Hoop it up

Well the Gamecocks tried to give the game away last night against Providence in Philly. Sheldon Brown was front row as Dave “big hands” Odom called a time out with 6.1 seconds left, giving the Friars a chance to draw up a play to try and win the game. In the end it all came down to a missed free throw by Weyinmi Efejuku. Mike Holmes looked pretty impressive, having a monster dunk that brought back memories of Ronaldo Balkman. I just don’t understand why we go away from what is working, in the first half Dave had the boys running a little high/low game, which was giving Zam and Brandis open looks from behind the arch. Then all the sudden we decided we need to swing the ball around outside for 20 seconds then try and drive to the basket. I hate to say this but the Friars should have won that game. Maybe they will get to work on there game while they are off for the next 2 weeks for exams.

'Tis Bowl Season

Is having 32 bowl games best for college football?

I would say playoff system is best for the sport but no one listens to us b/c we are not advertisers / sponsors nor are we college presidents or league executives who see bowls as 'money trains'. I almost concur with the bowl selection groups that the USC Gamecocks did not deserve to go to a bowl at 6-6 with five straight losses to end the regular season. But did California, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Alabama, Maryland, Nevada or UCLA? They were 6-6 too!

Consider this year’s crop of 6-6 teams: Cal was 1-6 in its last seven games, and UCLA 1-4. Alabama, which beat out USC for the Independence Bowl, lost its last four games. And Colorado and Maryland were 2-4 down the stretch while Oklahoma State dropped three of its last four. Nevada was 1-2 in its last three games. The system not only allows 6-6 teams to go to bowls, it all but requires it given that there are 32 bowls that need to be fed from 119 Division I-A teams. In other words 53.8 percent of the nation’s I-A teams are headed to postseason play. I may be alone when I say that 32 bowls is way too many but I think having that many bowls is laughable. I am sure somehow we can come up with a better way....look at what the nation did on September 17, 1787. Now this is not a matter of grave importance like what surrounded a new Constitution but the point is that if we come together in a collective body we can logically solve problems that face us. Having 32 bowls is a problem in my view....I am we can solve it soon. Heck if Div I-AA (or whatever they call the league now) can do it - why not us?

But the media, sponsors / ad groups / league execs / college presidents love the bowls and the BCS and the fuss they create, right? Plus the bowls are good for media reports (i.e espn's 24 hour cycle) and water cooler talks so I guess nothing will change anytime soon until a big media storm or some big name teams get the shaft and the people revolt against the BCS system.

So the question is - Do you favor a bowl system or a playoff system?

Two Gamecocks make SEC all-freshman team

Two University of South Carolina defensive players made the All-Southeastern Conference freshman team announced Thursday.

Earning a spot on the team from USC were defensive tackle/end Ladi Ajiboye and linebacker Cliff Matthews. They were named to the 2007 SEC All-Freshman Team, as selected by the league's 12 coaches. Ajiboye and Matthews who were part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes last year.

Ajiboye, a 6-1, 294-pound defensive tackle made 10 starts, most among the Gamecock freshmen. The Riverdale, Ga. native who attended Hargrave Military for one semester before enrolling at South Carolina in January of 2007, recorded 39 tackles, including 3.0 sacks. He registered a season-high six tackles, including 2.0 sacks in the win at North Carolina and was credited with five stops against both LSU and Arkansas.

Matthews, a 6-4, 234-pounder from Cheraw, S.C., logged 26 tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss while starting each of the final nine games at outside linebacker. He moved into the starting lineup at LSU despite playing with a broken bone in his hand. He had a season-high four tackles against South Carolina State and matched that total against North Carolina.

Auburn led all SEC teams with six players on the team while Arkansas and Florida had four.

Heisman goes to...

The Heisman finalists were announced today with Florida QB Tim Tebow, Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, Missouri QB Colt Brennan, and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan going to NYC.

So who do you pick to win??? Will history be made Saturday (ESPN, 8 ET) as we might have our first sophomore Heisman winner?

MSNBC breaks each candidate down below also you can read more on ESPN by clicking here.

1. Tim Tebow, Florida
2. Chase Daniel, Missouri
3. Darren McFadden, Arkansas
4. Colt Brennan, Hawaii

4 USC players make All-SEC team

University of South Carolina had four players named today to All-Southeastern Conference team as voted on by the league's coaches.

Three players earned first-team honors --- wide receiver Kenny McKinley, defensive end Eric

Norwood and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

A Second Team Selection honor was bestowed upon Safety Emanuel Cook.

Bowden to stay at Clemson

Show me the money!! Like everyone knew he wasn't going to leave just using the talks as leverage. The Clemson Board of Trustees were called into an emergency personnel meeting this morning to approve a new contract for Bowden and possible extensions for him and his assistants. Soon after Clemson Athletic Director Dr. Terry Don Phillips announced that Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden has agreed to a contract extension.

According to The News of Northwest Arkansas, Bowden's total package at Arkansas would have been about $2.5 million or so annually, including money that he could have used to pay off a $2.5 million buyout at Clemson...but Tommy said no. Bowden has informed Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long of his intention so no more speculation.

News Reports to view for more details:

The State
The Greenville News
Charleston Paper
ESPN

time out time out

Well last year Joe Pa ran off the field due to the Hershey squirts, well this years bathroom sports story goes to this KSU player. The clock was running down and he had to go, so what did he do? Well read this story to find out.

Well we never really had the drinking mans masters, but somebody did rank the best cheap beers. I would have voted for PBR for best cheap bear and best malt liquor would have to be Mickey’s.

Bowden has been offered the Arkansas job

Seems Bowden will need another dose of BC headache powder but this time b/c of the decision he has to make not b/c of BC.

Both ESPN and the Northwest Arkansas Times reported Bowden is one of three candidates to have interviewed for the Ark job recently. The STATE paper has a article about it HERE that states that Clemson Coach Tommy Bowden must decide whether to remain at Clemson or take the vacant Arkansas job with offers for both are on the table. This article from the Hogs' Scout.com page discusses what is going on yet keep in mind right now it is all depending on who you believe b/c Coach Bowden has been quoted as saying he'd stay as long as Clemson wants him.

I do not think he will leave Clemson after 9 seasons to take the job; what do you guys think?

This will up the price for CU to keep him and he will use it to pump up the players and the recuriting trail but he has all he needs at CU - strong fan base, great facilities, support from the administration, the great white hope in Willy Korn, etc. His only "knock" is that he does not have a championship but 08 could be the year.....oh the drama of college football.

Hawaii, number 1?

You decided to vote Hawaii #1? Congratulations you're an idiot.

Undefeated Hawaii, ranked 10th in both the AP and Coaches polls, received a vote for 1st place in both regular season ending polls. What are these two voters thinking? Surely no casual fan would argue that the Hawaii Warriors are the best college football team in the country, much less a 'qualified' voter. I mean, I can't believe that it is really possible. Can you imagine someone seriously contending that Hawaii could defeat any of LSU, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Southern Cal, Georgia and Missouri? No? Well, 2 people did.

Not as good as Hawaii.


You probably won't find these two voters arguing for Hawaii's undoubted supremacy. Likely the voters feel that Hawaii 'deserves' to be ranked #1. Afterall they are undefeated. You know the kind of person who would make this argument. The feel good guy. You know the feel good guy. He loves Boise State, the Big East, sportsmanship and trying hard. He values what would make a nice story or make a little guy feel good. He hasn't participated in sports since being cut from the C team when he was in 9th grade. Now he argues ridiculous positions of debatable importance, screams his lungs out for the winners at the special olympics (and they're all winners), and votes in the Top 25 poll ... for Hawaii.

FGG, you do understand a ranking, right? Best at top, the next best and so on and so forth on down? No? You only care that a team is undefeated? You don't care that Hawaii's SOS is 118? Do you know who has a harder schedule than Hawaii? Do you? EVERYBODY, (except Memphis).

Everybody in D-1 played a harder schedule than Hawaii. But you don't care FGG; you're happy that a small team is undefeated. You know who else is undefeated? Grand Valley State and Mount Union, thats who. Where are they in your ranking?

Also undefeated

What? What's that? Going undefeated in I-AA or D-III is not the same as D-1? Well, going undefeated in the WAC isn't as good as 2 losses in the Pac-10 or SEC. Concede that Mount Union and Grand Valley State belong on your ballot or acknowledge you can't look at a record without considering the schedule.

If the General had any real power, you'd be voting in the women's basketball top 25 poll so you could vote for all your happy stories and give out sportsmanship awards. But since I don't I'll just have to wait for Georgia to prove that a 2 loss SEC team is superior to your number 1.

Edit: The offending Coaches poll voter is Hal Mumme, coach of New Mexico State. Here is the ballot matrix. Mumme also had Georgia ranked #9 in his poll. Given his ballot, look for Mumme to take Hawaii and the money line and retire a wealthy man. Anyone with more time can sort through the AP voters that release their ballots, here.

Songs to go along with the Gamecocks 2007 Football Season?

So what songs would you associate with the 2007 Gamecock Football season???

I would have to say that "Build Me Up" by The Foundations is a good one. They built up the anticipation and hopes of the Gamecock nation only to "let us down." Went from number 6 to losing 5 straight....still hurts.

Also a song that is fitting for USC during bowl season is "I will be home for Christmas." After finishing 6-6, which is bowl eligible, USC is left out of the mix due to 63 other teams finishing their seasons better thus leaving USC to be home during the holidays. Sorry team no nice bowl gift bags for ya...

So I ask you what other songs would you associate with the USC football season??? Post them in the comment section.

No bowl for gamecocks...

Seems the team and fans will be sticking around this holiday season with no bowl plans. After a crazy weekend in college football it was announced today that the South Carolina team (6-6) will not be part of the postseason.

The Gamecocks were among 10 SEC clubs with at least six victories while the league had only eight bowl tie-ins. Spurrier said the Independence Bowl, the last to chose an SEC team, thought that Alabama (6-6) was closer to the site and would likely be a better draw. And the hope for the bowl in Ft. Worth didn't work out either.

It was the fifth time since 1989 that USC has been bowl eligible and didn’t go to a bowl. The last time was 2004, when the school decided not to go to a bowl after a brawl with Clemson University. It was also the first time since 1988 that a team coached by Spurrier was bowl eligible and didn’t go to bowl. That year, his second at Duke, the Blue Devils finished 7-3-1.

So do you think the 0-11 / 1-10 seasons were worse or does going 6-1 and No. 6 in the country to a 5 game skid hurt worse?