Several Gamecocks Make AP All-SEC List

The AP All-SEC List came out today and several gamecocks made the cut. 

The list is lead by USC linebacker Eric Norwood, who was a unanimous selection on the Associated Press’ All-SEC team and it marks the second year in a row he made the honor.

Two of Norwood’s defensive teammates also were honored. Safety Chris Culliver made the second team, while defensive end Cliff Matthews was honorable mention.

The complete list:

FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR — Shay Hodge, Mississippi, 6-2, 207, Sr.
WR — A.J. Green, Georgia, 6-4, 207, So.
L — Mike Johnson, Alabama, 6-5, 303, Sr.
L — Ciron Black, LSU, 6-5, 322, Sr.
L — Mike Pouncey, Florida, 6-5, 315, Jr.
L — John Jerry, Mississippi, 6-6, 335, Sr.
C — Maurkice Pouncey, Florida, 6-5, 310, Jr.
TE — Aaron Hernandez, Florida, 6-2, 250, Jr.
QB — Tim Tebow, Florida, 6-3, 240, Sr.
RB — u-Mark Ingram, Alabama, 5-10, 212, So.
RB — Anthony Dixon, Mississippi St., 6-1, 235, Sr.
K — Leigh Tiffin, Alabama, 6-2, 212, Sr.
All-Purpose — Dexter McCluster, Mississippi, 5-9, 170, Sr.
All-Purpose — Randall Cobb, Kentucky, 5-11, 188, So.

Defense
E — Antonio Coleman, Auburn, 6-3, 261, Sr.
E — Carlos Dunlap, Florida, 6-6, 290, Jr.
T — u-Terrence Cody, Alabama, 6-5, 354, Sr.
T — Dan Williams, Tennessee, 6-3, 327, Sr.
LB — u-Rolando McClain, Alabama, 6-4, 258, Jr.
LB — u-Eric Norwood, South Carolina, 6-1, 252, Sr.
LB — Rennie Curran, Georgia, 5-11, 225, Jr.
CB — Javier Arenas, Alabama, 5-9, 195, Sr.
CB — Joe Haden, Florida, 5-11, 190, Jr.
S — u-Eric Berry, Tennessee, 5-11, 203, Jr.
S — Mark Barron, Alabama, 6-2, 214, So.
P — Drew Butler, Georgia, 6-2, 203, So.

SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR — Joe Adams, Arkansas, 5-10, 182, So.
WR — Riley Cooper, Florida, 6-3, 215, Sr.
WR — Brandon LaFell, LSU, 6-3, 206, Sr.
L — Clint Boling, Georgia, 6-5, 297, Jr.
L — Chris Scott, Tennessee, 6-5, 346, Sr.
L — James Carpenter, Alabama, 6-5, 300, Jr.
L — Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 6-4, 315, Sr.
C — Ryan Pugh, Auburn, 6-4, 289, Jr.
TE — Colin Peek, Alabama, 6-6, 255, Sr.
QB — Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, 6-7, 238, So.
RB — Dexter McCluster, Mississippi, 5-9, 170, Sr.
RB — Montario Hardesty, Tennessee, 6-0, 215, Sr.
RB — Ben Tate, Auburn, 5-11, 218, Sr.
K — Blair Walsh, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So.
All-Purpose — Derrick Locke, Kentucky, 5-9, 190, Jr.
All-Purpose — Javier Arenas, Alabama, 5-9, 195, Sr.

Defense
E — Jermaine Cunningham, Florida, 6-3, 257, Sr.
E — Justin Houston, Georgia, 6-3, 259, So.
E — Pernell McPhee, Mississippi St., 6-4, 275, Jr.
T — Geno Atkins, Georgia, 6-1, 290, Sr.
T — Corey Peters, Kentucky, 6-3, 295, Sr.
T — Jerrell Powe, Mississippi, 6-2, 330, Jr.
T — Malcolm Sheppard, Arkansas, 6-2, 291, Sr.
LB — Brandon Spikes, Florida, 6-4, 255, Sr.
LB — Sam Maxwell, Kentucky, 6-3, 248, Sr.
LB — Rico McCoy, Tennessee, 6-1, 220, Sr.
CB — Patrick Peterson, LSU, 6-1, 211, So.
CB — Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 205, Sr.
CB — Walt McFadden, Auburn, 6-0, 175, Sr.
S — Chad Jones, LSU, 6-3, 231, Jr.
S — Chris Culliver, South Carolina, 6-0, 190, Jr.
P — Chas Henry, Florida, 6-4, 222, Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION
Offense
Zipp Duncan, T, Kentucky, 6-5, 291, Sr.; Trindon Holliday, All-Purpose, LSU, 5-5, 161, Sr.; Lee Ziemba, T, Auburn, 6-8, 308, Jr.

Defense
Ahmad Black, S, Florida, 5-9, 185, Jr.; Chris Marve, LB, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 230, So.; Cliff Matthews, E, South Carolina, 6-4, 249, Jr.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mark Ingram, Alabama
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rolando McClain, Alabama
COACH OF THE YEAR
Nick Saban, Alabama
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Warren Norman, Vanderbilt

LOHD Blogger Heisman Ballot

For the first year, LOHD was contacted by Shotgun Spratling of The Blue Workhorse to vote for the Blogger Heisman.

Below is the LOHD ballot and some rationale. Stay tuned later this week for when TBW releases its results.

***Check Out Garnet Black Attack's Ballot - HERE

1. Toby Gerhart (Stanford)
He is my favorite due to the fact that he is a blue-collar back. He grinds it out and has gotten over 1700 yards rushing for a team that is not amongst the elite. His statistics compare favorably with several past Heisman-winning running backs and, of course, his total touchdown figure would be among the tops in Heisman history.

2. Mark Ingram (Alabama)
Playing for the No. 1 team is a boon to his candidacy, as is the fact that Alabama has never won a Heisman. Over 1500 yards rushing with the SEC schedule is something to hang your hat on and it is safe to say 'Bama could not do it without him.

3. Colt McCoy (Texas)
While his numbers aren’t as impressive as they were last year, they are within the bounds of past Heisman-winning seasons (though his 27 touchdown passes would be the fewest by a Heisman-winning quarterback since Vinnie Testaverde’s 26 in 1986). The big thing is his leadership in aiding UT to a title run and winning.

Honorable Mention

Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) – His performance vs. Texas was amazing and he is a beast. For a Defensive lineman there is no better and for a person on defense that can change a game, look no further.

10 Questions: End of Regular Season

1.) If you had a Heisman vote, who would receive it?
2.) Who do you think will win the Heisman after this weekends crazyness?
3.) If Tim Tebow's tears cure cancer what do CJ Spillers tears do?
4.) Do you think Texas deserves to play Alabama in the National Championship, if not who does?
5.) What bowl game are you most excited to watch?
6.) SI does a NCAA playoff bracket every week, review the bracket and let me know who actually would play in the National Championship Game.
7.) Since nobody really cares about the BCS games other then the National Championship game, would you watch Florida/ Cincinnati if the winning coach had to take the Notre Dame job?
8.) Which conference will have the best record in bowl games this year?
9.) Are you excited about the PapaJohns.com bowl, and if so are you heading to Birmingham?
10.) Now that the regular season is over, how will you remember this season?

Picture credit

2009 LOHD Bowl Pick'em

Well the regular season has come and gone, now it is time for some bowl games.
If you would like to participate in the LOHD Annual Bowl Pickem please visit Yahoo Sports.

GROUP ID# 14198

Password: garcia09

Mumme Poll Ballot : Week 14

It's the final Mumme Poll before the bowl games...let LOHD know how yours stacks up against our picks...


The Top Five
 
1. Alabama

Undefeated SEC Champions. Is there more that needs to be said?

2. Texas

Wow, that was close.

3. TCU

Really disappointed they are going to play Boise. I still don’t think we will get a chance to see if they really are the number 3 team in the country.

4. Oregon

Won the civil war. Get to play Ohio State in SoCal.

5. Florida

Still one of the best teams in the nation.

The Next Seven

-Boise State

See TCU above.

-Cincinnati

Thank the Pitt holder. Enjoy preparing for Tebow and the Florida defense.

-Georgia Tech

Didn’t punt all day against Clemson. That’s solid offense. Clemson didn’t punt either; bad defense.

-Iowa

Despite late season losses still gets to go to the Orange Bowl.

-Ohio State

Now it’s time for the worst part of being a Buckeye – losing the bowl game.

-LSU

No game played. No change.

-Nebraska

Donkey Kong Suh is really good. Just a hair away from upsetting Texas.

Gamecocks to take on UConn in PapaJohns.com Bowl

It was reported HERE and HERE earlier today that the PapaJohns.com Bowl (aka Pizza Bowl) has invited the Gamecocks and the UConn Huskies to participate in the 4th annual game that takes place on Jan. 2 in Birmingham, Ala. at 2pm ET.

We all knew that Carolina was heading that direction but the question was "who" they would play...most had rumored that it would be Pitt but they are heading to Charlotte.

USC has been bowl-eligible in each of Steve Spurrier's five seasons and a trip this year is well-deserved for 'da cocks due to a brutal schedule in 2009.  South Carolina has won four of its last six bowl games and will be well prepared as they seek their fifth.  Huskies are bowl-eligible for third-straight year and are making their fourth bowl appearance in program history.  UConn will also come ready to fight and will make this a great game.

UConn and USC, both 7-5, have never met. UConn lost their five games by a combined total of 15 points.  So again Gamecocks fans don't think for one second that the Huskies will come in to this game and rollover.

More on the game and UConn later.

Gamecocks Basketball takes on Clemson Today

Safe to say the score of this game will be more than 34-17 but the need for a Carolina victory is very similar. 

The No. 18 Tigers (6-2) will host rival South Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum. The South Carolina Gamecocks have a rare opportunity on Sunday afternoon to knock off its first top 25 opponent and get a needed win versus Clemson on the hardcourt after beating them on the football turf. If the Gamecocks are able to travel to Littlejohn Coliseum and sneak away with a victory from the No. 18 Clemson Tigers, Carolina will have handed its bitter enemy what could be its worst weeklong span in history.

The Tigers will face a South Carolina (6-1) team that has been short on bodies early in the season, as senior forward Dominique Archie and junior Mike Holmes have recently fallen out of the lineup.  Archie, who averages 14.4 points and six rebounds per game, is out indefinitely following a knee sprain. Meanwhile, Holmes, who averages 11 points per game, is out following eye injury earlier in the week after breaking a bone in his face. 

Look for Devan Downey, as the two-time All-SEC point guard, to step up as he must to lead this team while others are down with injuries.  Devan is averaging 19 points per game to go along with a team-leading 23 assists and 15 steals.  Downey will need a similar performance to what he did last year when he posted a career-high 37 points on the Tigers last year, though South Carolina ultimately fell 98-87 in Columbia.

Last season’s loss was the fifth straight for South Carolina against the Tigers, the past four by an average margin of defeat of more than 15 points.

Horn knows how important it is to beat your rival and look for him to do all he can from the sidelines to will his players to the win.

“I was here for only one of those, so it's hard for me to talk about what's happened throughout the past,” Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn told reporters Friday. “That being said, there's no question we recognize that this is an important game to our fans and to people in this state.
“I don't think there's any doubt that we know it’s important, and we want to win it.”

Wanting to win and doing it are two different things and to get that needed win then Carolina will have to do the following:

1.  Get a Early lead or at least hang tough in the 1st half --- if Carolina can get a early lead it will play mental games with the tigers that recently gave up a 23 point lead in the loss to Illinois.  Gamecocks must keep the game close and not get desperate.
2.  Strong interior play --- CU lives off interior play, getting easy buckets and 2nd chance points.  The Gamecocks will have to play big today and limit easy baskets by boxing out and rotating over to help.
3.  Play as a unit --- Devan will get points but others must step up today.  The gamecocks must out-hustle CU and do all the small things right today to get a 'W'.

I think Carolina can win this game today with a balanced attack and beating the press.  Clemson is still hurting over the last loss and now is the perfect time for the Gamecocks to strike.

'Da Cocks by 6, something like 78-72.

Pitt loses, Headed to PapaJohns.com Bowl to face S.Carolina?

With a lost today to the Cincy Bearcats by the score of 45-44 and the West Virginia football team taking a bowl invite by the Gator Bowl, it seems the Pitt Panthers are heading to Birmingham.

This would make for a intersting match-up for South Carolina (7-5) in the PapaJohns.com Bowl versus a 9 win Pitt team on Jan. 2 game.

Pitt had their game today in their hands until Tony Pike led Cincinnati on a one-minute, 61-yard strike to tie the game, and Jake Rogers' PAT won it.  Basically, a heart breaker for Pitt nation and the result could mean it gets the Big East #4 bowl tie-in and that road leads to Alabama.

I guess we will learn if this match-up get solidified on Sunday so stay tuned...So we got Spurrier v Dave Wannstedt ? Should be a very interesting game if it holds true...
____
PS -USC Coaching staff please go ahead and begin this weekend on creating ways to slow Pitt RB Dion Lewis as he had 3 TDs and nearly 200yds rushing vs a good Cincy D.  The Pitt Offense flows through him.

Gamecocks & Pitt in PapaJohns.com Bowl?

Pitt v USC?  Gamecocks v Panthers?  Ugh, that actually makes me a little nervous thinking about the 7-5 gamecocks facing a very good Pitt team in the Jan. 2 bowl game. 

The Birmingham News reported today that it might not be UConn or South Florida to face South Carolina in the Papajohns.com Bowl as most, including LOHD, figures will play out.  It might actually be Pitt that gets to face the gamecocks. Yeap, if the Panthers lose this weekend to the favored & undefeated Cincinnati, Pitt could fall from the BCS glory to Birmingham.  That is a big drop but still a chance and a chance that the PapaJ officals are thinking about.  Could give Pitt more reason to play hard vs Cinncy?

Link: http://blog.al.com/solomon/2009/12/pittsburgh_could_be_coming_to.html

I much prefer to see SC take on UConn or USF than Pitt.  Not sold on this scenario playing out but lots of football to play this weekend and of course bowl situations to be finalized....  Oh the bowl scenario drama.........

Hitler Learns the Truth About Clemson, ACC & Gamecocks

Classic.......

{credit - DrStrangeCock}

SEC Power Poll Week 13 - Final

Final SEC Power Poll is up at TSK - HERE.

This was the LOHD Ballot ---

1. Alabama
Was not the prettiest win but it was a good win going into the biggest game of the year.

2. Florida
Tebow seems to be back to his old ways....

3. LSU
LSU is either hot or cold from week to week.

4. Tennessee
Lane ends up with a decent season and he didn’t have to run his mouth to do it.

5. Georgia
One week does not make up for the rest of the season. Willie or Bobo gots to go....

6. Arkansas
Great Offense yet poor defense. Story all year.

7. Auburn
Gene just could not muster up enough magic to stop Saban on his quest for SEC glory.

8. South Carolina
Played their best game all year vs Clemson.

9. Ole Miss
Ole Miss wishes they could get a “do over” for this season as they had the potential yet poor execution

10. Kentucky
On to John Wall and UK basketball.

11. Mississippi State
Wait til next year as Dan will do good things at MSU.

12. Vanderbilt
Are they playing football still? Just throw in the towel.

Spurrier to get Contract Extension from Gamecocks

Via this - HERE - the Ole Ball Coach said today he expects to soon receive a contract extension that would bring his deal to four years thus to help in recruiting.

Spurrier in his own words...

"I think we're going to announce an extension here in a few days because the head coach needs four years on their contract (for recruiting)," Spurrier said. "Not only who the head coach will be, but who assistants will be."

Makes sense to me and glad to hear it.  LOHD has always maintained that Spurrier is doing a good job, despite the records, in building rebuilding the program.  He certainly has the program progressing in the right direction and having him down for a full 4 yr term will help him when he goes into the homes of future gamecocks in "selling" the USC program.

I truly feel he has 3-4 years of coaching left in him and during that span will do great things at Carolina.

More from USC HERE

Gamecocks Bowl Options Down to 3

I don't know about you guys but I am still enjoying the gamecocks win versus clemson....as you know the gamecocks football team has concluded their season and await word from a bowl committee on where their next game will be.  LOHD will join the masses and shed light on the subject.... 

The Liberty and Independence bowls likely will go with Arkansas and Auburn, respectively.  Seems our bowl destinations are being narrowed down to a final three - The Chick-fil-A Bowl, The Music City Bowl and The Papa John's Bowl.

I know there is still a lot of football to be played and everyone has a scenario to talk about - Joe Person's from The State and Garnet & Black Attack - and LOHD told you back on Nov 20th that it was down to these three. 

Must admit, I thought if we won the CU game then Atlanta would want us and still not understanding why not b/c I really feel the USC faithful would invade Atlanta.  I think it simply comes down to business.  Meaning the selection cmtes are looking at miles between locations, travel history....heads and beds folks...simple tourism 101.

If the Sugar Bowl will confirm that it will take the loser of Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game between No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama, then the other bowls can announce their selections.

Quick Thoughts -

Chick-fil-A Bowl
I would love for Carolina to be at this bowl....But very slim chance of getting the invite to this bowl as rumors around the web is that they have no interest in us coming to Atlanta and seem poised to take the UGa v VT match-up.  VT deserves it at 9-3.  UGa gets the nod due to location or someone on the cmte had deeper motives.  Could see UT sneak in there...oh the drama.

Music City Bowl
Seems UK is the favorite here do to location, traveling history and timing.  Makes sense really from the business side but this is where the Gamecocks deserve to be after going 7-5 in 2009.  Seems the ACC choice is UNC....I would prefer the 'battle of the Carolinas' over the 'battle of the blues'.  Outside chance of UGa landing here is they get snubbed by Atlanta...like USC did.

PapaJ Bowl
USC AD Eric Hyman was on the radio last night and he pretty much stated that this is the most likely place that USC will be going.  SC would face the winner of this week’s UConn-South Florida game.  Either one would be a good match up and a joy to watch.  Everyone knows that USC fans follow their team and have a good record of showing up at bowl games but will they go to this game?

Again there is a lot of football and choices to be made.  CU-GT game has some weight on the above so watch that game closely and tune in on Sunday for the Bowl Selection show.  Might even get word sooner so stay tuned but you are most likely safe making that hotel reservation in Alabama.

UPDATE ---

As of 3pm today, Chick-fil-a Bowl Chooses UT v VT.