Gameday Notes

A couple of notes:

First, it's nice to have Gameday back. Is it me or does Fowler seem more opinionated this year? I like it.

Are Herbstreit and Corso both obligated to defend the ACC? They sound like delusional fans. What happened to the not so fast my friend set up of the show? It used to be that Herbstreit would offer an opinion based on some sort of analysis and Corso would then offer the other side of the debate based on whatever is available. What happened to that? I liked that.

Instead, both seem to be pushing an agenda. Corso's insinuation that draft picks in the past three years can serve as proxy for talent and therefore for league strength is a logical nullity, a non sequitur and almost completely irrelevant to the conversation or debate. Why choose three years? Why not four, two or five? Because the numbers probably aren't nearly as favorable in those time frames. And even if they are, what does that mean? The relevant numbers are the ACC's record against top 25 and top 10 opponents as well as their abysmal BCS record. Why even make the argument?

The reason they are throwing in whatever ridiculous or irrelevant stats is to hype tonight's Alabama - Clemson game as an ACC-SEC clash. Well, these teams are indeed from these conferences but to suggest that this game is some sort of a barometer of relative conference strength isn't entirely accurate. Clemson is largely assumed to be the ACC's strongest team, by a long shot according to some. Alabama is the SEC's 5th or 6th best team. A Clemson win (which I think will happen) will not prove that the ACC has arrived; that the ACC is ready to compete with the SEC or even that Clemson is among the nation's elite. It will show that Clemson is a legitimate top 25 team and suggest that perhaps Alabama is not. Remember that whenever Spiller gets a first down and the announcers try to imply the era of SEC dominance is over.

Other thoughts:

I understand why Spiller is lightning, but why is Davis thunder? He's not that hard-nosed of a runner. Shouldn't someone nicknamed thunder be a bruising between the tackles runner?

Is there anything Tebow of Nazerth can't do? Doesn't anyone else think its odd for a grown man surrounded by college girls in Gainesville, Florida to decide to spend his time in the Phillipines giving pre-pubescent boys circumcisions?

This Southern Cal news is interesting, but ultimately we're talking about whether USC wins by 20 or 40 points. If Southern Cal gets held under 50 points, it will be a heroic effort by Virginia all around.

Update: Awful Annoucing noticed, too:

"Are we on MSNBC? It sounds like someone emailed you the talking points. And you're going down. Why do you want to defend the ACC? Valid points but..."- Chris Fowler
"Didn't ESPN sign with the ACC?"- Lee Corso

Hahaha. Corso is not openly admitting to hyping crappy conferences so people will still watch. Good to know.

Clemson delenda est.

Tigers v Bama...Clemson lookin' for 1st win since 1905

With the launch of the College Gameday website this week it is important to note that the two schools have not met on the gridiron since 1975 when Alabama defeated Clemson 56-0 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has an 11-3 lead in the series that dates to a 35-0 Clemson victory in 1900. College football Hall of Fame Coach John Heisman was Clemson’s coach that day.

Clemson won the first three games of the series, as the Tigers followed with shutout wins in 1904 and 1905.

Alabama has won the last 11, so Clemson has not beaten Alabama since 1905.

Here is a good follow-up read HERE OR HERE OR Here on the match up for Saturday.

USC's Horn gets 1st in-state recurit

USC men's basketball coach Darrin Horn landed Mullins star Eric Smith, a point guard. Smith officially committed to play for the Gamecock program following a unofficial campus visit on Thursday. I can not remember the last time USC got a firm commitment from a kid 2 years away from going to college....I think this is a real good sign of things to come for USC. Horn is working hard.....

The Mullins point guard has two years of high school basketball, but has given his pledge to play for Darrin Horn and the University of South Carolina. It is the first in state commitment for the new USC hoops coach. Smith averaged 17 points and 8 assists a game for the Auctioneers guiding Mullins to the class 2A state semifinals.

Gamecocks beat Clemson

so what if it was soccer....USC beat Clemson 2-0!

Best quote from the Game

NC State fan: "Todd Ellis beat up my sister on halloween and stole her candy" and this guy was being serious as he could not just let it go. I thought Penny was going to buy him some peanut m&m's so he would shut up. O

Over all the NC state fans were good people, except for a few people dressed in red and white.

High school brawl

While USC was dropping some points on NC state in the 4th quater on thursday, Wilson High was brawling with Lake City in Florence. Check out this article, about the 2 schools fighting after there first game of the season.

Beecher's look says it all...

like damn...I just lost my starting QB job.

A Cock Rag?

Is it just me or does this seem a little inappropriate?

I mean come on - a "Cock Rag;" I think JR will have some comments for this one and she seems why to excited to be holding a "cock rag."

Cocks beat Pack but....

it was ugly. Truly a tale of two halves. Thank god for Smelley this time, who came off the bench after a sluggish (that is putting it nicely) to lead three touchdown drives against N.C. State that turned a 13-0 defensive struggle into a 34-0 blowout. But what worries me for the rest of the season was the play of offense...yes we won, yes we won big but we can not putter for a half against the likes of UGA, UF, etc. We need the offense to step up like the defense did and execute.

On the offense side, their were some good plays and good performances - I liked how Mike Davis looked and Taylor Rank performed at running back. Our WR/TE was not stellar but did some good things. Again sore spot was the O-line but they began to play good towards the end of the game but not sure if that was fatigue on the NCSU side or good better play.

Defense and Special teams we were great. Succop has one heck of a strong leg and should get paid nicely for it in the NFL. Defense held N.C. State to 138 yards total offense, got some INTs, forced a fumble and put a lick on some players. Lindsey up front looked real good and he put a licking on the NCSU qb but thank goodness he is going to be okay.

-Hit of the game goes to USC RB Mike Davis, who after a Beecher bad pass that resulted in a NCSU INT he laid a lick on the NCSU secondary player....pancaked the kid.

-Dumb play of the game - E.Cook and his pushups....

Safety Emanuel Cook was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty after he missed an interception and started doing pushups – the only whistle against the defense all night. “That was a touchy call,” Spurrier said. “In practice when they drop an interception they do 10 pushups. So E-Cook thought he needed to do some pushups. But you can’t do that. The referees can call almost anything they want to. But it was a touchy one.”

I know it was a win and I am happy but still left with some mixed emotions . Our pal at Garnet & Black sums it up nicely with 5 points. I think the team has some things to work on this week and I will close with one last thing....Smelley deserves the start at QB against Vandy....now go to work b/c it is a long season!

This is not Jasper...

despite confusion at the gamecock walk, LOHD was able to confirm that this is not Jasper pictured above.

Happy College Football Day! Go Cocks!

It is Game Day Bitches! The Day has come that the Gamecocks take the field and mark the start of the 2008 college football season!

LOHD predictions - HERE and HERE - indicate that the Carolina team will win tonight even with a 'vanilla' offensive package. I am most ready to see the Carolina D....Gamecock Nation needs to be loud tonight!

Go Cocks!

clemson shame...

So let's get this straight - Mike Davis loses his starting spot and most likely faced some trouble from coaches, shame in the media, jokes from fans...all over a sports drink and this is nonsense BUT Clemson does nothing over DeAndre McDaniel arrest?
The fans and media standby and doing nothing. I guess it boils down to 'winning is more important.' I am a firm believer in "innocent until proven guilty," but this kid should have gotten something done to him prior to the Bama game......wait didn't CU do this before with the DUI thing?

Sad day and events for Klempson....full story here.

Mike Davis...LOHD is here for you

Mike Davis if you ever need a sports drink please contact LOHD because this is nonsense. We will be happy to provide you with enough sports drinks to keep you happy and to help fight off the urge to break "in to a locked refrigerator in the team's weight room."

What if sports bowl projections

What if Sports has put together there preseason bowl projections. So take a look and let me know what you agree with and what you don't agree with.


BCS Championship Game: #1 OSU (13-0) 23 vs #2 Georgia 17 (12-2)The Buckeyes erase the SEC demons of the past two years as well as any doubt as to who should be the 2008 national champion as Ohio State remains the country's lone undefeated team after defeating Georgia 61% of the time in the BCS Championship Game and by an average score of 23-17. Other BCS game winners include Clemson by a single point over West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma by more than two touchdowns over Wake Forest in the Fiesta Bowl, USC over another Big Ten #2 in the Rose Bowl and LSU by eight points over Missouri.

2008 Bowl Results
Poinsettia Bowl#54 New Mexico 41 - #74 Temple 37 (New Mexico wins 61%)
New Orleans Bowl#57 FAU 26 - #86 Rice 23 (FAU wins 67%)
Papajohns.com Bowl#36 Louisville 38 - #56 Air Force 28 (Louisville wins 62%)
New Mexico Bowl#34 TCU 25 - #51 Nevada 22 (TCU wins 60%)
Las Vegas Bowl#20 BYU 30 - #29 Oregon 25 (BYU wins 59%)
Hawaii Bowl#33 UCLA 31 - #45 Boise State 25 (UCLA wins 80%)
Motor City Bowl#62 Ball State 34 - #66 Iowa 27 (Ball State wins 87%)
Holiday Bowl#16 Texas Tech 30 - #22 Arizona State 22 (Texas Tech wins 68%)
Texas Bowl#25 Cincinnati 35 - #65 Nebraska 25 (Cincinnati wins 68%)
Champs Sports Bowl#39 Penn State 23 - #37 Florida State 19 (Penn State wins 52%)
Emerald Bowl#52 Arizona 26 - #87 Louisiana-Monroe 19 (Arizona wins 77%)
Meineke Car Care Bowl#31 Pitt 38 - #72 Miami (FL) 29 (Pitt wins 66%)
Liberty Bowl#44 Houston 30 - #53 Kentucky 28 (Houston wins 55%)
Alamo Bowl#15 Kansas 26 - #35 Indiana 13 (Kansas wins 81%)
Independence Bowl#50 Kansas State 36 - #58 Mississippi State 33 (Kansas State wins 55%)
Armed Forces Bowl#26 Utah 30 - #41 East Carolina 18 (Utah wins 85%)
Sun Bowl#42 Cal 38 - #47 Notre Dame 36 (Cal wins 64%)
Humanitarian Bowl#21 Fresno State 35 - #79 Western Michigan 25 (Fresno State wins 95%)
Music City Bowl#23 Tennessee 34 - #30 Maryland 29 (Tennessee wins 58%)
Chick-fil-a Bowl#17 Virginia Tech 19 - #43 South Carolina 14 (Virginia Tech wins 83%)
Insight Bowl#28 Oklahoma State 31 - #24 Michigan 25 (Oklahoma State wins 56%)
Outback Bowl#12 Illinois 25 - #18 Auburn 24 (Illinois wins 59%)
Cotton Bowl#11 Texas 32 - #13 Alabama 27 (Texas wins 53%)
Gator Bowl#19 South Florida 17 - #38 North Carolina 10 (South Florida wins 69%)
Capitol One Bowl#8 Florida 27 - #27 Purdue 13 (Florida wins 82%)
International Bowl#55 Central Michigan 34 - #80 Southern Miss 24 (Central Michigan wins 66%)
GMAC Bowl#48 UCF 32 - #73 Miami (OH) 25 (UCF wins 64%)
St. Petersburg Bowl#46 UConn 32 - #61 Tulsa 30 (Central Michigan wins 56%)
Congressional Bowl#70 Navy 37 - #76 Duke 23 (Navy wins 75%)
Rose Bowl#5 USC 28 - #10 Wisconsin 24 (USC wins 60%)
Sugar Bowl#4 LSU 28 - #9 Missouri 20 (LSU wins 68%)
Fiesta Bowl#3 Oklahoma 25 - #14 Wake Forest 10 (Oklahoma wins 91%)
Orange Bowl#7 Clemson 19 - #6 West Virginia 18 (Clemson wins 52%)
BCS Championship#1 Ohio State 23 - #2 Georgia 17 (Ohio State wins 61%)

Operation Hair spray

That was no tornado that hit Clemson yesterday, that was a preemptive strike by Nick Satan. He just wanted to know if he should run or pass for the first touchdown against the taters over hyped defense.
He landed back in Tuscaloosa with every hair still in place.
The National Weather Service issued this statement yesterday, expect high winds and large pieces of hail in the dome on Saturday night as Satan himself will all over the sidelines.

My prediction for the game on Saturday night

Clemson 24
Alabama 21

Clemson will have to come back late in the 4th quarter to pull this out. Look for Alabama’s defense to be ready for Davis and Spiller. I don’t see Julio Jones having a big night, even thought the hype is there. Bowers could be a difference maker early, but I have a feeling Satan will have the Tide ready for this game. Overall talent will win out, even thought I hate to see Clemson win, it should be a good game.

Week 1: NC State

Moose gave you his take here and our pal at the Garnet&Black gave a good take here but this is my view of the game...for what it is worth - -

NC State 2008 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: The Wolfpack return six starters from last year's offense and that seemed to be a plus heading into the summer. However much like last year, NC State has been ravaged by injuries in the preseason, leaving O'Brien with some uncertainty as the season approaches. Tailback Toney Baker (knee) and wide receiver Donald Bowens (back) are significant injuries.

Now the team is extremely raw in the receiving corps, with sophomore Owen Spencer (five receptions, for 73 yards) as the most experienced wideout.

The quarterback situation is an obvious area of concern with redshirt freshman Russell Wilson taken over the starting job.

Although Toney Brown is banged up in the backfield, they have returning tailbacks Jameele Eugene (667 yards and five TDs) and Andre Brown (447 yards, five TDs) ready for action.

The offensive line returns three starters.

DEFENSE: Defensively, the Wolfpack struggled in 2007, ranking 11th in the conference in total defense (393.9 ypg) and scoring defense (28.2 ppg). The real problem came in stopping the run, something NC State did very little of last season (last in the conference at 186.4 ypg).

The team returns just four starters on the defensive side of the ball and to make matters worse, depth in the secondary has taken a hit, with Clem Johnson suffering a broken jaw, leaving him out indefinitely. Senior cornerback Jeremy Gray is the top returning tackler on the squad after posting 62 tackles and three INTs a year ago.

The linebacking corps is weak.

Up front, the team must replace Martrel Brown and DeMario Pressley, but they should be okay with the return of tackle Alan-Michael Cash (50 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and rush end Willie Young (48 tackles, 10 TFLs, six sacks).

SPECIAL TEAMS: The kicking game is a bit of an unknown. The punting job is secured with the return of senior Bradley Pierson, although his average of 37.2 yards per punt could use some improvement. The placekicking job falls to a new guy in sophomore Josh Czajkowski. Also with Bowens hurt it leaves NCSU with no true return man.

Summary - The fact that they bring back so few starters and seem very inexperienced can only be a positive thing for usc. The gamecocks return 17+ starters this could prove to be a big advantage on thursday. USC usually plays well on thursday nights and the environment this thursday will no doubt be a loud crowd not to mention a gamecock walk.

LOHD 5 Keys to the Game -

1. Carolina must control the line - Both on Offense and Defense the line battle must be won by Carolina. The O line has to step up this year and protect Beecher (or whomever) and provide time. They must creat running lines and help USC control the ball. On D...well they have to stuff the run this year and NC State will run the ball a lot so they have to be ready. The D line has to push deep in the backfield of NCSU to disrupt the new NCSU QB.

2. Carolina QB play - We know that Spurrier will keep the offense vanilla so it will be up to Beecher and Company to execute.

3. Carolina WR/TE play - Simple we need a 2nd or 3rd option to appear after McKinley to free him up but to keep the USC offense moving the ball.

4. Carolina D must shut'em down - The strength of Carolina has to show why they are deemed to be so good...time to go to work boys.

5. Weather - I truly hope no rain ruins this game b/c if the weather gets sloppy, I feel this may cause the offense to get sloppy and lead to a long night and a close game.

My prediction --- USC 23 NCSU 10

Other notes -
Series Record: N.C. State leads 26-25-4; in Columbia, USC leads 18-9-1
Last Meeting: N.C. State 10, USC 0 (Sept. 4, 1999 in Raleigh)
Current Streak: N.C. State has won the last 4 meetings
-A USC win would snap the Gamecocks' five-game losing streak, their longest drought since losing the final five games of the 2002 campaign.
-Steve Spurrier owns a 2-1-1 record against N.C. State, with the first three meetings while he was the head coach at Duke.
GO COCKS!

The real reason behind Davis not starting

I found ths article in the Post and Courier this morning talking about why Davis is not starting tomorrow night. When will these guys learn to just follow the rules like everybody else.

COLUMBIA — The reason South Carolina running back Mike Davis is sitting to begin Thursday night's opener is disciplinary and not directly linked to his health or performance in recent practices, a pair of sources close to the team told The Post and Courier on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Davis broke into a locked refrigerator in the team's weight room that contained sports drinks, sources said. Davis bent the door's frame to get a drink, they said.
The players were summoned and the guilty party was asked to come forward by strength coach Mark Smith. Smith told everyone there was a surveillance tape of the area.
But no one confessed. The football staff learned later, through that video footage, that it was Davis.
The coaches then decided the best mode of action was to bench the senior from Columbia, at least to begin the game against North Carolina State. A source said Davis is also expected to pay for the damages to the refrigerator.
The information takes some of the stun out of coach Steve Spurrier's decision Monday to name career reserve Taylor Rank the Gamecocks' starter.
Spurrier said Monday, and again Tuesday, that Rank had performed well in practice and Davis had struggled to show he was ready after a shoulder injury and an illness sidelined him for a couple of weeks during camp.
"Mike hasn't hit any basically all preseason, and he's been hurt about the whole time," Spurrier said. "Taylor's really had a better preseason. He's done everything we've asked and so forth. But Mike's ready to play. Mike's ready to play."
When asked if the benching was about trying to send Davis a message, Spurrier said no.
"No, no, I'm not unhappy with Mike's effort," Spurrier said. "He'll be fine."
Running backs coach Robert Gillespie was requested Tuesday for an interview, but he declined. He referred general questions to Spurrier through USC's sports information department.
Davis rushed for 518 yards last season, and has 1,658 rushing yards in his three-year career.
Davis, along with a couple of teammates, will also have to sit one game later in the season because of spotty class attendance. It will likely be the Sept. 20 Wofford game or the Sept. 27 UAB game.
Rank has started one game before. He rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries in the 45-6 win over Florida Atlantic in 2006. Otherwise, he's rushed for 3 yards on seven carries.
Sophomore Brian Maddox was ahead of Rank initially when Davis went down. But Maddox has had trouble hanging onto the ball during practice, making Rank the more dependable, experienced option.
On Monday, Spurrier referred questions about Maddox to Gillespie.
Spurrier said five running backs — Rank, Davis, Maddox, freshman Eric Baker and senior Bobby Wallace — will dress for Thursday's game. That likely indicates that freshman Kenny Miles is a candidate for a redshirt.

Gamecock vs. Wolfpack prediction for August 28, 2008.

Well the last time we played NC State I was a freshman at Carolina, and don’t really remember a hole lot about the game except we lost. Derek Watson was playing in his first game as a Gamecock as Lou was coaching his first game in the Garnet and Black. A lot has changed since then for both schools. Steve Spurrier is not calling the plays at USC while Chuck is gone and Tom 0’Brien is now incharge.

What to watch for: NC State will try and take advantage of USC’s QB situation hoping to keep Tommy Beecher off balance. This can also be said for USC’s defense as I am sure Elis Johnson will be sending the blitz packages often. Keeping first time starter Russell Wilson off guard. NC State will try and run the ball with a handful of backs including Jamelle Eugene, Andre Brown and Toney Baker. The rumor is that NC state will try and run a spread option similar to West Virginia in the past since Wilson is suppose to be an excellent running QB, racking up over 4000 total yards his senior year in high school. USC has had trouble with this type of offense in the past, see Wofford from 2006, or Florida from 2007. This could mean trouble for the Gamecock defense or this could be a major disaster for a offense that has never run the option before. I guess we will have to wait and see on Thursday.

What will happen: South Carolina defense will carry the Gamecocks stopping NC State in their tracks. Look for the Gamecocks to have better offensive success in the 2nd half. The Wolfpack defense will try and double team Kenny, so look for the tight end tandem of Cook and Saunders to have a big game. The running back by commit should also help to wear down NC state’s defense over time, Taylor Rank might be the starter but look out for Mike Davis early and often.

Prediction

NC State 12
South Carolina 35

Tigers' Koenning says Bama cheats

Wow...careful Koenning you just might not want to go there. Vic had this to say today- HERE- basically to sum it up...Bama Cheats.

Vic did try to back pedal today - HERE - as he apologized for remarks and he insisted they were not meant to be taken seriously.

But come on what did you expect...you, the coach, raising suspicion concerning some Bama recruits having Cadillac Escalades and trying to tie that back to Bama. You knew what you were doing so don't play dumb here but just be careful because their are some suspicions floating about how CU recruits players...here and here and here and here.....

This may give Bowden and Saban something to talk about when they meet at the middle of the field before kick-off on Saturday.

Interesting tidbit of Gamecock Trivia

I read the other day in the Greenville News this piece of trivia -

USC is 521-523-44 in 114 years of football, which means the Gamecocks could reach .500 with wins against N.C. State and at Vanderbilt in their first two games. USC is favored against the Wolfpack and should be against the Commodores before returning home to play No. 1 Georgia.

USC has finished at least .500 the last four seasons, marking the longest such streak since 1987-90. The Gamecocks haven’t been at least .500 five straight seasons since 1928-34.

2007 Gamecock Season Review

Let's stroll down memory lane right quick and talk about 07. I know most Carolina fans do not want to think about 6-1 then 6-6. But it is what it is and I hope you are like us here at LOHD and think that SEC glory is right around the corner.....

Steve Spurrier has now spent three seasons at the helm of the South Carolina program, and he has compiled a 21-16 record at the school. Last season was his worst thus far in regard to wins and losses, as the club finished 6-6, including 3-5 in league play.

Expectations were high after winning the first three games of the campaign, including a memorable 16-12 decision over Georgia in week two. Then, after a loss to LSU on the road, the Gamecocks posted three more wins to move to 6-1 overall. The team then went on to lose its final five games of the campaign. One of the losses was a three-point overtime setback to Tennessee, and a two-point loss to rival Clemson in the finale. When the bowl bids were announced, South Carolina was left out of the picture.

We will now forget 2007 as it still hurts to think about it and what could have been....

So now the 08 campaign is upon us and roughly 2 days until the Cocks take on the Wolfpack. A new and improved Carolina team will take the field lead by Beecher and Rank.
Look for LOHD to post its' Wolfpack forecast soon but in the mean time....what is your prediction for the score?

Brinkley out...

Not Jasper....all fingers point to him playing.....we be talking about his brother, Casper. The former USC DE had been signed as undrafted rookie free agent but now he is out of a job....the Panthers squad cut him today.

Not sure of the reasoning but I hope he bounces back soon with another gig...maybe one better than Syvelle Newton.

Taylor Rank starting RB for USC

This is what we call "interesting." Not sure of the logic behind this choice and I am by no means saying it was a bad one just not one gamecock nation expected. His last start against FAU in 2006, he responded with 101 yards rushing on 15 carries, including a 44-yard run.

I know Mike Davis had been in the dog house a little with the injury and skipping classes but what about "Mad-dog" Maddox or Bobby Wallace ?

I guess Spurrier saw something in practice or maybe this is a move to reward the hard work Rank shows every time he touches the ball.

Anybody know why Rank got the nod?

keep on singing

If you didn't make it to Headliners on Saturday night to hear Syvelle Newton perform, you can check out his my space music page.

I am sorry...I gave too much credit to Morris

LOHD fans... I apologize for placing too much hope in the writing skills and overall approach that Ron Morris takes towards writing about Carolina.

I thought in his prior piece that he had turned over a new leaf but today he slaps USC fans in the face and is at it again.

LOHD will now return to hating him...

Gamecock News Thread

• GAMECOCKS WILL NOT FOLD AGAIN
• GAMECOCKS LOOK TO BREAK THOUGH
• THE STATE BREAKS IT DOWN GAME BY GAME
• GAMECOCKS ARE SLEEPERS ?
• GAMECOCK D LOADS UP
• IS THE PAST BEHIND THEM?
• GAMECOCKS TRY TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
• THE GAMECOCKS GET A GLANCE
• SPORTING NEWS - EXPECTATIONS
• 6 AND 6 SUCKS.
• 6 THINGS THE GAMECOCKS NEED TO FOCUS ON
• A BLOGGER PICKS SOUTH CAROLINA 22ND
• GAME DAY: BEST OF THE SEC
• ANOTHER USC HOPES TO REBOUND ARTICLE
• JASPER TO PLAY?
• USC DEPTH CHART RELEASED
• MIKE DAVIS AND OTHERS ARE IN TROBLUE
• College Gameday is up with the Clemson v Bama Match up
• Gamecock recruiting news

SEC on TV

Here is the SEC schedule for the opening weekend of the season (8/28-9/1):

Vanderbilt at Miami (OH)(Thur. 8/28)(ESPNU) - 7 p.m.
N.C. State at USC (Thur. 8/28)(ESPN) - 8 p.m.
Hawaii at Florida (Sat. 8/30)(Raycom) - 12:30 p.m.
Appalachian State at LSU (Sat. 8/30)(ESPN) - 5 p.m.
Miss. State at La. Tech (Sat. 8/30)(ESPN2) - 6:45 p.m.
Alabama v. Clemson (at Atlanta)(Sat. 8/30)(ABC) - 8 p.m.
Western Ill. at Arkansas (Sat. 8/30)
La. Monroe at Auburn (Sat. 8/30)
Ga. Southern at Georgia (Sat. 8/30)
Memphis at Ole Miss (Sat. 8/30)
Kentucky at Louisville (Sun. 8/31)(ESPN) - 3:30 p.m.
Tennessee at UCLA (Mon. 9/1)(ESPN) - 8 p.m.

So that is 8 games involving SEC teams that will be on TV during the opening weekend.

What was that Morris?

Ron Morris from The State writing a good well thought out positive story on USC.....? Did Hell freeze over or did I miss something? Wow...I guess he has a change of heart since Spurrier put him in his place....I like the new Ron Morris and hope he keeps it up.

Link: Bringing up Beecher

Update - USC Ramp Pix

Roughly 4 days till kick off kids....