SEC 2009 // Guessing the Gamecocks
by cocknfire on Jul 2, 2009 11:00 AM EDT
in SEC Football
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PrintC&F's predictions for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Finish: 3rd, SEC East
General: No matter how much he might try to protest otherwise, this is likely a make-or-break year for Steve Spurrier in Columbia. Not that a 7-5 record is likely to get him fire, though it's not out of the question that it could lead him to quit. But most coaches have at least given some indication by the fifth year about whether they can win a conference title. The talk of youth obscures the flip side of that equation, namely that this could be a chance for Spurrier and his coaches to start over. The Gamecocks should at least play better this year, if for no other reason than that it would be difficult for a team with the recruiting years they've had and the talented coaches they have to play any worse. I'm not sure it will make much of a difference in the record, though.
More specific: It's not impossible to sketch out a nine-win season for South Carolina, though it's incredibly difficult: Sweep the conference pushes and non-conference schedule and pull off an upset, most likely against Georgia. In the process, though, they can't lose any of the minefield games on the slate (N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Clemson). Any scenario for 10 or more wins is laughable. Eight wins is more plausible -- a loss in one of the minefield games and pulling an upset -- but still hard to see. Either "dream season" requires absolutely nothing to go wrong for the Gamecocks, something that rarely happens for any football team. To some extent, South Carolina is a victim of timing here, pulling two of the strongest teams in the West and missing out on the one remaining conference cupcake (Mississippi State). I'm giving them third in the division because I think they're more likely to defeat Tennessee than Arkansas.
Game-specific:
9.3 :: at N.C. State :: POSSIBLE WIN
9.12 :: at Georgia :: POSSIBLE LOSS
9.19 :: vs. Florida Atlantic :: POSSIBLE WIN
9.24 :: vs. Ole Miss :: PROBABLE LOSS
10.3 :: vs. S.C. State :: POSSIBLE WIN
10.10 :: vs. Kentucky :: POSSIBLE WIN
10.17 :: at Alabama :: LIKELY LOSS
10.24 :: vs. Vanderbilt :: PROBABLE WIN
10.31 :: at Tennessee :: PUSH
11.7 :: at Arkansas :: PUSH
11.14 :: vs. Florida :: LOSS
11.28 :: vs. Clemson :: POSSIBLE WIN
Final record: 7-5, 3-5 SEC East
--
MONDAY: South Carolina Leans on Hope, Again
TUESDAY: The Carolina Calendar
WEDNESDAY: Spurrier Meets with Two Students; Stephen Garcia -- and the Rest of the Depth Chart; Hope and Homerism
TODAY: Predictions
FRIDAY: Feedback and Conclusions
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From the perspective of an LSU fan
SC is a team to respect — a team that can beat you if you don’t bring your A game. They aren’t necessarily always that good, but they are always dangerous. I have always been a bit surprised they did not see more success under Spurrier. I have to question their ability to ever become an upper echelon program (like LSU or Florida). I don’t know much about recruiting there, but it seems logical they compete for the top line recruits with the likes of Georgia, UF, and an up-and-coming UNC program. (Someone more knowledgeable please feel free to chime in here.)
I see SC as going 3-5 with wins against UK, UT and Vandy. I think they could easily go 4-4 by beating Arkansas though.
Gregatron is not responsible for any of the crap he just wrote.
I think UNC is a real problem
South Carolina has often resorted to cross-border raids to fill out its roster. If UNC and N.C. State both improve, they and Wake Forest could really start to complicate the recruiting strategy.
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
Maybe not a coincidence that the last time UNC was really good, USC was really bad...
That would be in the late 90s. Of course, we recruited quite well last year and have been having some success this year in the state of NC, so who knows. It’s worth noting that the same questions that follow Spurrier around about how long he’ll stick it out in Columbia follow Butch Davis, who is a lot older than he looks and has had some health problems in the past.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
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