things I've experienced in my life - I'm quitting. Maybe quitting isn't the right word. Perhaps I should say, I'm not going to blog anymore. But don't panic, I am still going to blog every now and then. Every Sunday I will put out my MOAG Power 20 and the 10 Things I Learned This Weekend pieces that everyone loves so much. I will also try to re-focus the effort back towards what made this blog great, the dumb things that South Carolina fans say. So I want to thank everyone who reads my blog. It's been a great ride, and I know y'all have learned a lot about the game. Thanks, and remember to check back every now and then for some funny stuff. I will leave you with one last prediction: Clemson 29, GT 28

A Reason To Cheer

Folks, the day Clemson fans have waited for has finally come. Saturday should be fun?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tigers & Gamecocks Stand Together

Folks, it's been a tumultuous decade. We have seen a lot of empty promises go unfulfilled, a lot of rhetoric go unchecked, and a lot of potential go down the drain. Year after year we have hoped with bated breath that "this will finally be the year things turn around," and year after year we have been disappointed. We had the chance to do the right thing back in 2003, but we flinched. We allowed our leader to take us down a disastrous path that ruined many, many lives. But even after he screwed things up, we gave him another chance. And look where it's gotten us. However, a change is upon us. The day we have all waited for has arrived. So I implore you, Tigers & Gamecocks fans, be happy. There is an electricity and excitement in the air that we haven't felt in a long, long time. We have a reason to be hopeful. George W. Bush is on his way out, and Barack Obama is going to take this program to a whole new level.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Weekend Winners

Illinois -12 Minnesota
Arkansas +18.5 Auburn
Penn St. -6 Wisco
SCAR/Kent. under 38.5
Georgia -12.5 Tenn
LSU +6 Florida
Tulsa -24.5 SMU
Ark. St./ULM over 54
Indiana +5 Iowa
Oklahoma -6.5 texas
Temple +7.5 CMU
Washington St. +30 Oregon St.
Texas Tech -20.5 Nebraska
Colorado +14 Kansas

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Clemson vs. Wake Forest

Folks, I can't remember a time when I was less sure of what to expect from a Clemson football game. On paper, Clemson should run away with this one like they did last year. But the games aren't played on paper, otherwise we would never have lost to South Carolina. Neither team is playing particularly well right now, and both desperately need a win to stay in control of their respective destinies. I really don't even feel like getting into potential match up issues, because there are so many it would take too long to break down. Plus Clemson coaches make it a point not to key on potential mismatches. They'd rather let their massive egos and shitty schemes makes the players look bad. Wake has the home field advantage and a vastly superior coaching staff. But Clemson has vastly superior talent. There are 5 key issues to focus on in tonight's game:

1. Clemson must run well for TWO full halves. Keeping Wake off the field, while at the same time not letting their opportunistic defense create turnovers, will give Clemson the best shot to win this game. Wake is weak against the run, but look for them to stack the box. Clemson's OL should be better than it has been since opening day with the return of Chris Hairston.

2. Get to Riley Skinner. Last year we showed what can happen when you get to Skinner early and often. We rattled him completely out of his game. Unfortunately, our pass rush this year has resembled a French retreat more than the German blitzkrieg we all long to see. If Skinner gets enough time to find an open man tonight, he will. Clemson must chase him around and knock him down.

3. The absence of Sam Swank. Rarely would it matter if a team's kicker was out of the lineup, but Swank is one of the best in America. Wake may end up having to leave some points on the field without their AA foot-man. And it could also have an impact on the field position battle.

4. If it rains real hard tonight, Clemson could have a decided advantage in this one.

5. Spence v. Grobe. The game against Wake Forest last year is the best game Clemson has played since the start of the 2007 season. It was an outstanding performance by everyone involved, most notably, Rob Spence. He had WF confused and off-balance from the opening kick. DO NOT expect to see that again tonight. Spence is scared of his shadow right now, as well he should be. I think his job, and not necessarily Bowden's, is on the line tonight.

The good news for Clemson is that Wake's offense, at least up to this point, is very one-dimensional. That won't give Coach Vic too much to think about, and he can focus on not finding someone, anyone, else to blame.

Clemson 37, Wake Forest 13

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Don't Nobody Give a Damn Shit

Folks, the pinnacle of football season has finally arrived. Fresh off a lucky victory over Ole Miss last weekend, all abandoned hope has been restored in Stinktown, USA. Chris Smelley has finally figured it out.....again. Spurrier is a genius.......again. We're gonna win the SEC East......again. Why not us.....again? Fuck all that. To those who love watching the gamecocks crash and burn, early to mid-October is always full of giggles. This year promises to be no different.

The Gamecocks have never won back to back SEC road games. That is a fact. So sure am I of this fact that I didn't even have to look it up. Hell, it might not even be a fact. But it is. You see what I'm getting at here? Look for that trend to continue this weekend as the gamecocks head up to Lexington for a match up that pits the former #1 defense in the country(joke) against the current #1 defense in the country(no joke). Okay I looked it up, and the gamecocks have won back to back road games on more than one occasion, but that still doesn't matter. My claim is just as true now as it was before, or at the very least it should be. That's how bad of a program South Carolina is. This year's collapse won't be as epic as last year's, but it will leave us giggle-happy gigglers happy.

It isn't so much the collective team bed-shitting that we enjoy, it's the mania that permeates the fan base as it is happening. Right now, their fans are on Cloud 9. Who wouldn't be with a 4-2 record and 1 vote in the Coaches Poll? But the wheels are loose, folks. Lose to Kentucky this weekend, and they will fall off the wagon faster than Blake Mitchell at Pavlov's.

Even Gamecock fans, with their stunted analytical skills and transitory memories, have lingering nightmares of a year ago. But don't think for a second that they don't expect a totally different result this year. If they didn't, they wouldn't be gamecock fans. Mind of a Gamecock, as we told you when we first started this blog, is debilitating and permanent. So strap in and get ready for another fun ride, filled with giggles and various other sorts of laughter. Souls without hope take comfort, because there is about to be a surplus of it in Columbia, just ripe for the taking.

Now, let's take some MOAG.

On Kentucky and Kentucky fans:

- Defensive game, with no mistakes on offense we should win going away in the 4th Qtr.Carolina 24 Kan-tucky 14

- Smelley has a career day and SC pulls away late in the 3rd to seal the deal.USC - 35KY - 17

- I really dont think this will be close at all. Our offense has found its rhythm just in time for the Wildcats.

- USC 34--UK 17

- Carolina 33, Kensucky 10

- Cocks pound the kitties 35-14

- GCs are definitely capable of scoring 33 pts and should win by at least two tds.

- I like our chances. We are better than last year, and there's NO WAY KY can make a decent argument to assert it has improved. I see a 34-13 type of score, Cocks winning, of course.

- UK's pass defense is not excellent and ours is. UK has been trying to pass a lot with Hartline and that plays right into our hands as our secondary is top notch. They haven't seemed that effective running the ball either. The strengths of both teams are the defenses, but if we catch the fire we had against Ole Miss, this one really could be a "catch up" game for UK and I don't think they are built for that.

- We now have several big play receivers and the line is progressing. Look for USC to lay the wood to Ky to the tune of 38 to 14.

*editor's note: after several of these prediction posts, a Kentucky fan chimed in to remind the gamecocks that Kentucky had a pretty good defense(39 points surrendered in 5 games this year), and that it would likely be a low scoring affair. He predicted a 14-10 victory for UK, which prompted this response:

- Yeah dream on brother...Hold us to 10 points???!!:lol

- There fans football IQ looks to be very low and I hope we beat them so bad

- they have absolutely no clue about football or how average their team really is. they are good, however, at thumping their chests about back to back music city bowls

- I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FANS SO OVERCONFIDENT

*editor's note: I needed a towel to dry up all the irony that came dripping off of that one. For this next one, I needed about 50.

- Look, Kentucky may beat USC on Saturday, but I have never seen so much smack by a group of fans who have lost 8 straight times to someone. USC HAS OWNED KENTUCKY IN FOOTBALL FOR 8 YEARS NOW. Until you win you really should just STFU.

On LSU:

- Bunch of thug players... a disgrace to the SEC...

- the coaches , the players ,the fans , TRASH.

On South Carolina:

- Do we or do we not have the hardest hitting defense in the SEC? Huh? Love it how our defense pops 'em 'til they drop.

- It's great to watch the opposing backs and WRs get by the line of scrimmage and the next thing you know they are getting crushed or took out by the GC Hit squad. Priceless.

- It's like watching a storm gathering. Let me give you some stats: 1. One of the top defenses in the country 2. #1 in the SEC in third down conversions 3. A few damn good recruiting classes 4. Spurrier...he just keeps passing it down field...and we have gotten tired of watching it...we have wondered why. We wondered when we would see results. Well...Can you see it? Did you see it Saturday?It's coming. They are coming. The University of South Carolina Gamecocks!

- I'm with you, my friend.While watching us chuck the ball on Ole Miss Saturday, with our RS sophomore QB and the fine stable of young WRs that Coach has brought in, all of a sudden i inexplicably had a flashback to those offensive days of Lou.

- The Gamecock offense is on-track and it's definitely opened up.

- It sucks for Kentucky that they are the first game after Spurrier gets it rolling.Too bad for uk but its gotta be somebody.Dont get too downhearted on the cats after the blowout loss because its just the beginning of the Spurrier run.Nothing personal just BAD TIMING ............Cocks RULE!

- We have a great defense...better than Alabama's and better than yours[kentucky] arguably. Our starting QB is Chris Smelley! He was the SEC offensive player of the week with over 320 yds. passing and 3 TD's!!

- Is Chris Smelley the best quarterbak in the SEC? His completion rate of 63.1 percent leads all SEC quarterbacks who've attempted at least 100 passes this season.

- We finally have a Steve Spurrier offense lead by a Steve Spurrier quarterback! The rest of the SEC is on notice.

- Here's why we will beat the gators this year.Kudos (sp?)to Coach Ellis Johnson for the halftime adjustments he made in using a 3 man front against the rebels. The positive swing in time of possession in favor of our gamecocks was dramatic, indeed. The most important tool to be utilized against the gators, in my humble opinion, is keeping Tebow off the field, period. Call me crazy, but I actually think we can win out from here. Our season has just gotten decidedly more interesting. Anyway, I really do think we can beat those gators and win out the rest of the way.

- Absolutely,I think our time has arrived..............GO COCKS

- Even though we have lost some heart breakers over several seasons, the excitement to our program is building. The fans should begin to realize that we can now play with anybody and can beat anyone on our schedule.

- I think Smelley's stats will improve if we continue to wear white jerseys...seems like he saw the receivers a lot better...can we also wear white at home?

On the SEC:

- The fact of the matter is that any SEC team can beat any SEC team any given week this year. The talent levels between the schools are all close, and getting closer.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Upstate Sportman of the Month


Folks, we all know that football is king around these parts. What we sometimes overlook, in our quest for the perfect season, are the unheralded local sports heroes, heroes that hail from lesser-known sporting arenas. With that in mind, I've decided to start awarding one local sports hero per month the recognition he or she deserves. My winners will come straight from the sports pages of the Greenville News. Without further ado, Mind of a Gamecock readers, I'd like to present you with the winner of the first Upstate Sportsman of the Month Award...........Mr. Reid Sherard.


Late last month Reid killed himself a 400 lb. gator at Lake Moultrie, a mighty feat, of which most of us can only dream. I would like to personally congratulate Mr. Sherard, and, God willing, one day meet him and shake his hand. Everyone give Reid a round of internet applause. Now let's just hope Reid isn't a South Carolina fan. Otherwise, it might be the last win he experiences over a Gator for a long, long time. Congrats, Reid, you earned this.


10 Things I Learned This Weekend

1. There are things more embarrassing than losing to Maryland at home. Among those things, watching that same Maryland team go on the road the following week and lose 31-0 to a Virginia team that has no business playing college football, yet will probably somehow beat Clemson when our game-winning touchdown gets called back for 2 men on the line of scrimmage. My guess is that we will avoid finishing dead last in the Atlantic Division, but only by virtue of a tie-breaker over NC State. It's a good thing God forgives, because Bowden owes her big time.

2. There is honor in being wrong. Earlier this week, a stupid person, presumably a South Carolina fan, asked me if I still thought the gamecocks would go 3-9. I was given a chance to retract my prediction. I stuck to my guns; however, I did admit there was a chance they could pick up a 4th win after seeing how average the SEC was this year. I thought that possible 4th win might come against Arkansas. I was wrong. It came against Ole Miss. So my prediction won't come true. Hey, you can't always be right. Looks like 4-8 for the gamecocks this year.

3. Texas is better than I thought they were going to be this year. I had them pegged for 7-5 and a trip to the Alamo Bowl. It would have been unusual to see Texas finish the season with 5 losses, but not surprising. Even so, Texas has unequivocally fought their way back into Holiday Bowl contention, and I have to eat some crow on that one. Looks like it's up to Oklahoma, again, to be the first team to put Texas in their place.

4. The SEC is not a great conference this year. It is merely good on its best day. I want everyone to pay really close attention to the way SEC fan trumpets Vanderbilt going forward. Wait for, and bask in, the inane hypocrisy that will spew forth from his cake hole. When Wake Forest did it, it was a product of a bad ACC, but now that Vandy is doing it, it just shows to cromulent & amazing the SEC is.

5. The Heisman Trophy winner will come from the Big 12, and barring injury, it will be either Chase Daniel or Sam Bradford. I would give the nod to Daniel at this point, but that is no slight on Bradford. Both are superb quarterbacks. Their numbers are very comparable at this point, but my hunch is that Daniel's will stay on this level, while Bradford's might falter a little bit now that OU is getting into the meat of its schedule. I could be wrong, but Daniel is a senior and he's just done this more times than Bradford, who will probably win it next year. One thing is for certain though, the quarterback play in the Big 12 is beyond ridiculous. When Colt McCoy is the 6th best QB in the league, you're into something good.

6. Friday the 13th Part 8 might be the best of the entire series. It's tough to beat Part 5, but at the very least, 8 is the most underrated. Sure, it takes us away from the traditional Camp Crystal Lake setting, but sometimes change is good. Up until this installment, Jason was just a mindless, soulless, jerk. But on the streets of Manhattan, our antagonist becomes self-aware. We see an aggressiveness heretofore unknown. We see a man adapting quickly to his surroundings. We see exactly what can happen when you apply yourself. And we even see the slight makings of a sense of humor. John might tell you I'm crazy for thinking this, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

7. The national championship race is gearing up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. Right now I think there 6 teams with a legitimate chance to make it to the title game. Those Tier 1 teams are: Oklahoma, Alabama, Penn St., Missouri, LSU, and USC. Of those 6 teams, I think Penn St and USC have the easiest path. OU and Mizzou will likely play for the Big 12 title, and the loser will be out. The loser of the Bama/LSU game is likely out as well. Penn St. has one tough game left against Ohio State, and USC is the only team capable of beating USC the rest of this season. The one team I feel most confident about is Oklahoma, despite the tougher schedule. Later on I will do a more in-depth breakdown of Tier 1, as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3.

8. The Big East, are you listening Stuart?, is the worst conference in America. For the second straight year, I bought into South Florida and Connecticut, and for the second straight year, I've been had. Don't get me wrong, I think they are decent teams with pretty good players, but they aren't ready for prime time. I still think the PAC-10 is wretched, but not more so than the Big East, or as I like to call them, the Big Least(MOAG original).

9. South Carolina will battle Tennessee for dead last in the SEC East this year, which, ironically, will prompt Coach Spurrier to stick around for at least one more year. His thinking will be, "Okay, it can't get any worse, let's give this thing one more shot." Of course, after all of his best defensive players leave at the end of this season, Spurrier will find out in that it can indeed get worse. 1-11 for South Carolina in 2009, mark it down.

10. Georgia Tech will finally break the ACC's humbling BCS Bowl losing streak.

MOAG Power 20

Folks, a lot has changed since the last Power 20. In MOAGland, we only do a poll every 2 weeks. Trying to do one weekly is like pissin in the wind, bettin' on a losing friend, makin' the same mistakes, we swear we'll never make again.


1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Missouri
5. LSU
6. USC
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas
9. BYU
10. Georgia
11. Florida
12. Utah
13. Ohio State
14. Kansas
15. Virginia Tech
16. Georgia Tech
17. Vanderbilt
18. Illinois
19. North Carolina
20. Oklahoma State

As you can see, as I've stated for quite some time against even the most strenuous SECer objections, the Big 12 is clearly the dominant conference on the college football landscape this year. The SEC comes in a distant second, but that is somewhat by default, since all the other conferences suck nuts.

Friday, October 3, 2008

State of the Blog

Sorry once again folks, my internet has been crappin out on me all week. I've been in a remote location, abroad, since Tuesday, and they just don't get service here like we do stateside. I'll be back from my family's resort early Saturday morning, and blog content will resume better than ever. Thanks for your patience.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

10 Things I Learned This Weekend

Evenin, folks! Sorry for the delay. I just got back down from a lovely weekend in the mountains, which I surprisingly enjoyed. Even being away from the hustle and bustle of big city life, I was able to catch a full slate of games on Saturday, and some things became very apparent to me as I watched

1. Clemson has the worst coaching staff in America. There's just no way to sugar coat it. I'm not going to sit here and list every mistake they made yesterday, b/c those of you who care probably watched the game and saw what I saw. But suffice it to say, it is time for a change in Clemson. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing and expecting different results. Folks, the Clemson administration is completely fucking bonkers, which brings me to this. Allow me to introduce my brand new blog: http://firectb.blogspot.com/

2. We have apparently hit some sort of rawesome football timewarp, because the top teams in America are Oklahoma, Alabama, and Penn State. Yes, I know OU has been up there this whole decade, but it appears that Penn St. and Bama are ready to join them and launch us, via football, back to that glorious period, 1975-1985, when mohawks ruled the scene and cocaine was king. Don't be surprised if any or all of these 3 teams win the national title this year.

3. The quarterback situation in Columbia is so bad, that Tommy Beecher actually got a chance to play again. Thank goodness we can always count on our little retarded brother to be worse than we are.

4. The Big 12 continues to put distance between itself and all comers for the honor of best conference in America. Call me crazy, but it seems like the SEC is actually trying to look bad. Maybe they just finally got so sick of all the fluff. SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC!

5. Cullen Harper has played himself out of the Heisman Race.

6. The ACC might not be as bad as everyone keeps saying. VT and FSU both put convincing wins on decent Big 12 teams. I can't really explain Wake's debacle against Navy though. Maybe they were looking ahead to next week's matchup with ((((((((((((((mighty)))))))))))))) Clemson.

7. Clemson will only win 3 more games this year. South Carolina won't win 1 more.

8. The Big 10 is worse than I gave it credit for.

9. Mark Richt, you have always kept your mouth closed for a reason. Perhaps this weekend reminded you of why that was a good idea. On ESPN's College Gameday, Chris Fowler asked Richt if he was prepared to deal with an Alabama team that "punched Clemson in the mouth." Richt answered simply and smugly, "We are not Clemson." It's a good thing Saban took his foot off the gas, Mark, or you might have had to amend that statement to, "We are not as good as Clemson."

10. Alabama is just so god damn awesome.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Friday 5

*South Florida -8.5 NC State
Duke -6.5 Virginia
Ole Miss +23 Florida
Houston +10.5 East Carolina
Minnesota +17.5 Ohio St.

We're Having a Baby

Good news, folks. My wife is expecting. It is our first child, and we are very excited! She's about 10 weeks along now. I felt like y'all deserved to know, and I knew you'll would want to share this time in our lives with us.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

What Happened After The Alabama Game

Folks, as you know, I took what may have been perceived by some as an inexcusable hiatus after the loss to Alabama. I took a lot of heat for it at the time, much of which I felt was undeserved. I promised you an explanation, and I feel like you deserve one. Well, what had happened was, I was really, really, really, very upset by the outcome of the game, like super pissed, and I didn't feel like posting or dealing with any of you. So, there you have it. I'm sure some of you probably wish you could take back some of the stuff you said, but I'm a forgiving person. So thank you for continuing to support Mind of a Gamecock.

Mind of a Gamecock

The following is a post from a diehard South Carolina fan that I thought you would enjoy:

Word of Warning........I was looking for 6 USC/Ga tickets on the board a
month ago and got an email from a guy named Joseph Shirey from North Augusta,
who said he had 2 tickets in lower level for $300. I paid through Paypal
promptly and he came back and said he found 4 more from a friend that were in
section 2 for $550. Again I paid promptly. I waited and waited and no tickets. 2
weeks before the game came and he told me he mailed them out. The week of the
game comes and no tickets. He tells me he will look into it. He said he did not
send them with any tracking info. He calls me back and said his neighbor took
them out of his mailbox and sold them at school for $25 ea. He did refund the
money. Hard story to believe but it gets better. He tells me he has gotten the 4
LSU and 4 Tenn tickets in Sect 2 if I wanted them. I paid over face for these as
well. I paid for them on 09/07/08. I spoke to him on a every other day basis and
he still had not mailed them out as of 09/22/08. He said he had not had time but
promised me he would. I would text him everyday asking for a tracking number and
got the same response, will have it tomorrow. Well finally he tells me he is
going to the Post Office on the 23rd and actually did send me a tracking number.
Well the tracking number never worked on USPS.com. A package did arrive today
though. I open it up and there sits a Blackberry Phone. I call him and he said
that was suppose to go to a guy in Texas who won it off Ebay. I asked for his
Ebay ID and got nothing but excuses. He would not give me his ID. So the jist of
the whole story is I sent this JOSEPH SHIREY a total of $1330 and still yet to
have seen any tickets. I also missed the Ga game because I could not find 6 more
in time. Keep this guys name in mind if you are ever looking for tickets. Do not
buy from Joseph Shirey from North Augusta.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Best of the Best

Folks, I'm going to give you a break from my insight tonight (<--rhyme), and just inundate you with the best MOAG since the Wofford debacle.

On the coaching situation:

- HIRE PHIL PETTY.......Okay here it is our last two hires have old washed up coaches that we have had to pay alot of money to .These two guys knew very little about the Gamecocks before we hired them.So, lets go the other way and hire a former player who loves the Gamecocks would walk here from East Carolina.And would have postive emotions,and love the Gamecocks.so,WHAT HE HAS NEVER BEEN A HEAD COACH the latter has not worked at all.

On the UAB game:

- UAB's defense is VERY bad. Our offense is pretty decent. We should be able to cover that spread[-25] pretty easily.

On solutions for the offense:

- we should run the triple optin with garcia...seriously... why not!?! the option destroyed the patriots yesterday.

On how they stack up:

- i never thought i would see the day when Wake Forest has a better football team than we do. (editor's note: Apparently this guy has been asleep since 2003)

- There is zero chance that Wake is better than South Carolina. South Carolina is in the SEC. Wake is only an ACC team.

- You don't know that Wake Forest are better than us. I am pretty sure we haven't played them.

On A.J. Green:

- Hope he likes GA. He won't be welcomed back in this state again. Traitor seems to fit like a glove.

- If we had AJ Green he'd be on the bench for the next 2 years

- If you are not a gamecock then you are not worthy of the bottom of my shoe.Kid chose Georgia, good for him...... hope he friggen sucks for 4 years.

On bright spots:

- We are actually #1 in first downs and Smelley is the #3 QB in the SEC.

- We should be 4-0 right now. ( <---yep)

- It's almost sickening the way you guys groan around here. Our offense is first in the sec in first downs, it's third in the sec in passing, fifth in red zone scoring. MORE FIRST DOWNS than ANYONE in the sec.

- losing to Vandy two years in a row is unacceptable? So even if Vandy does great this year, it's still unacceptable? Stop living in the past, Vandy's an alright team this year.

- I tried to make the point last night that after watching numerous games yesterday, there is a lot of bad football out there...not just us!

On the rest of the season:

- some of you guys are acting like amateurs. I mean, this is Gamecock football, and anyone who has been a fan for a while, say a decade, would know it is way too early to throw in the towel.

- I agree. Its far from over around here. Spurrier can get this offense turned around. When he does, look out, we will have a great season.

- My prediciton for the season: Team turns it around and gets 7 regular season wins with a bowl win making 8... we go into next year experienced and we don't look back.

- There's not a game left on our schedule that we will not be in come the 4th quarter

- anybody else see our only other losses being LSU and FL?

- Our defense will give us a chance to win every game we play. Our offense who leads the SEC in first downs has to stop turning the ball over and score in key situations. Im sticking with my 10 win prediction. Remember ohio st in 02? They had a great defense won every game close even against sorry teams a win is a win and a really good defense can get you wins.

- If we win the T/O battle we beat: Ole Miss, Ky, Tn and Arky. We should also beat UAB this Sat which would be seven W's. I also like our chances (provided we win the T/O battle) against LSU at W-B and at clemtech.




Sunday, September 21, 2008

10 Things I Learned This Weekend

1. Clemson is better than Arkansas. And it's time for Willy Korn to get some serious minutes. I'm not calling for a complete benching of Harper, but he clearly isn't the same quarterback he was last year. He threw 2 terrible picks yesterday, and probably should have thrown 2 more. He can't throw downfield. He telegraphs his passes. He has ZERO pocket presence. He looks injured. He makes excuses and points to his statistics against terrible opponents when asked about his performance. Frankly, he looked downright bad against the worst team on our schedule(outside of South Carolina). I don't believe he is capable of leading this team to a division, or conference, title. I couldn't glean anything from this game in the positive sense. It was a 1-AA team. Clemson gets its first chance to prove something, anything, next Saturday against Maryland.

2. South Carolina's offense may be the worst in all of 1-A football. It is somewhat understandable to struggle against the Wofford option attack, but it is utterly unfathomable to only put up 16 real points(most coming from field goals), and to have to go for it on 4th down in your own territory to win the game. Look for Garcia real soon next week against UAB. Look for Spurrier to quit real soon at the end of the year. I stand by my prediction of 3-9 on the season.

3. Les Miles has a pair of 8 ton testicles. I keep waiting for one of his coaching moves to bite him in the hat, but it just never happens. In a way it's frustrating, b/c you know he shouldn't be getting away with all this stuff, but he just continues to prove me wrong. Hats off(just kidding, Les) to his enourmous nuts.

4. When Wake Forest vaulted into the top 25 and challenged for the ACC two years ago, it was because the ACC was incredibly weak. Now that Vanderbilt is doing the same thing 2 years later, it's because the SEC is sooooooooooooooo awesome. SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC!

5. SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC!

6. The Pac-10 is the worst BCS conference in America.

7. The Big 12 is the best.

8. That impending sense of doom that all ACC defensive coordinators are feeling? That's just Paul Johnson and his virtually unstoppable offense..............in its first year. It's time to be afraid. GT might not take the division this year, but IMO, it's only a matter of time before they do it thoroughly and often. If they can continue to get good defensive talent, the Jackets will emerge as a national power over the next decade.

9. Something is terribly wrong in Knoxville. The Vols returned an All-SEC caliber running back behind a superb offensive line, and they just can't move the ball. Worse yet, they seem hellbent on shooting themselves in the foot every chance they get. I'm not a Tennessee fan or a Florida hater, but that game yesterday pissed me off. When will enough of Fulmer be enough?

10. Florida St. is not back, and the Noles went out of their way last night to prove it. Their defense will be stout for the remainder of the year, as they get 5 starters back from suspension starting next weekend. But the same offensive problems that have plagued them for the past 4 years are still there. If you are puzzled by the lack of quarterback talent in Columbia, SC, look further south to Tallahassee for a real head scratcher. We're still a couple of years away from seeing anything resembling the old FSU. Now Miami, that's another story altogether.

MOAG Power 20

1. Southern Cal (2-0)
2. Oklahoma (3-0)
4. Georgia (4-0)
4. Florida (3-0)
5. Missouri (4-0)
6. LSU (3-0)
7. Penn State (4-0)
8. Texas Tech (4-0)
9. Wisconsin (3-0)
10. Alabama (4-0)
11. South Florida (3-0)
12. Kansas (3-1)
13. Texas (3-0)
14. Wake Forest (3-0)
15. BYU (4-0)
16. Auburn (3-1)
17. Ohio State (3-1)
18. Utah (4-0)
19. Georgia Tech (3-1)
20. Vanderbilt (4-0)

On the cusp: Boise State, Clemson, Texas Christian

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Live Blog of the Gamecock Loss

1st Quarter

- Chris Smelley threw a pick on the first play of the game, and may have thrown another one. I'm not sure.

- South Carolina leading after 1Q, 3-0, and that's only because Wofford missed a field goal. This is pretty much exactly what I said would happen. Wofford is running all over them.

2nd Quarter

- Wofford just wasted no time in scoring a touchdown on a big play. 7-3 Terriers. 1-0 MOAG.

- South Carolina just scored a lucky touchdown to go up 10-7. Wofford will score again once they get the ball back.

- A thug gamecock player just punched a Wofford player, personal foul.

- Todd Ellis continues to refer to Wofford as Vanderbilt.....Now he's complaining that the refs aren't calling the game fair......

- Wofford just hit Smelley and forced a fumble. Terrier ball at midfield with about 4:00 to go in the half.

- Gamecocks found a way, somehow, to stop Wofford, and got the ball back with 2:00 to go in the half. 30 yard run called back for a block in the back. They can't get out of their own stupid way.

- Smelley sucks

- Smelley throws another pick to end the first half. Gamecocks 10-7. It's coming.

3rd Quarter

- Wofford takes it to start the 2nd half, promptly marches down the field. 1st down at the gamecock 15.....

- 25 yard field goal for the Terriers, 10-10. Should be 13-10 Wofford. Gamecocks seem to be really building off that great Georgia loss.......

- Todd Ellis calls 'em Vandy again........

- Gamecocks blowing a red zone possession.....AND HERE COME THE BOO BIRDS!!!!.......

- Succop hits a lucky 38 yard field goal, go up 13-10......

- Gamecocks somehow stop Wofford and force the punt.....Tommy Suggs laments on the fact that it's been "several years" since the gamecocks have blocked a punt......

- Smelley almost throws another interception because he sucks......

- Todd Ellis coins a legendary nickname for Eric Baker: E-Bake........

- Gamecocks 1st & Goal at the 2, Wofford stuffs them on 3 straight plays to end the 3rd quarter.....

4th Quarter

- Gamecocks kick a fieldgoal to start the quarter, lead 16-10. Tommy Suggs points out the fact that gamecocks have always played poorly against teams with small defensive lines.......

- Wofford fields the kick to being their game-winning drive......

- Terriers down to the gamecock 34 yard line.......

- Terriers down to the gamecock 16 yard line.......

- Terriers kick a field goal, down 16-13. Should be tied 16-16. Smelley sucks. About 8 minutes to play......

- Gamecocks going for it on 4th down inside their own territory....yeah, that's what I said......they get it......

- Terriers running out of time.....under 4 minutes now.....gamecocks driving.....Maddox runs into his own lineman on 2nd down......Spurrier slams down the play chart......

- Todd Ellis points out the fact that every gamecock possession has gone at least 6 plays, except for the 3 that resulted in turnovers......Now with 3 minutes to go he says it looks like the gamecocks will go to 2-2 on the year

- Touchdown for the gamecocks, looks like Ellis was right.....

- Ellis complains about the officiating again.....

- Tommy Suggs really impressed with the defensive adjustments that South Carolina made at halftime....against Wofford.....

- Well, it looks like the Gamecocks will win the game. This win, coupled with the Goergia loss, pretty much means the sky is the limit from here on out.


Now here's some thoughts from gamecock fans after tonight's big win:

- We'll be fine. Kentucky and Ark are both horrible this year. This is the same team that should have beat GA last week.

- for all your prognosticators who don't think we will beat UK or Ark and have no chance against anyone else on this schedule, I think by November this team will have proved the naysayers on this board wrong. I'm no sunshine pumper but I do believe this team will reach at least 7 wins.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Friday 5

Okay, deadbeats, here are your 5 winners this week.

Penn State - 29 Temple
Vandy +7 Ole Miss
LSU -2.5 Auburn
Florida -7.5 Tennessee
GT - 8 Miss. St.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Gamecocks Against Wofford

Folks, I don't know how else to say this, so I will just come out and say it. South Carolina is going to lose to Wofford this Saturday. This won't be like the Vanderbilt game though. It will be an upset. South Carolina fans will shake their fists in frustration. The world will laugh. Now before you brush this prediction off with impunity, allow me to explain how and why it will happen:

1. Wofford has the top rushing offense in all of college football. They run a highly disciplined, option attack that has netted them an avg. of 400 yards/game so far this year. Defending them is next to impossible, and South Carolina certainly doesn't have the horses to do it. Expect to see gamecock defenders over-pursuing all day, while the Terriers patiently wait for running lanes to open up as a result. The Terriers also return a big, veteran offensive line off of last year's squad that won the Southern Conference. In short, they know what they hell they are doing, and they know how to do it. This all brings me to my next point.

2. South Carolina sucks. They have one of the worst rush defenses in all of college football. This, coupled with the tendency of fast, athletic defenders to constantly find themselves out of position against teams that run the option, will make it a long day for the gamecocks and their faithful. Trying to figure out how to stop this kind of offense in one week is futile. Now throw in the fact that the gamecocks really have nothing to play for anyway, and you've got a recipe for a fun, funny disaster.

3. Mike Ayers is the best football coach in the state. No, that's not a misprint. He is #1. The game has passed Spurrier by. Bowden was never any good to begin with.

4. South Carolina doesn't want to play this game. Wofford does. These guys almost beat South Carolina a couple of years ago, and they are a better team this year than they were back in aught-6. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, while the exact opposite can be said of the gamecocks.

5. South Carolina is coming off a devastating loss to Georgia. Spirits are down, despite what you may read in the newspaper or hear on the radio.

6. I said it will.

As an added bonus, I have a bonus question just for Gamecock fans. I've heard all year long that this is Spurrier's best team in his 4 years. Do you think this is actually the case? Has it occured to you that maybe this is not the case?

Now let's get back to what makes this site truly one of the greatest websites ever on the internet, mind of a gamecock.

On perception:

- 7-5 record against a top 20 schedule is a lot better than say a 10-2 record against another close conference to us.

On the Wofford game:

- at the end of the game we should have at least 400 yards rushing.

- I think people worried about the Wofford game should go ahead and turn in their fan card for this year.

- It wont even be close. We may have already lost 2 but the vandy game was lost by a fluke punt mishap and a blocked fg. Georgia needed a fumble at the 2 to beat us. This isnt last years team like many of you think. Cocks by 24 in this one and im being kind.

On the remainder of the season(post-UGA):

- I feel better about this team at 1-2 than when we were 6-1 last year.

- I truly believe that we will win 8 games this year.

- I will agree with you as far as feeling better about this 1-2 team vs. last year's 6-1 team. We were barely sneaking by last year. THis year I feel like we are much better suited to play the rest of our schedule.

- We are a good team and we proved it Saturday and we will continue to improve and get better.

- Smelley has found his confidence and I expect great play here on out.

- It starts next Saturday and won't stop until we finish 11-2!!! I love this team and feel we are ready to get this ugly start behind us and move forward. Can't wait until we are 5-2 and end LSU's season, dash Florida's national championship dreams and finally put the nail in Tommy's coffin. This season is just starting, don't give up!!! THIS WILL STILL BE A SPECIAL YEAR!!!!!!!

- I feel exactly the same way.Especially after this game.Its coming together in many ways.(run game excluded).Our D rocks!!!!GO COCKS

- Finishing 11-2 wouldn't surprise me in the least.

- After UGA, I fear no other team we face as long as we play like that.

- We have 9, count 'em, 9 games left. We are just getting started. We have 2 patsies then 2 very winnable conf road games (how many SEC road games did BS win?) then we get a very 1 dimensional LSU team coming to our place. I'm not ready to put limits on this team. Our D keeps working hard and playing well, we will be fine. 8-4 with a Peach Bowl date against UNC or VT...make that 9-4 and top 15 preseason next year. You heard it here first!

On the new "Gamecock Walk:"

- It's ashame out of 80,000+ people we can't get a good showing of at least 2000.

- The reason we had a poor showing at the walk is. most of our fans would rather stay at the tailgate area and drink a beer, rather than show support to the players and coaches. in my opinion the party life style is low class and redneck.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Vic Koenning, We Hardly Knew Ye

Clemson defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning, has been fired. This move, one of the best Coach Tommy Bowden has made during his tenure at Clemson, comes on the heels of some of the crappiest defense Clemson has ever played.

Folks, this is the headline you should be reading some time around early December. If you follow the Clemson program at all, you may have read that Bowden stopped himself several times yesterday when he started to say something about the defense. When pressed about it today, Bowden said he "couldn't remember" what that was about. Allow me to read between the lines for you. Bowden knows that it's time to get rid of his vastly overrated defensive coordinator. Few teams in the conference, if not the country, possess as much defensive speed and talent as Clemson, but most, if not all, teams play better defense. But these are just facts. Let me get to the real reason Bowden should fire Koenning. He is a grade-A, world class, bag of dicks. Rarely does he open his mouth without making this fact even more painfully obvious than it was just seconds before. Within the last 3 weeks, Koenning has straight-faced accused 2 Alabama freshmen of being involved in recruiting violations. He even made it a point to say he was being serious. Then, today, he actually had the audacity to say he never thought he'd find himself wanting Tramaine Billie and Nick Watkins back. These are two former Clemson players, who busted their asses for 5 years for the Clemson football program. They played through personal tragedy and hardships most of us will never experience. If you polled 1000 Clemson fans tomorrow, I guarantee you 999 would trade Koenning away for Billie and Watkins. I am seriously pissed off right now. Vic Koenning isn't worth the $100 bills I wipe my ass with. I can't wait, CAN'T WAIT, until he is fired at the end of the year. It will be one of the most glorious firings in the history of the world. I will blog about it.

Sniffles For Mr. Stuart

















That's 5 T-Bowls in a row, Mr. Stuart. We're all looking forward to 6.


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Breaking News!

Earlier today, a brawl broke out between Gamecock football players and unknown "non-athletes." Campus police, those previously intimidated by BOT member Eddie Floyd, are investigating as we speak. It is not known who started the brawl, who was involved, or over what it specifically occured. But, I think it's pretty safe to assume that at least one football player impregnated the sister of another football player and then tried to trade the baby on the black market. For crack. More to come..............................................................................................................................More news coming across my desk. This hasn't been confirmed, but the fight was definitely gang-related. I'm not talking about some No Homers Club either. I'm talkin about real street gangs. Bloods and Crips shit. This leads me to the obvious conclusion that most, if not all, south carolina football players are heavily involved in gang activity. Stay tuned........

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

What's That Smell, Columbia?

Folks, I don't have to tell you that things are bad in Columbia. Even the "greatest fans in the world" are jumping ship after last week's loss to Vandybilt. And they're right to do so. If there was ever a team worthy of giving up on, it is the South Carolina Gamecocks. Sure, some of them will tell you "the season isn't over." "We're 1-1, motherfucker." "There's a lot of footbaw left to play." "We can beat Georgia on Saturday." These folks, bless their stupid hearts, are the ones who can't see the big picture. Last week's loss to Vandybilt wasn't just one loss. It was the official beginning of the end that I promised would come this year. But even I didn't realize it would come this soon(actually I did). In order to better understand the severity of the disaster unfolding in Columbia, let's examine the three key factors that have led to this shitbomb.

1. Steve Spurrier & Co. don't know how to evaluate talent: It's year 4 of Project Ruin Great Coach, Take 2, and the team is getting worse. Last year's loss to Vandy was an upset. This year's wasn't. Gamecock fans like to believe they are part of the "new Big 3" in the SEC East, but it is plainly evident that they are gravitating closer to the cellar than they are to the top. Vanderbilt has officially passed South Carolina. Think about that for a minute. The Gamecocks supposedly have all this talent, but every time Spurrier is asked why he won't play the younger guys, his answer is, "They're not ready." Folks, that is coachspeak for "They're not good." The HBC only has himself to blame for this; however, he isn't naive. He is pulling out all the stops on the recruiting trail this year. But it's too little, too late for the coach who used to be good. Good players don't want to play for teams that finish last in their division.

2. Steve Spurrier turned over play-calling duties: It really surprised me when Gamecock fans just casually accepted this revelation earlier this year. Few college coaches have ever demanded, and wanted, to have such total control over the offense. Now all of a sudden he's just giving it up? Up to this point, Jr. has proved to be as adept as a tired monkey when it comes to calling a game. This offense is unrecognizable. What happened to the Spurrier offense that could carve up a defense? What happened to the creative trick plays? What happened? I'll tell you what happened. Spurrier stopped caring. This offense is the most simple, predictable offense I have seen in a long time. And he isn't sand-bagging. It's just that bad.

3. Steve Spurrier is scared of Clemson: And who can blame him? Everyone knows that November 29th is the end of the line. Each passing day brings him a step closer to the shallow grave, reserved for coaching legends, under Williams-Brice Stadium. Don't think that fear isn't permeating through the rest of the team either. This was South Carolina's last chance to turn the corner, and it isn't going to happen. A loss to the Tigers will be the final death knell. But this won't just be any old loss to Clemson. This one will send the gamecock program into a tailspin similar to the one we created back in 1997, only this time the recovery(if you can even call it that) won't happen. This loss to Clemson will bury South Carolina at the bottom of the SEC for decades, maybe even centuries. And it will all be Steve Spurrier's fault. He knows this.

Folks, some of this may sound a bit hyperbolic. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I know what I'm talking about. Nobody knows the gamecock program like me. This is the season I've been waiting on my entire life. I can't believe it's actually, finally here. At the start of the season I predicted the Gamecocks to go 6-6 and finish 4th in the SEC East. I think now would be a good time to re-evaluate that lofty prediction. Game by game, here is how I see the season playing out for the Chickens:

Georgia - loss. It might be close, b/c for whatever reason, it always is. But south carolina simply doesn't have the players to beat Georgia this year.

Wofford - win. It'll be closer than expected, and reality will set in for the players

UAB - win. Again, it'll be closer than it should be. By now reality will have set in for even the most ardent fans

@ Ole Miss - loss. South Carolina hasn't beaten the Rebs since they joined the SEC, and they won't start this year. This one will get ugly.

@ Kentucky - loss. I picked this as a win earlier in the year, but the wheels will have come completely off at this point

LSU - loss. This will be a blowout. South Carolina might score negative points.

Tennessee - loss. I figure this one to be closer than it should be. Spurrier hates Tennessee and he'll pull out all the stops to make one final, last gasp effort, but it won't be enough. Better talent usually wins.

Arkansas - loss. This one should be a win, because Arkansas is comically bad. But they'll have given up by now. They won't even be wondering why they aren't playing well anymore. They just won't care.

@ Florida - loss. This will also be a blowout. Look for Florida to hang a minimum of 50 again.

@ Clemson - loss. This will also be a blowout, similar to the one that sent Holtz packing back in 2004.

That's right, folks. South Carolina will finish the season 3-9(maybe 4-8 with a little luck), and dead last in the SEC East, with zero conference wins. That's what happens when your head coach gets scared and gives up. If you have a different opinion, please share it with Mind of a Gamecock. Thanks for reading. Here's some predictions on the upcoming game:

- I am predicting a gamecock win 24-20

- I'll go w/ my heart.....USC 20 UGA 17

- 21-13 Cocks!

- I predict we block our first punt of the season, capture the momentum, play like the best defense in the SEC and redeem the Vanderbilt loss with a victory in a low scoring game..

- USC 34 UGA 17.

- USC 13 UGA 12

- Mr. Moreno is going to meet MR. BRINKLEY and not be very glad about it afterwards. USC 21 UGA 17

- We are going to win 21-13.

On the Smelley situation:

- Chris Smelley's Stats - Facts Don't Lie QB Rating - 146.628-44 63.6%325 yards, 7.4 yards per attempt4 TD, 2 Ints4 Sacks -23 yards. Good enough for 5th among SEC starters. Right behind Tebow (2 pts.) way ahead of John Parker @ Bama.

- He'll be fine if he settles down a little bit. It did not help that he had a few receivers drop some balls early.

- He'll only get better IMO.

On the Vandy loss:

- the Vandy loss could keep Carolina from claiming the SEC East

- Vandy might be better than we think..They killed a Miami (o) team that hung with Michigan at the Big House. And they were a 4th and 15 away from beating Georgia 2 Straight years.

- They suck. They lost a lot off of a mediocre team last year. I see them getting blown out by UGA and FLA.

Friday, September 5, 2008

MOAG's Weekly 5

West Virginia -7.5 East Carolina
Florida -22.5 Miami
Georgia -24 Central Michigan
Georgia Tech +7 Boston College
Oregon St. +15 Penn State


Take it or leave it, folks.

Regarding The Alabama Game

Folks, I know you were anxious to give me some guff on Monday. Again, I can't stress enough how sorry I am that mitigating circumstances prevented that from happening. For the record, I was an absolute fool last week when I predicted a victory over Alabama. Everything that has been said on this blog is right, and I am wrong. I deserve this. But starting this week, there won't be any more mistakes. I can't foresee an instance in which I will be wrong for the rest of the season. Thanks again for your patience. Stay tuned for MOAG's Weekly Hot Picks coming up. This is free money, folks. Every Friday I'll post the 5 surefire locks of the week.

Return of the Big Cat

Loyal readers, I want to thank you for continuing to read Mind of a Gamecock in my respite. I know it seems strange me taking a leave of absence right after a devastating loss, only to return to action after a humiliating south carolina loss to Vanderbilt. Well, let me just say, the reason for my disappearing act this week was two-fold:

1) I can't give you this reason. It's of a personal nature and it's none of your business.
2) This reason will be made clear to you in the coming future. It may be 3 months. It may be 1 year. It may be exactly 4 weeks and 2 days. But the truth will be revealed when the time is right. It'll all come out.

Content will resume in full starting next week. I appreciate your patience.

For what it's worth, I predicted South Carolina to lose 24-10 last night.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Clemson vs. Alabama Preview

Folks, I don't have a lot of time here, as I am literally about to walk out the door and head to Atlanta. So I'm going to make it short and sweet.

Clemson is as good as, or better, than Alabama at every position on the field other than offensive line. They have more experience and talent on each side of the ball. On paper, this game should be a blowout. If it wasn't for the name "Alabama" on the jersey and the coach on the opposite sideline, people would be picking Clemson to run away with this one. Alabama is softer than tits. Since it's the first game of the season, I won't get too carried away with my prediction:

Clemson 41, Alabama 3

When I get back I'll review the game and explain more about this matchup.

Everyone have a great Labor Day weekend. Stay safe, and thanks for reading.


Owner

Gamecock Pride

Observe this picture of NC State quarterback, Russell Wilson, being carted off the field last night after his injury:


What you are seeing, is a South Carolina fan giving him, not one, but both, birds. It's an all too familiar sight at south carolina football games. There really isn't anything I can say that this picture doesn't adequately portray.

Game Review

Well folks, I was pretty much spot on with my assessment of last night's game. South Carolina was able to stretch their lead a little more than I expected because of 3 things: 1) Russell Wilson's injury, 2) two gift turnovers from State inside their own 15 yard line that a better team wouldn't have made, and 3) and an appalling lack of depth on the NC State team. There are several things I took away from this game, and I will tell you them:

1) Tommy Beecher sucks even more than even I had predicted. For those gamecock fans holding out hope that he was this year's Cullen Harper, you can officially flush that idea down the toilet. I doubt we'll see much more of that guy this year, at least until Chris Smelley takes himself out again because the other team is too fast.

2) South Carolina is still terrible against the run. They gave up 100+ yards to Andre Brown, who hasn't carried the ball in over a year and was running behind a very depleted, shallow offensive line.

3) South Carolina's offense is a gridiron abortion. Through 3 quarters, against a highly undermanned m.a.s.h. unit, the gamecocks had amassed 161 offensive yards, given up 5 sacks, and turned it over 4 times, scoring only 13 points.

4) The 4th quarter offensive output from South Carolina doesn't mean jack squat. They rolled up a bunch of yards and 3 scores, but State's defense had basically given up at that point. It was obvious to anyone who was watching the game.

5. South Carolina will be lucky to go 6-6 this year. When they start playing fast teams with a lot of depth, they are going to get their head kicked in(starting with Georgia).

6. NC State is in for a long, long, long year. It appeared as if they finally had things rolling when Russell Wilson went down with a head injury(I think they were going to score), but now Tom O'Brien simply has to pick his poison. Imagine trying to sleep at night if you had to decide between Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck. If I were him, I'd pull that redshirt off of Mike Glennon and see what he can do. Clemson will probably beat the wolfpack by at least 3 times the amount that South Carolina did. At least.

7. South Carolina fans are even lamer than I imagined possible. Towards the end of the 4th quarter, there arose from the student section a cheer so lame, that I had to rewind my DVR just to make sure I had heard it right. But there it was, a bunch of South Carolina fans cheering in unison, "SEC! SEC! SEC!"


It feels good being almost completely right in my preview and assessment of this game. Hopefully the wolfpack can get it together. Hopefully the cocks already have an over-inflated sense of greatness. Don't be surprised when Vandy comes out next week and gives them old Jeffrey Dahmer Special. Stay tuned for my Clemson/Alabama preview.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

south carolina VS. NC STATE PREVIEW

Okay, folks, the big day has arrived. You know that old adage, "It's never as good as it seems, and it's never as bad as it seems?" Well I can't think of a more apropos way of describing tonight's match up between the Wolfpack and the gamecocks. As you've seen this week, most gamecock fans are expecting to pummel the Wolfpack tonight, to take them behind the proverbial woodshed. They believe their defense is the best in America. They also believe that NC State has the worst offense in America. Now I know that a lot of you are pretty stupid, especially the Virginia Tech fan, and can't remember as far back as last week, but what we've seen this week is almost an exact replica of the talk we heard from gamecock fans before their matchup with North Carolina last year. They were gonna pound a weak ACC team, and win by 40, and show the ACC how dominant the SEC really was. Of course, as any rational person expected, it was a really close game that the gamecocks were lucky to win. Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you that south carolina's defense isn't good(it isn't good). And I'm not going to sit here and tell you that NC State's offense is really good. But I am going to tell you that South Carolina fans will not be happy with the outcome of tonight's game, and I'm going to tell you why.

When NC State has the ball:

The Wolfpack are not an offensive juggernaut. They have question marks at virtually every position on the offensive side of the ball. Tom O'Brien has elected to go with redshirt freshman Russell Wilson in lieu of senior Daniel Evans(wolfpack fans rejoice). Wilson brings with his game a howitzer of an arm, and pretty decent mobility. This should create a tougher match up than expected for the gamecock front 7, considering they are one of the nation's worst against the run. Gamecock fans, I'm telling you, don't expect it to be much better this year. State also has a highly capable running back in Andre Brown, although it's been a while since he saw action. This brings me to what I feel could be their biggest advantage: the offensive line. Teams expecting to dominate an O'Brien coached offensive line always get the shock of a lifetime. These guys are big, fast, and disciplined. I fully expect them to give the gamecock DL everything they can handle and more. And they better, because I don't think the Wolfpack will be very successful through the air tonight. south carolina does have a decent secondary, although it is vastly overrated because of skewed statistics. Teams didn't need to throw against them last year because their front 7 was weaker than melted Swiss cheese. Nevertheless, NC State doesn't have a proven playmaker at the WR position, and nobody really knows how Wilson will fare in the passing aspect of the game. I expect the gamecocks to stack the box tonight, and make Wilson prove he can beat them through the air. There are always some surprises on opening day, but I don't think the Pack aerial attack is going to be one of them. Bottom line: This will be a stoppable force battling a movable object. Advantage - south carolina, but only slightly

When South Carolina has the ball:

South Carolina sucks on offense. Their quarterback is garbage. He almost transferred last year because he couldn't get any playing time behind Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley. Take a moment and ponder that. He won this year's starting job by default, and it will show tonight. They aren't any better at running back. Mike Davis, at one time, showed some potential, but he is pretty much a non-factor these days, as he gives very little effort and has trouble holding on to the footbaw. Taylor Rank is the starter tonight. Are you freaking kidding me? You can't see it right now, but I'm laughing. The offensive line is also a huge pile of shit. As late as yesterday, Spurrier still didn't know what his starting 5 was going to be. This is the same old story every year out of Columbia. NC State's offense won't light it up tonight, but neither will South Carolina's. Degenerate sinners, take out a 2nd mortgage and take the under. NC State doesn't return very many players on the defensive side of the ball, but that may end up being a blessing in disguise, as the '07 version was.......not good. The DL lost virtually everyone, but playing against such a crap rushing offense as south carolina, I don't think it will show too much. The linebackers are going to be bad. There is no way to sugarcoat it. If South Carolina is really going to exploit the Pack defense, it will be with short to intermediate stuff over the middle of the field. The secondary is a question mark, but not as much as the LB corp. Since South Carolina has only 1 good wideout, look for State's safeties to come over top and try and take some pressure off the linebackers. Bottom line: NC State's defense is questionable, but no moreso than south carolina's offense. Advantage - push

When both teams suck and have to kick: South Carolina fans think ST coach, Ray Rychleski, is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Ask them, South Carolina will lead the nation in every special teams category imaginable. Joke. They suck. I fully expect NC State to make a game-changing play on special teams tonight.

Coaching matchup: Steve Spurrier is a (former)legend. Tom O'Brien isn't. But that doesn't mean that this contest is a fore drawn conclusion. O'Brien's teams play about as disciplined a game as any team in America. This is his second year, and the mistakes of last year are just that, a thing of the past. Spurrier is a has-been, hellbent on ruining his reputation as one of the game's best. His advantage tonight, if any, is minimal.

Final Prediction: As I mentioned earlier, South Carolina fans expecting a 30 point blowout are in for a rude awakening. The gamecocks are notorious for looking like farm animal afterbirth in season openers. They are a slightly better football team than NC State right now, just as they were a slightly better team than North Carolina last year. The home crowd will not be any advantage, since it's a Thursday night and the stadium won't be full. Besides, it's one of the quietest stadiums I've ever been in when things aren't going well. Expect a lot of sloppy play from both teams. South Carolina wins in a squeaker: 13-10.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I'ma Get Me Some Swa

Well, folks, the cat is out of the bag. After a puzzling decision came down Monday to start 3rd string(white) tailback Taylor Rank, Steve Spurrier knew he would face a barrage of questions from media and fans alike. Why are we starting a white tailback? How can we win with a cracker tailback? I didn't even know we had a honkey tailback? And so forth. And true to form, the questions came, albeit not quite as bluntly. When asked yesterday if starter Mike Davis was sitting for disciplinary reasons, Spurrer said, ""No, no, I'm not unhappy with Mike's effort. He'll be fine." Spurrier also cited his lack of practice[due to injury] in fall camp as another reason for the move. To the lay person these explanations held water. But being the intrepid reporter I claim to be, I decided to dig a little further into the situation, and what I found should be of grave concern to all gamecock fans.

Mike Davis is not missing the start tomorrow night for any of the reasons(excuses) given by Coach Cock 'n Balls. He is missing the start, in essence, because he was thirsty. *So thirsty was Davis that he felt the need to break into a refrigerator in the team's training facility. And not only are we talking about theft here, theft from his own school, we are talking about serious appliance damage. Once the crime was discovered, the players were called to a meeting, and the guilty party was asked to step forward. Davis chose to remain silent, adding a 3rd blow to the crime spree that left, perhaps, one teammate drinkless. Only later, through the facility's video surveillance system, did the coaching staff learn the true identity of the criminal in their midst. It looks like some things just haven't changed in Columbia.

One thing that has changed, however, is Coach Spurrier's reputation as a straight shooter. When he was at Florida, SOS was as honest as they came, sometimes to a fault. But now, faced with embarassment after embarassment, it seems that the Ol Ball Coach is just resigned to taking the easy way out. And it isn't surprising to this blogger either. If you had to answer questions on a daily basis about the south carolina university football team, you'd probably find it easier just to lie too. Hell, what do you expect from a program that feels it has to put locks on refrigerators?

Now I know this isn't the most egregious of crimes to take place within the gamecock football program, but it just seems like you can't open up the newspaper these days without reading about some coot breaking the law. At least it's a far cry from the Holtz days, when players helped themselved to computers and video equipment. But a crime is a crime, and Davis has to take his punishment. Speaking of which, it'll be interesting to see how long he sits out. Spurrier is notorious for his non-punishments down in Columbia. My guess is, after a few lame series Thursday night, Spurrier will realize that the real crime is whitey toting the rock.

*link to article: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/aug/27/davis_not_starting_disciplinary_reasons52100/


Now, let's enjoy some Wednesday MOAG.

On the Davis incident:

- And to think this made the paper.....Wouldn't have at any other school! I certainly hope we're getting this kind of publicity when we win games this year.

- This is like breaking a window to get into your own house when you've been locked out.

- I swear if I was Steve Spurrier I would find out who leaked this story and he/she would be out of a job. Every D1 college in the country provides sports drinks for the athletes before/during/after work outs. Who's the idiot who put a lock on the refrigerator? That's who needs to sit out and pay for the damages to the door.

- Too many people run their mouths up there. The man was obviously thirsty, let him and whomever else have a drink whenever they want one!

- The only purpose for this story is to make Mike Davis look like a bad apple, disrupt our team's preparation prior to kickoff, tarnish USC football team's already damaged image, make SOS look like he is dishonest with the public.

- the guy who locked it should be fired. imo.

On Clemson's schedule:

- Wake forest is a tougher team than bama or us? that's a big load

- make no mistake, we should be the toughest game on their schedule and quite possibly, there only loss.

- If they played USC's schedule they would be preseason 4th in the SEC just like us.

- If we had their JV schedule, we would win them all too.

- Im willing to bet when USC starts hammering the Taters 8 out of 10 games they will drop us.

On this year:

- we go 9-4 this year, I honestly don't think we look back.

On next year:

- I'm thinking Next Year is the year we take the East.

- 2009, especially 2010, will be more like a special year.

On a 2008 Team Slogan:

- "Make no mistake, it's not revenge they're after. It's the reckonin'." -Doc Holiday

- "Be Perfect, In assignments, ethusiasm, and effort."

- "We're comin, and HELL'S comin with us!"

- "The talk is over The walk has begun"

- "This is Next Year"

Some more NC State predictions:

- USC: 45, NCST: 10

- 41-0 and I'm trying to be conservative

- 45-10, if they make it to 10.

- This one's easy: 42 - 10

- 38-3 USC Spurrier is ready to put his stamp on this program. The defense is ready to kill and NCS just happens to be first up.

- 51-6 Carolina rolls overwhelmed pack

- 42 - nada COCKS!! WIN!!

- At least 50 for us , I have waited for a long time for us to hang 50 on somebody .

- Cocks win 42-10

Monday, August 25, 2008

What Up, Dickbags?

Folks, game week is upon us. We've been waiting 8 long months for this. And now the state of South Carolina is front and center on the college football stage. The Gamecocks will kick off the season on Thursday, and the Tigers will get the ball rolling on Saturday. It's been many years since both teams, and their fans, began a season with such high expectations. Can the Tigers finally go 12-0? Can the gamecocks finally go 8-4? We won't know for certain after this weekend, but we'll have a pretty good idea how realistic those expecations are. Speaking of realistic expectations, it looks like the gamecocks will be starting a white running back against NC State. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. One thing is for certain though, the MOAG is expected to be at an all time high in 2008, and I will be right here serving it up. Seriously, he's white.

Now, before it's too late, I owe you an ACC Atlantic preview.

Predicted Order of Finish:

1. Clemson
2. Wake Forest
3. Boston College
4. Florida State
5. Maryland
6. NC State

1. Clemson - There is really nothing I can say that you haven't already seen or heard about this bunch. There is a lot of talent and experience coming back on both sides of the ball, especially at the skill positions. The biggest area of concern is along the offensive line, where the Tigers only return 2 starters from last year's Peach Bowl team. But the experience cupboard isn't bare, and what they lack in starts, they will more than make up with a toughness not seen in a Clemson O-Line for many, many years. Harper, Spiller, Davis, and Kelly will all have big years. One thing to watch for is a notably missing dynamic from recent Clemson teams: short yardage prowess. True freshman Jamie Harper can absolutely move a pile. On defense, the Tigers have the best defensive line in the league, and probably the deepest. The secondary is also loaded with talent and experience. I expect them to rank in the top 10 again in passing defense this year. Linebacker is the biggest question on this side of the ball. And much like the OL, there is talent, just not a lot of experience. One name to look for is true freshman Stanley Hunter. I think he will be the next great Tiger linebacker. Clemson's schedule is very favorable, although there is a moderately tough stretch from mid-October to mid-December, when the Tigers face Wake, BC, and FSU on the road. Nevertheless, this team will finally get over the hump and punch its ticket to the ACC Championship game.
Season Outlook: 11-1

2. Wake Forest - This team could pose a pretty serious threat to Clemson. They have the best coach in America in Jim Grobe. They also have potential stars at quarterback(Riley Skinner) and running back(Josh Adams). The WRs are unproven, but Grobe says it is his most talented bunch yet. Wake will always be salty on defense, and they return 9 starters, including All-America candidate, Alphonso Smith. I'm picking Clemson to win this division, but I would not be at all surprised if the Deacs put the kaibosh on that predictions. I'd be so pissed.
Season Outlook: 9-3

3. Boston College - Yes, BC lost just about every offensive threat to graduation. Yes, there is no more Matty Ice, with his stupid haircut. But this is BC we're talking about here. You know they are going to be good upfront on both sides of the ball. They just reload with future NFLers on the offensive line every year. The problem is, nobody really knows who they'll be blocking for. The qb position is still up for grabs, and they are paper thin at running back. On defense, I expect them to be one of the better units in the conference. They return most of their tuff front 7, and even better news is that Brian Toal is back. The bottom line is they won't be great, but anyone who overlooks the Eagles this year is in for a rude awakening.
Season Outlook: 8-4

4. Florida State - Despite what most pundits would have you believe, the Noles are simply not on the way back up. Their offensive line is downright putrid, as is their quarterback. Preston Parker could be a weapon but he doesn't play hard and is always in and out of trouble. They do have athletes on defense, but they aren't deep enough to hang with the better teams on their schedule. Even worse, there is the looming threat of an NCAA beatdown as a result of last year's cheating scandal. If that happens sooner rather than later, the Noles might be in for their worst season ever under Bobby Bowden. Things could fall apart quickly and somethin fierce.
Season Outlook: 7-5

5. Maryland - Ralph Friedgen is fat. Terp fans are scum.
Season Outlook: 7-5

6. NC State - This prediction was really by default more than anything, as I do think the Pack could be improved. They'll have to settle on a quarterback, but they do have a good stable of running backs. I won't pretend to know anything about their offensive line, but if there is one thing Tom O'Brien is good at, it's getting solid play out of his trench-men. I expect the Wolfpack to be a very fundamentally sound team, which would be a welcome change from the Chuck Dee'Amato days. Defense is young and unkown. They will probably give up a lot of points, but not to South Carolina.
Season Outlook: 5-7

Clemson will win the Atlantic division as well as the ACC, earning its first BCS Bowl bid in team history. Yay!

Now for some delicious MOAG

On Stephen Garcia:

- he's doing as good as korn is.

On starting white running back, Taylor Rank:

- when Rank gains 185 yards...how will you feel?

- It's win-win.

- Anyone remember John Riggens, Larry Csonka, Mike Alstott, Jerome Bettis? No blazing 40 times there either.

- he is the only Gamecock on the roster that has gained over 100 yards in every game he started!

*editor's note - He has started 1 game, against Florida Atlantic.

On season expectations:

- I won’t complain with anything above 8-4

- I'm thinking at least 8-4 with a minmum Peach Bowl birth and we could consider a 9-4 season a success.

- I think we should all be planning on 9 wins, and the season should be judged as a success or failure based on that number (although I'd be willing to accept 8).

- You can write it down,Gamecocks will beat fla.at fla.Iwill wait till the game before i give you my reasons because i do not want to disrupt their thought process now.

NC State predictions:

- Gamecocks 37, Wolfpack 10

- I'll be SHOCKED if we don't CRUSH NC State...

- I think we will CRUSH NC State and they will quickly see that what we prepare and face every year in the SEC makes some of these ACC games a joke.

- You guys need to get out of the past. Our offense scores 4 td's, our defense 1, and and 2 field goals. Final score: 41-6. NCSU won't play a defense like ours all year.

- If we don't win by at least 21 points then I say we are in for a long year.

- 45-6 Good Guys

- I think USC 45 Wolfpack 17

- 38-13, Carolina.


Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Bag Man Speaketh

“Clemson’s got that high-powered offense, and do you know how many touchdowns they scored against us? Just one. I rest my case. The bottom line is scoring points.”

27 words. 27 idiotic words that epitomize the culture and mindset of gamecock fans everywhere. So said south carolina's DL coach, and notorious bagman, Brad Lawing, in an interview with The State newspaper yesterday(http://www.thestate.com/gogamecocks/story/497166.html). Call me crazy, but where I come from, Greenville, the bottom line is wins and losses. Oh, I'm used to hearing from cock lovers about the meaningless moral victories the gamecocks have amassed over the past 100+ years. Heck, how many teams overcome 5 sacks, three int's, poor routes, bad blocking, poor field position three fumbles and only lose by 11 to a team that took UGA to the last second, right? But it appears the cold, dead hand of MOAG is starting to creep up the coaching staff's shoulders now too.

A few weeks ago I blawwged about how Spurrier had fallen under its spell. Now we're starting to see that trickle down effect I predicted for the rest of the coaching staff. At no point in the interview did Lawing, well-known for his cheating ways, mention the 214 yards rushing his line surrendered in that game. I guess he was proud of that number considering his boys had given up more than double that total to Arkansas a couple of weeks prior. But more importantly, at no point in the interview did Lawing, known more for his cheating than his coaching ability, mention the outcome of that game. Obviously, I don't have to tell you, my loyal readers, what the outcome was. After all, it was a Clemson/south carolina game.

Now, readers, this one, short-sighted observation probably wouldn't mean a hillabeans taken on its own. But it can't be marginalized the way gamecock fans want it to be. It is part of a larger, more troubling, pattern of sissybaby failure with no end in sight. You can't pick up a newspaper in South Carolina these days without seeing one of their loser coaches complaining about Clemson this, or Clemson that. They're pointing out our arrest record to recruits! They're planting moles inside our police department to target our athletes!! They're beating us on purpose!!!

It's just getting sad(or funny), and it is starting to bear striking resemblance to the beginning of the end of the Holtz era. Don't be surprised if the on-field performance begins to follow suit as well. But I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, the focus is on Brad Lawing, a man known more for his blatant cheating than his ability to coach football players.

So, Brad, I think you need to realize that you're asking the wrong question. It doesn't matter how many touchdowns Clemson's offense scored against y'all. Granted, it was just one, but Clemson......just won. I rest my case.


On team improvement:

- This team is making incremental improvements virtually across the board. I doubt there are many teams in the SEC (or the nation) that you can say that about.

On Clemson:

- Everyone connected with Clemson football is a compulsive liar.

On the '07 Gamecocks:

- The Defense was designed to stop the Pass not the Run. The teams that ran the ball well CRUSHED US. The passing teams did not do as well against our D.

- our D was structured to protect the DBs

On the '08 Gamecocks:

- I dont know how anyone cant see this team is a 9+ winning team.

- If the offense just treads water we will win 8 or more.

- QB situation is best its been since Phil Petty.

- In my opinion it doesn't matter who's playing QB, if they play smart/mistake free football we will win 8 or 9.

- This is a much better and deeper team than last years.

- we'd win 6 w/ lanning[the punter] playing qb.

- this will be far and away the best defense we've seen in Spurrier's tenure.

- I say 9-10 wins is easily doable and 11 if with some breaks + a bowl game.

- 9-3 is reasonable.

On the future:

- next year will kick off a great streak of success.

- WE WILL NEVER HAVE QB PROBLEMS AGAIN UNDER SPURRIER!!

On NC State:

- 8 days from now after we throttle NC State all the talk will be about how horrible NC State is and that Newberry could beat them by 2-3 scores. Remember my post because this will happen.

On their OL coach:

- IF Georgia finishes this season any better than 8-4, and we are no better than the same, we need to start looking for a new O-Line coach.

On team spirit:

- Can we please get together on this and get some TV air time (Sportscenter)for one of our better defenders? When Captain makes a big play as he does at least once or twice a game. Lets have everyone turn North and put a leg up on the bench above, raise your arm and keep your chin up like the Captian Morgan commercial. Lets even give an a good old pirate "Arrrrgh" or "Aye Captain" cheer. Let's show some inituitve and spirit and run with this!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

New Poll

Thanks to everyone who voted in last week's poll. We settled that issue once and for all, the cops aren't any different in Clemson than they are in Columbia.


This weeks poll deals with a fan favorite topic. We'll explore how South Carolina would fare with Clemson's schedule.

Weekly Q&A

Submit all your questions and I will answer them in Friday's MOAG Mailbag. Don't feel like you need to just limit yourself to football though. They can be about recruiting, tailgating, television, life, etc.

Kickoff is just 8 short days away....

On everything:

- in spurriers time here, you guys[Clemson] are 2-3 vs. sec competition

- last season could have easily been 8-4 or even 9-3 instead of the 6-6 it ended up being

- SC has maybe the best TE's in the nation in Saunders and Cook.

- the only ones to criticize the HBC are the ones that fear him.

- People on this board are so intent on hating SC for no real reasons. The fans on here from SC want our team to win just as bad as everyone else, and we get chastised for it. We ARE NOT ALLOWED to be optimistic.

- Coach Spurrier's three seasons, his record in the SEC East is identical to Richt's record in the SEC East over same time period. Which is surprising when you consider that Richt is what? Going into his 9th or 10th season at UGA?

- I wouldnt say UGA and USC are on even ground, but the gap is quickly closing.

- We used to go 6-6 every year almost...now we go 6-6 in the best division of the best conference in the country!

- i don't see how jawga can really say anything about Carolina.

- I talk about the SEC if I talk about anything. I don’t even talk about Clemson. I don’t give them that much credit. I try to only talk about the SEC.

- if you take Duke out and replace S.C. with them we are picked to play Clemson in the championship. Simple as that!

- Spurrier is lying. He's downplaying us so bad its not even funny. He secretly knows his team will win 10 games this year. Who agrees?

- if we played Clemson at the beginning of the season I truly believe we would win 4 out 5 easy. They barely pull it out, for Gods sake. It's like fighting with one arm behind the back. Times are changing and Clemson fans know it, well the half smart ones do, you can tell by the nervous out cries. We'll see ya soon.

- I've come to expect nothing more from ignorant Taters and their inferiority complex when it comes to USC.

- You[Clemson] are our little brother, and we[South Carolina] know it must be tough to live in our shadow, but try not to be so bitter and defensive about it.