As Skulls reported earlier, Urban Meyer has retired from the University of Florida. Meyer cites his desire to spend more time with his family as his motivation. Meyer, of course, resigned last season only to retake his post a few days later, and there will be some speculation that that’s what he plans to do again. This time, though, it sounds like he’s for real; Gators AD Jeremy Foley had this to say on that note:

“It’s so much different that it was a year ago,’’ Foley said. “He went through some tremendous issues a year ago. But I see his face now and I see the peacefulness. He’s totally at peace with the decision. He certainly has given every fiber of his body to this university. I’ve seen it every day. The results speak for themselves, but to get those results, how do they happen? That guy has given everything he had to this university.

“It was just time. He wants to spend more time with his family. He’s got daughters who play college volleyball; he’s got a son who is growing up. Urban loves his family. When all is said and done, he loves us, he loves the Gators, he loves football, he loves his players, but his world revolves around his family. I think more than anything else that was the impetus for this.’’

That doesn’t sound like an AD who thinks there’s much of a chance that his coach is going to do a 180, and, at any rate, you have to think that Foley wouldn’t be inclined to put up with a Favre routine if that’s indeed what Meyer has in mind.

What does the resignation of the coach at the SEC East’s premier program mean for Carolina? In the short term, I think it’s a good thing. Florida and Foley will compete for an elite coaching prospect, but as with all regime changes, there will be a transitional period for Meyer’s successor. Players will leave, this season’s recruiting class will take a hit, and, depending on the new hire, schematic changes will take time to implement. With Carolina poised to make another run at Atlanta next season, a weakened Florida may have a tough road to hoe in Columbia next fall.

In the long run, though, this might not be good. Florida was starting to struggle under Meyer, and no Carolina fan can say the he would have minded if the current Gators staff stayed in place. The short list at Florida, it seems, is Bob Stoops and Dan Mullen. Either one will bring a staff that’s superior to what the 2010 Gators had, and I have no doubt that they’re capable of carrying on the winning tradition in Gainesville. That’s bad news for Carolina, of course. Will the Gators get either of these guys? Stoops may be a stretch, but I don’t think he’s out of reach. Stoops has UF ties, and word over the past few years has been that he feels his program in Norman has become stagnant. Like his mentor Steve Spurrier, Stoops is the kind of guy who believes ten years in one place is enough. If the Gators can’t get Stoops, though, I have a hard time believing Mississippi St. can convince Mullen to stick around.

In news that was overshadowed by Urban Meyer’s second resignation (Urban, you attention whore!), it was announced today that Steve Spurrier was voted SEC Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches. The award marks a major vindication for Spurrier. Lots of folks, including yours truly, have increasingly questioned Coach Spurrier over the past three years. However, Spurrier made history this year with the program’s third nine-win season and first-ever berth in the SEC Championship Game. With that, he restaked his claim as one of the game’s premier coaches.

We’ll have occasion to talk more about Spurrier’s legacy in due time. For now, while I think we can all agree that Spurrier deserves major accolades for his accomplishments this season, the question is, did he deserve this award? Auburn fans, undoubtedly, will say the award should go to Gene Chizik. What do you think?

Urban Meyer Steps Down As Florida Gators’ Head Coach

LOHD Podcast

The accolades keep pouring in for Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore, who can now add a CBS Freshman of the Year Award to his resume. If Lattimore keeps improving his game–and his work ethic suggests he will–he could be well on his way to becoming the most decorated player in Carolina history.

The news isn’t only great for our young star; it’s also good for Carolina football in general. It wasn’t long ago when Lane Kiffin told Alshon Jeffery that Jeffery would end up pumping gas if he went to Carolina. While it’s easy to laugh off what Kiffin said, Kifin had good reason for saying that. You have to believe that talented players have long viewed Carolina as a risky choice because of its history and its inability to produce many individual stars. High school players want to go somewhere where they can make a name for themselves; why go to Carolina when you can go to another school that has produced guys that won numerous awards en route to the NFL? Kiffin was playing to what he viewed as Jeffery’s fears when he made the comment about pumping gas, and I’ll bet that in many cases, that kind of recruiting tactic has worked for our rivals. Luckily, though, Jeffery and other players, Lattimore foremost among them, came to Carolina, and now they’re bringing home some hardware. When you’ve got stars like these making the national headlines and winning major awards, it makes it a lot easier to recruit.

Mr. Clowney, I hope you’re watching. When Lattimore graduates to competing for the Heisman next year, it’ll be your turn to win Freshman of the Year.

South Carolina season recap by Chris Low at ESPN.com

A-I:  Abbeville over Bamberg-Ehrhardt, 42-13
A-II:  Scott’s Branch over Williston-Elko, 34-32

ATH Jerell Adams of Scott’s Branch should be in the garnet and black next year. 

AA:  Central over Dillon, 20-17

AAA: Myrtle Beach over South Pointe, 27-23

This game featured the nation’s top recruit, and Gamecock lean, Jadeveon Clowney (South Pointe) and Notre Dame QB commit Everett Golson (Myrtle Beach).  Gerald Dixon is another player for South Pointe that South Carolina expects to have on campus next year. 

AAAA-I: Byrnes over Dorman, 34-13

Dorman WR and Clemson commitment Charone Peake and his teammates fell to perennial power Byrnes and its talent-rich pool of athletes, though no big names dot the 2011 recruiting class for the Rebels. 
AAAA-II:  Northwestern over Greenwood, 42-10

Three Northwestern players are heading to play major college football next season.  QB Justin Worley is committed to Tennessee and both Roderick Byers and Gerald Dixon are expected to sign with South Carolina.   

Click here for MaxPreps’ list of all states’ 2010 high school football champions.

FOOTBALL

Spurrier Gets Another Shot At Seminoles | GamecockCentral.com
Time to put that ugly SECCG behind us and look forward. Steve Spurrier is all about the present, not the past:

“When I was a Gator, we didn’t like FSU and they didn’t like us,” Spurrier said Sunday night during a teleconference announcing the Chick-fil-A Bowl matchup. “But I’m a Gamecock now. I haven’t coached for Florida for nine years now, so things have changed a little bit. I don’t have anything against Florida State. I’ve admired the work Coach (Jimbo) Fisher and his staff has done. This is not an animosity game. We’re just two teams trying to get that last win to go into the off-season on a big high.”

Chick-fil-A Bowl ticket requests informaiton | Gamecocks Online
Get your Chick-fil-A Bowl tickets here.

Bowl Swag Gamecocks Will Get From Chick-fil-a Bowl | Leftover Hot Dog
LOHD has your swag breakdown.

Huguenin: Ranking the bowl matchups | Rivals.com
Chick-fil-a bowl at #10.

RECRUITING

Gamecocks Recruit Edward Muldrow Arrested | Leftover Hot Dog
Doh! Haven’t had to deal with this in a while.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

USC dominance of Clemson extends to men’s hoops | The Daily Gamecock
Dominate. USC may be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC East over the next few years. As for this season, I’m content to be competitive. Horn agrees, if not explicitly:

“I think the thing that continues to encourage you about moving forward and looking to the future is that we keep finding ways with different guys,” Horn said. “This was a game where we didn’t get to play to our strengths for a variety of reasons. For a young team to have to grind it out the way that we did and still find a way to come out on top is really encouraging. All in all, it’s a great win for a lot of reasons.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Post Play Steers Second-Half Surge in Win Over Lady Tigers | Gamecocks Online
The Lady Gamecocks get a much needed win against patsy Savannah State.

Marcus Lattimore has been unanimously voted the 2010 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year by the AP.  Lattimore was also named to the All-SEC First Team Offense. 

As a true freshman for the South Carolina Gamecocks, #21 has carried the football 248 times for 1,198 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.  Lattimore eclipsed the 100 yard mark four times this season, running for a career high 212 yards against Florida in The Swamp, where he helped the Gamecocks to their SEC Eastern Division Championship clinching win.  In addition to his ground game (99.83 ypg), Lattimore has excellent skills as a receiver out of the backfield.  He’s caught 26 balls for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns in 12 games (Though, let’s not forget he missed a game and a half), displaying tremendous ability in the open field.  Marcus Lattimore has racked up 1,562 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns in what has been a very stellar start to his career in Columbia, and is deserving of the accolades and attention he’s getting.     

It’s a huge honor for Marcus to have received each of these recognitions.  Congratulations, Latti. 

Four Gamecocks Named To AP All-SEC Squads

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Florida St. Seminoles vs. South Carolina Gamecocks

FSU Record: 9-4

The Seminoles lost games to Oklahoma, NC State, North Carolina, and to VA Tech in the ACC Championship Game. Their best wins were convincing victories over good-but-not-great Miami, Maryland, and Florida squads. Common opponents between FSU and USC are Clemson and Florida. The Noles beat Clemson 16-13 off a 50+ yard FG as time expired and blew out Florida 31-7.

FSU Key National Rankings

Rushing Offense: 42nd

Passing Offense: 61st

Total Offense: 55th

I know Christian Ponder is good, but these offensive numbers shouldn’t strike fear in our hearts.

Rushing Defense: 25th

Passing Defense: 67th

Total Defense: 41st

Scoring Defense: 25th

Sacks: 2nd

This number worries me a bit. The Auburn game reminded me of why I used to worry about Stephen Garcia when he’s facing a good rush. Our line will need to play better than it did against Auburn.

USC-FSU Series Record: 3-15

The Gamecocks and Seminoles used to square off fairly regularly from the late 1960s to early 1990s. The Noles, as the series record indicates, dominated the series, particularly in the 80s, when FSU rose to become a national powerhouse. The Gamecocks notched a notable victory over FSU in 1984 en route to a 10-2 season.

Per ESPN, “Marvin Bass, a former head football coach at South Carolina who posted three wins against in-state rival Clemson in five seasons, has died. He was 91.”  Coach Bass led the Gamecocks from 1961-1965.  He passed away on Friday, December 3rd. 

In only his third game this season after undergoing hip surgery, former South Carolina Gamecocks WR Sidney Rice, of the Minnesota Vikings, caught five passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns yesterday versus the Buffalo Bills.  Both touchdown passes were thrown by Tarvaris Jackson, who replaced Brett Favre after Favre was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.  Rice, who made the Pro Bowl last year, now has eight receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns since returning to action.   

It’s finals week so The Daily Feed is severely abbreviated. I think we’ve covered the eye torture that was the SEC Championship game enough in-house, but there were a couple links that I wanted to share with the Daily Feeders out there.

FOOTBALL

Gamecocks fans: Vote for Garrett Chisolm for the Rudy Award | Spur of the Moment
If you do one nice thing today, let it be voting for Garrett.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks Hold Off Clemson for 64-60 Victory | Gamecocks Online
I would just like to point out that 2010 has been a very good year for the Gamecocks in our rivalry with Clemson. In this calendar year we have beaten Clemson in Baseball, Football, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, and Swimming & Diving. To my knowledge the only sport we have lost to them in is Volleyball. I’ll take it.

FTC disclosure: The 2010 GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool is sponsored by Gameday Depot. Garnet and Black Attack is an affiliate.

Well, Alex and The Feathered Warrior tied for first this week in the GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool. We’ll be taking steps to prevent ties in the future, but Gameday Depot has agreed this week to send both guys a 12″ Gamecocks car magnet. Be on the lookout for a confirmation email with instructions on how to claim your prize.

As we’ve been saying for the past several weeks, we’ll be kicking off a GABA College Football Bowl Pick ‘Em contest soon. The prize for that again is a Carolina Gamecocks Automatic Pullover Fleece Hoodie and a $30 gift certificate.

Full Week 14 standings of the GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool are below the jump.

Gamecocks To Face Seminoles In Chick-Fil-A Bowl

South Carolina just put the finishing touches on a hard-fought, 64-60 victory over the Clemson Tigers in Colonial Life Arena. The victory snapped Clemson’s six-game winning streak in the series. Bruce Ellington led Carolina with 14 points, including a key trey to put Carolina up by six in the final minute. Sam Muldrow, Brian Richardson, and Malik Cooke also scored in double figures in an evenly distributed offensive effort.

Carolina did some good and bad things in this game. First, the bad:

• When you’re a team that emphasizes the press and offensive rebounding as much as us, you hate to see a -3 deficit in FGA. The culprit appears to be, like last year, poor rebounding. Clemson dominated us on the boards and had way too many put-backs. That’s what kept them in a game where they otherwise looked outclassed. It goes to show you, though, how important rebounding is.
• We continue to have trouble from the line. We’ve had some games where we’ve shot FTs OK, but in most we’re looking like we have the past few years, which is mediocre to bad. Some of the misses occurred late in the game, which contributed to what could have been a relatively comfortable win being a pretty close one.

Now, the good:

• This freshman class has some shooters! Ellington and Richardson both knocked down some nice shots. If Ramon Galloway could get his touch back, we could end up being one of the SEC’s better three-point shooting teams.
• Other than on the boards, we’re playing defense well. Muldrow continues to be a presence as a shot blocker, and we’re forcing teams to take bad shots. Clemson shot less than 40%. I’ll take that kind of performance from our defense any day of the week.

All in all, this was a good performance. Not great, but good and promising. I’m beginning to think that this team may be capable of putting together a halfway decent season. There’s probably too much youth and too little inside presence to expect an NCAA berth, but I’m beginning to see the NIT as a possibility.

And oh yeah: Clemson, you got owned in 2010.

I’m not going to individually bash amateur players on a forum such as this one, but the entire secondary consistently displays horrific cover skills, and our guys have been more out of place on many pass plays than a vegetarian at a meat eater’s convention.  The Gamecocks are fortunate to have a fine defensive front or I believe we’d have more losses to show for the unbelievable terror that our secondary is to the football team.  Lorenzo Ward’s job should be on the line for what was exhibited all year long in the defensive backfield.  There’s no excuse for the piss poor coverage we’re getting out of what are supposed to be talented athletes.  I sit in the stands or in front of a television screen with my mouth agape at the spacing wide receivers are able to achieve against our secondary.  It’s inexcusable and unacceptable.  When you compare this year’s secondary to last, you really see only one difference – no Darian Stewart.  Was he the catalyst, the brains, that got our boys into the position they needed to be in?  Was he the answer man for the youthful questions that Gilmore, Holloman, and Whitlock surely had?  Something’s up.  Perhaps I’m wrong to assume Stewart is the difference, but if not, what the hell happened? 

Some may disagree with this thought pattern, as I’ve had people look at me crazily when I say what I’m about to say, but it’s a philosophy I believe in and I contend that the most intense competitors do also.  When you’re getting defeated the way we were yesterday, you don’t kick field goals down 49-14.  You try to score touchdowns.  You go for it on fourth down in all but the most ridiculous circumstances, and you might go for it then, too.  You don’t play games to make the score look better.  You play to win.  And, if you’re getting beat up and down the field, you don’t quit.  You don’t stop a relentless effort for victory until the clock stops, no matter how futile.  Sure, in all likelihood we were going to experience defeat last night, but by God you do not concede that defeat until it is forced upon you.  You throw, throw, throw.  If you score a touchdown, boot an onside kick.  Do it again.  Then do it again.  Do it til they stop you.  Do it til the clock hits zeros.  It’s Jimmy V week on ESPN, and Steve Spurrier should have paid attention to the central message:  “Don’t give up.  Don’t ever give up.”  Kicking field goals and playing second teamers is for quitters.  Utilizing my philosophy last night may have resulted in a 63-14 loss, or worse, but, damnit, I’d have woke up this morning knowing I didn’t stop trying until it was time to leave the field.  

I know it’s a dark time for us right now — the morning after a nationally televised drubbing. So this is a humorous attempt to bring some levity to the situation. No disrespect to Cam, Auburn, or their fans. This is strictly lampooning the broadcasters.

While it might have proved to have been an unenjoyable experience to watch the Cocks in Atlanta, at least those of you who attended didn’t have to suffer through Verne and Gary as I did yesterday. I agree with GamecockMan–I usually kind of like Gary Danielson. But I think he might have joined Verne for a few highballs before this one. Both were off their game. Verne, as usual, littered his play by play with erroneous calls and general senility. Gary had a mouth full of marbles a few times, seemed a bit sluggish, and pretty much took every spare second to talk about Newton, whether he was on or off the field.

I’m not so naive as to think that announcers are going to watch a controversial Heisman shoo-in leading his undefeated team to the SEC Championship, and then afford equal time to their flatlining opponent. But even with that in mind, Verne, Gary, and the entire CBS production crew were putty in Cam’s hands. 

So for those of you who were at the game…here’s an EDSBS-style recap of the announcing highlights:

(intro graphic package)

Verne: Welcome to CBS’ coverage of the 2010 SEC Championship game featuring the Auburn Tigers! We’re here in Atlanta, Georgia, and we’re ready for football! Gary, our keys to the game.

Gary:  Well Verne, it’s all about Cam Newton. #2, 6’6″ Cam Newton. Speculation about player benefits is swirling, but the young man is playing his game, not worried about anything off the field. Cam Newton. Also, Nick Fairley, the playmaking lineman. And Cam Newton.

Verne: Hoooo yah. Cam Newton, the 6’6″ phenom well on his way to claiming the Newton Award. I mean the Heisman Award.

Gary: You know, Verne, there are several subplots at play here. For instance, Cam Newton and his off-the-field issues swirling, Gus Malzahn and whether or not he’ll be around next year, swirling off-the-field issues regarding Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, Cam Newton issues all a’swirl, Guz Malzahn, and Cam “Swirlin’ Issues” Newton. Just a few factors to keep in mind.

Verne: With that, we’re set for kick-off!

(later)
(USC runs a play)

Verne: 4 yard gain by not-Auburn.

Gary: When you look at the replay here, the player I want to key in on is Cam Newton. You see him on the sideline there, drinking Gatorade and adjusting his jock. What can’t you say about that guy? He’s dynamic, plain and simple. Obviously he’s able to focus despite off-the-field issues SWIRLING.

(later)

Verne: Newton takes the snap. Draw play, up the middle, for a minimal gain.

Gary: Actually Verne, that was a 75 yard touchdown strike.

Verne: D’oop, so it was! HUH-HAW!

(later)

(Cam Newton gains three yards on a keeper)

Verne:  WOW. GUESS WHO? WOW.

Gary: Verne, I’ve been saying it all game, it’s plays like that. You know, it’s a ho-hum play if anyone else had the ball, we’d make little ado about it, but that just doesn’t apply for Mr. Newton.  And how about NICK FAIRLEY.

(later)

Verne: CAM NEWTON

Gary: CAM NEWTON

Verne: CAM NEWTON

Gary: SWIRLING ISSUES.

Verne: HUH-HAW!

(later)

Gary: I’m just gonna come out and say it, Verne. I am physically aroused by Cam Newton.

Verne: Oooooh yah.

Gary: Look, he’s got it all. Flawless skin, high-set cheekbones, immaculate teeth. I am at, this moment, questioning my heterosexuality on national television, and that’s what a guy like Cam Newton will do to you.

Verne: HUH-HAW!

(later)

Gary: You know Verne, it just struck me that Swirling Issues would have been an excellent name for a Dickens character.

Verne: Indeed it would Gary. You might say Auburn fans had Great Expectations for these Tigers! (audible high-five)

(later)

Verne: And now as the game is well in hand, we see the second string out on the field. Let’s cut to an extended shot of Cam Newton on the sideline between every play. Or hell, just keep the shot on him at all times! Who gives a damn about the game at this point! Oh look, Cam just leaped up into the student section and solved a Rubiks Cube while playing knee-cymbals and giving a beaming Bo Jackson a piggy-back ride! WHAT CAN’T HE DO! ADD IT TO THE LIST!

Gary: Nothing, Verne. The answer…is simply nothing.

(later)

Verne: Well that’s it, Auburn wins big!

Gary: Next stop: Arizona, to take on the Oregon Ducks, who tonight took care of the non-Oregon Ducks in sound fashion.

I’m not going to individually bash amateur players on a forum such as this one, but the entire secondary consistently displays horrific cover skills, and our guys have been more out of place on many pass plays than a vegetarian at a meat eater’s convention.  The Gamecocks are fortunate to have a fine defensive front or I believe we’d have more losses to show for the unbelievable terror that our secondary is to the football team.  Lorenzo Ward’s job should be on the line for what was exhibited all year long in the defensive backfield.  There’s no excuse for the piss poor coverage we’re getting out of what are supposed to be talented athletes.  I sit in the stands or in front of a television screen with my mouth agape at the spacing wide receivers are able to achieve against our secondary.  It’s inexcusable and unacceptable.  When you compare this year’s secondary to last, you really see only one difference – no Darian Stewart.  Was he the catalyst, the brains, that got our boys into the position they needed to be in?  Was he the answer man for the youthful questions that Gilmore, Holloman, and Whitlock surely had?  Something’s up.  Perhaps I’m wrong to assume Stewart is the difference, but if not, what the hell happened? 

Some may disagree with this thought pattern, as I’ve had people look at me crazily when I say what I’m about to say, but it’s a philosophy I believe in and I contend that the most intense competitors do also.  When you’re getting defeated the way we were yesterday, you don’t kick field goals down 49-14.  You try to score touchdowns.  You go for it on fourth down in all but the most ridiculous circumstances, and you might go for it then, too.  You don’t play games to make the score look better.  You play to win.  And, if you’re getting beat up and down the field, you don’t quit.  You don’t stop a relentless effort for victory until the clock stops, no matter how futile.  Sure, in all likelihood we were going to experience defeat last night, but by God you do not concede that defeat until it is forced upon you.  You throw, throw, throw.  If you score a touchdown, boot an onside kick.  Do it again.  Then do it again.  Do it til they stop you.  Do it til the clock hits zeros.  It’s Jimmy V week on ESPN, and Steve Spurrier should have paid attention to the central message:  “Don’t give up.  Don’t ever give up.”  Kicking field goals and playing second teamers is for quitters.  Utilizing my philosophy last night may have resulted in a 63-14 loss, or worse, but, damnit, I’d have woke up this morning knowing I didn’t stop trying until it was time to leave the field.  

The season results are in, and now it’s time to talk about where we’re going to end up in the post-season. We’re either headed to the Outback Bowl or the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Here’s how the pecking order has shaped up–Auburn is headed to the National Title Game, and Arkansas will likely get an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl. (A much deserved bid for the Hogs, BTW.) The Capital One Bowl gets the next pick, and if Arkansas gets into the BCS, the Cap One expected to take Alabama or LSU. The Cotton Bowl will take whichever of those teams the Cap One doesn’t take. LSU is the team that deserves the Cap One bid, but the bowl may be leaning towards ‘Bama given that LSU played in Orlando last year.

That takes us to the Outback and the Chick-fil-A. We’re clearly the next-best team in the SEC after the aforementioned group (and we’ve arguably had a better year than ‘Bama). That would suggest that we would get the Outback, which picks before the Chick-fil-A. However, Chris Low is reporting that the Outback is interested in Florida. Why? Bowls are about money. Carolina has played in the Outback quite a few times recently, and the last time we went, we didn’t travel well. The economy is bad, and many folks don’t have the money to travel to Tampa. The Gators, on the other hand, are the hometown team. Their fan base is hardly energized right now, but it’s prominent enough in Tampa to pack the stadium. If this is what happens, that puts us in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Which is fine by me, honestly. We’ve been to the Outback plenty of times, and I’d prefer the change. I also like the idea of playing Florida St. instead of whatever Big 10 team gets into the Outback (Penn St.?). I’m not sure what I think about playing in the Georgia Dome again, though…

Well, I was wrong: South Carolina did not beat Auburn. In fact, we didn’t even come close, as Auburn dominated Carolina to the tune of a 56-17 final score. My hat goes off to the Tigers, who proved that they’re clearly worthy of a bid to play against Oregon for the national title. They came ready to play in this game, they came with a good game plan, and they executed more or less flawlessly other than for brief moments late in the second half. Cameron Newton put the finishing touches on an already sterling Heisman campaign. The Auburn defense did its part with a dominant performance.

Carolina cannot say these things for itself. I don’t think that our showing was quite as bad as the final score indicated. This was one of those games that proves that a few slightly off plays here and there can make a huge difference in a game’s outcome. For the first two-and-a-half quarters, Carolina hung somewhat tough with Auburn. However, we generally failed to seal the deal when we had chances to make key plays. The Carolina offense frequently moved the ball into Auburn territory only to see drives bog down. Stephen Garcia was off on a pass to Marcus Lattimore that would have resulted in a TD. On another play, Garcia made a decent third-down pass to Lattimore, Lattimore made a leaping grab, but an Auburn defender pushed Lattimore out of bounds before Lattimore could get a foot down. That play would usually be a good one, but it didn’t work out that time. Spencer Lanning closely missed two key FGs. It was one of those games where the offense seemed to be just a little off its game. The Carolina defense was similarly close-yet-oh-so-far. Carolina got pressure on Newton at times but could never seem to take him down, and in what was really one of the keys of the game, Auburn got a freak TD on a tipped ball in the end zone on a late-first-half Hail Mary.

Against a team like Auburn, you can’t afford to be anything but perfect. As the game went on, Carolina continued to fail to take advantage of its opportunities, and Auburn’s lead began to grow. Eventually, Carolina lost its handle on the game, and the flood

gates opened and Auburn rolled to a lopsided victory. Sometimes it’s only a few plays that make the difference between a close game and a blowout. That’s the difference between good and great teams, however, and after this game, it’s clear that while Carolina had a good team this year, it didn’t have an elite team. We’re not ready to consistently play with the best teams in the country yet.

A few other thoughts on the game:

• I thought that our schematic game plan on offense was fairly well conceived. We came in knowing we’d have trouble running between the tackles and that we’d have to neutralize Auburn’s defensive line, and I liked the early attempts to run Lattimore outside the tackles, and I thought we did some interesting things in the short passing game. Our undoing was our inability to deal with the blitz.
• One element of Auburn’s success was the great coverage packages Ted Roof and his staff had drawn up to deal with Alshon Jeffery. At the same time, though,  you have to wonder if we should have tried to figure out more ways to Jeffery the ball.
• Garcia–whew, man. Pick yourself up after that one.
• Our secondary has apparently not gotten as much better since the Arkansas game as I thought. A lot of the old problems manifested themselves yet again. Stephon Gilmore–get it together, man. I never expected to see you get manhandled like that.
• I take back every nice thing I’ve ever said about Gary Danielson after this game. I knew what to expect from Verne before the game, and we got the usual senility. (The best example was when Verne called a five yard gain on a 3rd-and-15 a first down.) But Danielson I usually like for his play-by-play insights. Tonight, though, he was more interested in defending the NCAA’s decision on the Newton pay-for-play situation. Listen, Gary: we know that you’re interested in promoting the SEC / CBS brand, and your discussion of the Newton scandal came off for what it was, an attempt to whitewash the SEC’s image. I don’t know what happened with the Newton case, and I’ve accordingly expressed my unwillingness to pass judgment on the situation until damning evidence comes out. What I do know is that Gary Danielson doesn’t know enough about the situation to say anything substantial one way or the other, and his attempt to do so was shameful. Gary’s claim that we were faking injuries to slow down Auburn’s hurry-up offense was also pretty ridiculous.
• The CBS crew might have outdid itself, though, when Tracy Wolfson gave herself a (money?) shot of Cammy-Cam Juice. Good God was that surreal. And WTF was up with Newton getting carried onto the field by his “supporting cast”? Ugh. I never thought I’d say this, but I think I might miss Tim Tebow after that one.

That’s a wrap on this one, folks.

You know the routine, folks. Go ‘Cocks.

Gamecock Man on the Radio

in 1999, the South Carolina Gamecocks wrapped up an utterly forgettable decade of football. Carolina won 45 games over the course of the 1990s, lost 69, and tied 3. That’s 45-69-3, if you needed me to repeat it. Much like they had hoped hiring hot young Bobby Bowden disciple Brad Scott would invigorate the stagnant program in 1994, Carolina fans had hoped that hiring legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz would help the program recover from the depths Scott’s failed tenure took the program to. Holtz’s first year, though, was more of the same. In fact, it was worse–Holtz would take the Gamecocks to an unenviable 0-11 record.

South Carolina football has always been an exercise in futility. Carolina has one conference championship to its credit. It didn’t win a bowl game until 1995. It lost to Navy when it had a chance to come to within a game of playing for the national title. What happened in Hotlz’s first season in Columbia didn’t really surprise anyone. Carolina Gamecocks fans, however, have always stood by their team, even during that forgettable 0-11 season. They’ve always, often to the ridicule of their rivals’ fans, believed that it was fated that God would smile on the Gamecocks one day.

The ancient Greeks believed that fate was something that man couldn’t control, but these days, most of us believe that we make our own good luck. This isn’t the place to answer that age-old question, but it is worth observing here than when it comes to Gamecocks football, we’ve made our own luck as of late. Holtz and, later, Steve Spurrier wouldn’t have come here if they didn’t believe that this school and state have the resources and support available to provide the foundation for a championship contender. And, ever since that 0-11 record the Gamecocks fell to in 1999, things have been getting a bit better for us. 2000 and 2001 would be banner years for Carolina; the Gamecocks would go 8-4 and 9-3, respectively, and would punctuate both seasons with Outback Bowl victories over the storied Ohio St. Buckeyes.

Those two years inaugurated the most successful decade in Carolina football history. It hasn’t all been perfect, of course. The Holtz era ended on a prolonged down note, while the early promise of the Spurrier era hit some significant roadblocks in 2007 and 2008. However, the program has remained competitive, never quite returning to the depths of mediocrity it plunged too back in 1999. This is a different program. It’s one that’s grown over the past 10 years into a significant player in the SEC.

Earlier this year, when South Carolina achieved what I think we’ll one day look back on as a milestone victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Steve Spurrier told us that before the game, he had told his team that if they gave fate a chance, good things might work out for them. To hear him talk, you’d think that he thought that football is nothing but a game of chance. And maybe there is some chance involved in the path we’ve followed to get to what’s going to go down tomorrow. However, we all know that Steve Spurrier is no mystic. This is a guy who believes in his ability to make a difference. And when he came to Carolina, he saw an opportunity. “Why not us?” was not idle speculation; it was a reasonable statement of fact. Why shouldn’t Carolina do something that it’s always had the potential to do? I hate to put words into the guy’s mouth, but I think that when Spurrier told his team to “give fate a chance,” he just meant to go ought and finally make good on the investment that’s been put into Carolina football since the beginning. It took Spurrier to put the finishing touches on the team that would finally put itself in a position to do that, and for that reason I think we’ll remember him as the program’s greatest coach. But the potential has always been here; Spurrier knows that as well as anyone. That’s why he’s here.

Tomorrow afternoon, we play the Auburn Tigers for the SEC Championship. No one is giving us a chance to win. The Tigers are a consensus pick to play for the BCS Title and field the unanimous favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Carolina, on the other hand, should just be happy to be here, right? The Gamecocks don’t really stand any chance of knocking off the mighty Tigers, do they?

Wrong. I not only think we stand a chance in this game; I think we’re going to win. Over the past few weeks, the light has come on for this team. The weight of history was lifted against the Florida Gators three weeks ago, and this team now realizes that it’s good enough to finish what it’s started over the course of the season. We’re confident and playing better than we ever have. Auburn won’t know what hit them.

How do I know this? Sometimes you just have to give fate a chance.

ESPN.com SEC Championship Game Headquarters

FOOTBALL

Gamecocks Continue Championship Week Preparations | Gamecocks Online
Coach Johnson wants you to know that he won’t spy Cam Newton because he knows more about football than you. So shut it.

SEC Championship Preview: Auburn vs. South Carolina | Leftover Hot Dog
LOHD previews the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. WHICH WE ARE IN. THAT IS TO SAY USC IS IN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

USC pass defense is currently ranked 10th in the SEC giving up 245 yards a game.

…

Auburn’s pass defense is ranked dead last in the SEC, giving up 255 yards a game.

Second time around: What’s different from the first Auburn game? | Spur of the Moment
What’s different? Quite a bit, Haney contends.

Auburn/South Carolina SEC Championship Game | YouTube
You have to think Under Armour, which was a little known upstart company just a few years ago, is salivating over this year’s SEC Championship Game match up. Both teams were among the first to be outfitted in Under Armour back when the company started sponsoring programs. And Atlanta might very well be considered the birthplace of Under Armour. Founder Kevin Plank made his very first sale of the famous UA sweat-wicking t-shirts to Georgia Tech. Soon after, former Yellow Jacket players who were playing for the Atlanta Falcons were so impressed by the product when they saw it in their alma mater’s locker room that they had to have it too. Thus, the Atlanta Falcons were the first NFL team to adopt Under Armour under their NFL uniforms. I imagine this game means quite a bit to the guys at Under Armour.

SEC Championship Game Schedule of Events – UPDATED | Gamecocks Online
For your convenience.

Georgia Dome gameday information, parking, traffic, directions, etc. | Spurs Up
For your information.

The Comeuppance Report; or, Who I’m Pulling Against This Week | The Rubber Chickens
Finally the Comeuppance Report returns!

Can Spurrier Do the Unthinkable and Shatter Auburn’s National Title Hopes? | Saturday Down South
Is it really unthinkable? I guess if you’re an Auburn fan. By the way, stay away from the comment section in this one. It’ll take you to dark places.

Steve Spurrier – Just Askin’ | SI.com
Check out this video interview with Steve Spurrier. (H/T: Spurs Up)

“Inside the Chart” with Andy Demetra: Marcus Lattimore 1st down rushing production | Spurs Up
Brittany Lane, no one likes a tease. To wit:

Inspired by his quote, I decided to crunch the numbers on Marcus Lattimore‘s rushing production on 1st down versus SEC opponents. Like Alshon Jeffery’s 3rd-down value two weeks ago, the numbers I uncovered once again staggered me.”

Just give us the info without making us click on the link. In fact, why does Andy Demetra even have a separate blog on the USC website. Why isn’t he posting on Spurs Up in the first place?

Cam Newton Investigation: Why the NCAA Got It Wrong | Team Speed Kills
I agree with cocknfire on all accounts here. Something is amiss in this ruling. I really don’t understand, given what we do know, how this can be the final conclusion.

USC mostly holding tongue on NCAA’s Cam Newton ruling | SI.com
Quote of the season. Seriously. (H/T: Team Speed Kills)

“So u can relate Todd Mcnair to an agent through a photograph, but you can’t relate Cam Newton to his Dad? That makes sense…” Galippo tweeted after practice.

South Carolina vs. Clemson | YouTube
The new Just King Media video is out. Maybe his best work yet. The music made me feel like Russel Crowe could pop out at any moment and eviscerate a couple of Retiarii. Enjoy.

Gamecocks Podcast: Clemson Review and SEC Championship Preview | Leftover Hot Dog

The Gamecocks Podcast for this week is a good one as the Clemson win is discussed and then a very good insightful discussion is had on the SEC Championship Game.

A Tigris Miscellany | The Rubber Chickens
TRC introduces us to the Person Effect. I, myself, have pondered the existence of the Emerson effect for some time. Have you seen UGA’s record this season?

Cocktail Thursday: Watching Other People Play Games That Matter Edition. – Dawg Sports
Ladies and gentlemen, MaconDawg presents the 2010 SEC Championship Game drinking. This game will separate the men from the boys.

Eleven Gamecocks Named to Steele’s All-SEC Teams | Gamecocks Online
He picks us to lose all the important games, but at least he respects our players.

Championship Saturday Ticket Breakdown | Leftover Hot Dog
Yes, this also means that the SEC is more than twice as good as the BIG 12.

BOWL PREDICTIONS

SEC Bowl Projections: Where’s Your Team Headed in the Postseason? | Team Speed Kills
Cocknfire largely concurs with conventional wisdom and either has South Carolina going to the Outback Bowl to play Penn State or the Sugar Bowl to play Ohio State.

Bowl possibilities: What happens if South Carolina loses Saturday? | Spur of the Moment
Haney still betting on the Chick-fil-a Bowl.

BASEBALL

South Carolina Baseball Announces 2011 Schedule | Gamecocks Online

The South Carolina baseball team has announced its schedule for the 2011 season featuring 25 games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams as well as 35 home games at Carolina Stadium. The defending national champions open the season on Friday, February 18 hosting a three-game series vs. Santa Clara. The schedule also includes 30 Southeastern Conference contests and a three-game series with in-state rival Clemson.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks Cruise Past Delaware State, 74-61 | Gamecocks Online
Did you know we won a basketball game on Wednesday? I listened to this game on the radio for about 25 minutes after half time, and during that time the guy filling in for Andy Demetra never mentioned the name of the opponent. Not once.

Men’s Basketball next SC team to face archrival Clemson this Sunday | Spurs Up
How long has it been since we’ve beaten Clemson in men’s basketball?

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sharp Shooting Seals 75-53 Win Over Charleston Southern | Gamecocks Online
Back on track.

VOLLEYBALL

USC volleyball coach resigns | The Daily Gamecock
Not that big a deal considering the following:

Somera went 56-63 overall in four seasons at Carolina with a 28-52 mark in SEC play. His best season was in 2008, when the Gamecocks went 21-9 and finished fifth in the SEC.

I don’t want to throw any rumors out there, but any time I see the phrase “effective immediately,” there’s a little more to the situation.

As you know, my usual weekly preview includes a Prediction in addition to Three Keys and What It Means. In honor of the momentous occasion in Gamecocks football history that is this Saturday, the Prediction will be forthcoming tomorrow in its own post. For now, here are the other two parts of my preview.

Three Keys to Victory

3. Figure Out a Way to Contain Cameron Newton

This one is obvious, but you really can’t discuss Auburn without mentioning it. Newton is the centerpiece of the Tigers’ offense, and no one has found a way to stop him. When we played Auburn earlier this year, the Gamecocks actually did a fairly admirable job for three quarters of slowing everyone except Newton down. The final stats show big numbers for Michael Dyer, but those stats belie the fact that we bottled him up until late in the game; in fact, I recall the announcers talking a good bit about how badly we were stuffing him in the second quarter. What happened to us defensively is that Newton got enough first downs on his feet through the first three quarters to wear our defense out, eventually opening things up for the rest of the Auburn offense. (Our offense’s inability to sustain drives int the second half also contributed to this problem.) This time around, we need to figure out how to keep Newton from doing the same. I’m not sure what to expect from Ellis Johnson in this game, as he’s discounted the possibility of using a spy on Newton, which would have seemed like the most obvious choice. I’m not sure that Johnson isn’t right, though. His approach last time was misplaced; soft zone coverage and infrequent run blitzes won’t work because you really can’t give Newton any cushion or he’ll hit you up for seven yards every time. But do we need a spy? We have enough speed and hard hitters to stop Newton without a spy as long as our guys play him aggressively. Isn’t a QB like Newton exactly what the 4-2-5 is designed to stop? Johnson was, after all, recruited partially because Spurrier thought he might be able to stop Tim Tebow; Newton is simply Tebow 2.0 in many senses. (Yes, I said it. I think Newton is better than Tebow.) In short, we may give Auburn some room to gain yards in other ways if we forego the zone coverages, but I don’t think you can expect to have any success if you don’t key on Newton; history is against you there.

2. Stephen Garcia

For the past few weeks, I’ve called the run game a key to victory. Auburn, though, has one of the best rushing defenses in the country. I don’t expect that to change this week; the Tigers will key on Marcus Lattimore and they have the front line to stop him. (I do think we need to get him involved through the air, though.) However, just as there was last time we played Auburn, there should be plenty of opportunities to gain yardage through the air. That means that Garcia needs to be at the very top of his game. This game is his to win for the ‘Cocks. And why shouldn’t he be able to? He may have a checkered past, but now he’s all grown up. This is his chance to shine.

1. Don’t Take the Foot Off the Gas

Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen Georgia and Alabama come very close to ending Auburn’s run at the national title by jumping out to big leads against the Tigers. In both cases, a combination of resorting to vanilla playcalling and self-inflicted wounds allowed Auburn to hang around and eventually take the game when their offense finally got warmed up. We can’t let that happen. It should now be completely apparent that Auburn is capable of making up almost any deficit. That means that if we build a lead, we need to try to extend it. (History says that we will build a lead; that’s what’s happened to Auburn all year long.) Have a 21-point lead and a chance to extend it? You better get another seven if you want to beat the Comeback Kids.

What It Means

What doesn’t it mean? It’s hard to say that this is bigger than a championship, as SEC championships are pretty big in and of themselves. The SEC Title, after all, has essentially meant that you’re the best team in the land over the past few years. An SEC Title is what everyone wants short of the national title itself.

This game is even more than that for Carolina, though. In a year when the Gamecocks have accomplished numerous firsts, the most important first remains on the table this Saturday. This is a chance to complete the clean break with history that Carolina has been trying to make all season. This is it, folks. This is the chance to accomplish the kind of thing that Carolina has been searching for for its entire history.

When it comes to USC and Auburn, my wife and I have a mixed marriage.  She has two degrees from South Carolina and I graduated from Auburn.  We also live in South Carolina and have attended many USC games.

Given we only play each other every couple of years, it’s been easy for both of us to be both Auburn and USC fans.  When Auburn is playing, we pull for Auburn.  When USC is playing, we pull for USC.  It’s pretty simple in our house.  They’re two of our three favorite teams … me being from Auburn, y’all know I also pull for whoever is playing bammur.

Both of us appreciate the way the Carolina fans have handled the Newton fiasco.  It’s downright embarrassing.  Even worse were some of the hits and body slams by Fairley.  UGA brought it to light, but I first noticed it during the LSU game.  It’s not the way we play football at Auburn.  If you read Fairley’s recent comments in the press, it’s pretty obvious the coaching staff has explained that to him.  Base case, football is a rough sport.  Tire them out, hit them hard each and every play, wear them down … absolutely … but there’s no need to do things that could cause permanent harm.

Again, thanks for the way the USC fans have handled all this.  It’s been a pleasure to lurk.  My pick for the game is easy … here’s to a great game Saturday, one we both can be proud of … War Eagle and Go Cocks!

Games start tomorrow with Arizona-Arizona St.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA #2 AUBURN vs #18 S CAROLINA
	Rushing	Passing	Points	TO’s	ST
AUBURN	210	200	36	2.0	•
S CAROLINA	125	285	36	1.6	-
LAST 13 YEAR MATCHUPS THIS YEAR’S BOX SCORE
The last two years the SEC Champ game has featured #1 vs #2 Florida vs Alabama and while this year’s matchup won’t have the same build-up it is equally intriguing with 12-0 Auburn in contention for a national title and their QB Newton the Heisman frontrunner. These two teams did meet earlier this year which was a 35-27 win by Auburn at home on 9/25. In that gm, SC led 20-7 late 2Q and 27-21 early 4Q, but QB Garcia fmbl’d twice and then was pulled and bkup Shaw was int’d twice (all 4 TO’s in the 4Q and resulting in 14 pts for Aub). Newton threw for 158, 2 TD and rushed for 176, 3 TD in the 1st matchup while Garcia threw for 235 with a 3-0 ratio but RB Lattimore was held to 33 rush yds. Aub did have 492-384 yd and 29-20 FD edges in the gm. SC finished their ssn strong with 3 str DD wins incl LW’s 29-7 win over rival Clem (322-251 yd edge). SC QB Garcia is avg 221 ypg (66%) with an 18-9 ratio while RB Lattimore has 1,114 (4.8). Aub is off the biggest come-from-behind win over rival AL ever as they trailed 24-0 late 2Q but rebounded for a 28-27 win. They were fortunate to be only down by that score as AL scored just 3 pts on 3 drives inside Aub’s 20-yd line in the 1H. QB Newton was held to 39 rush yds but threw for 216 and 3 TD and the D held AL to 69 rush yds (2.3). While this is SC’s 1st trip to the SEC Title gm, it is Spurrier’s 8th and he is 5-2 in those games. Aub’s last title trip was in 2004, a 38-28 win over Tenn when Chizik was the DC here. Spurrier has the experience factor in his favor and I think SC can stay in the gm as long as Garcia doesn’t have another meltdown.
PHIL’S FORECAST: AUBURN 38 S CAROLINA 34

Apparently, Auburn won’t receive any punishment for the Newton situation. The NCAA ruled that Newton’s father did indeed shop his son around to Mississippi St., but it’s letting Auburn and Newton off because they apparently didn’t know about the actions of Newton’s father. I would assume that this is case closed on this issue unless additional facts become available. That means that in addition to having their star QB this weekend, Auburn won’t forfeit any of its victories or any titles it might win over the next few weeks. Sorry, ‘Bama and UGA fans.

I would say the NCAA is letting Auburn off pretty easy here. Rules were violated and the letter of the law would suggest punishment is in order. However, I guess the NCAA let us off easier than they might have, too, considering that we have several players who not only sought but, at least according to the NCAA, received improper benefits. Fair enough, I say. I’m ready to see our guys play the game and quit worrying about the Newton off-field situation.

Lundquist And Danielson Expect Gamecocks To Be “At Their Best”

3. Spurrier’s Cards Are Close to the Vest

In our last three games, we’ve (1) run the ball all night against Florida, (2) feasted on a cupcake against Troy, and (3) gone vanilla in the second half against Clemson when it became apparent that Stephen Garcia was hurt and that the Tigers wouldn’t get back into the game if we didn’t help them. Spurrier has not had to dig deep into the playbook over this stretch. That means that Spurrier has the advantage of coming into this game without Auburn being aware of what we’ve been working on in practice lately. Hopefully, Spurrier will be able to spring some surprises on the Tigers. This could be especially important if we have to depart from our usual run-first attack.

2. Stephen Garcia’s Injury

Garcia got banged up (left, non-throwing shoulder and throwing thumb) against Clemson, and the word out of practice at the beginning of the week is that it’s a little worse than originally thought. The coaches, though, believe he’ll be ready to go at full speed. We better hope so, because…

1. Look for Us to Throw the Ball

Carolina has been most successful this year when it can get Marcus Lattimore churning out yardage on the ground. Unfortunately, very few teams have been able to run the ball well against Auburn’s talented defensive front. That includes the Gamecocks when we played Auburn early this year. Lattimore rushed for 33 yards and a 2.4 ypc average in that game, his worst and second-to-worst averages of the year in those respective categories. Oftentimes, this would mean that Carolina is doomed, as we’ve had little success in games where Lattimore hasn’t dominated. Luckily for us, as we learned last time around, you can throw the ball against Auburn. The Tigers rank 106th in the country in pass defense. (If you didn’t realize how good the Tigers offense is before now, that number should make you realize it; how else could a team with such a poor pass defense be contending for a national title?) Garcia, before the late-game fumbles, was having one of the best games of his career against the Tigers. The truth is that he’s probably going to have to be ready to do that again this week, only this time he’s going to have to finish the deal. I hope we find a way to get Lattimore more involved this time around, but the facts say that you’re not going to run against Auburn. Garcia and the receivers need to be ready to go.

Garnet and Black Attack readers, I am a student at the University of Alabama and write pretty regularly over at Roll Bama Roll. I don’t know if you guys usually take down guest posts but I just wanted to give ya’ll a little insight from our side.

I know USC has already played Auburn once this year and knows what they are going up against, but i feel like at that point in the year it was a completely different football season to where we are now.

First off, I know Alabama blew it, just like we did against LSU. USC was the only team that deserved to take Alabama to the woodshed and rightfully did.

But this is not about Alabama, this is about beating Auburn.

The mindset of the Auburn program is simply to top Alabama, that is ALL they care about.

I believe this will give South Carolina a great advantage going into the SECCG being that many Auburn players, fans, and coaches will have a false sense of a season accomplished after taking down the 4th ranked team in the West.

Cam Newton is an absolute monster, but much like Ellis Johnson showing how to slow Alabama’a rushing game, I think Saban and Kirby Smart gave the blueprint of how to slow down the best professional athlete in college football this year.

Essentially Cliff Matthews and at least two linebackers will have to sell out every play to contain him on the ground. I believe we held him to something like 39 yards rushing which I believe USC can do the same.

Where USC has an advantage over what Alabama couldn’t stop is they have defensive backs that can contain the deep ball. The deep ball to Zachary completely sucked the life out of the Alabama defense much like Jeffery making Milliner and Mark Barron look like absolute ass bags out there in Columbia.

Offensively, USC is in a great spot to take down the tigers. Get enough out of Garcia to Gurley and Jeffery to post up points early then grind it out with the freak Lattimore and the OBC should be bringing the SEC title back to Columbia.

So make you guy’s first trip to Atlanta the best it can be and bring the same intensity to the Georgia Dome that you had in Williams-Brice Stadium when the Tide came to town and you can really take them out of their game.

Best of luck Gamecock supporters, you will have all of us cheering for you this Saturday without a doubt.

FOOTBALL

Gamecocks Begin Championship Week | Gamecocks Online
Coach Ward, Coach Beamer, Akeem Auguste, Cliff Mathews, and Stephon Gilmore headline Monday’s group of interviews.

Quick Practice Recap | GamecockCentral.com
Garcia injured?

Auburn vs South Carolina: SEC Championship Game Preview | Saturday Down South

Auburn will be playing for their first BCS Championship game appearance, and South Carolina will be fighting for their first SEC Championship. It would be hard to imagine the SEC Championship game could match last week’s Iron Bowl for excitment, but with so much on the line for both teams, it should be a great game.

Gamecocks smooth sailing to Atlanta | SCNOW
Some of the HBC seems to be running off on Garcia.

“If that’s what we have to do to come out and win a game, we will let them score first every time,” junior quarterback Stephen Garcia said. “But we’d rather not do that.”

Takedown in Tigertown: USC pounds rival Clemson | The Daily Gamecock

“We’re doing a lot of firsts around here,” quarterback Stephen Garcia said. “Hopefully we’ll keep going and win the first SEC championship.”

South Carolina vs. Clemson – 2010 Highlights | YouTube
Relive it again, for the first time.

D.L. Moore Interrupts Your Train of Thought | The Rubber Chickens
A late Thanksgiving thought: I’m thankful I’m not that guy.

Alshon Jeffery Named To 2010 AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team | Gamecocks Online
‘Atta boy.

Notebook: Jeffery hits career mark | The Daily Gamecock
Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery reached a career milestone Saturday, eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark in only his second season of play.

Spencer Lanning Named SEC Special Teams Player Of The Week | Gamecocks Online
Congratulations are in order for the former walk-on.

Shamier Jeffery commits to USC | TheTandD.com
In case you missed it.

BOWL PROJECTIONS

Bowl scenarios still murky for USC as title game approaches | The Daily Gamecock
Bowl scenarios, not projections. Don’t get the two confused.

Bowl Projections Week Thirteen | Leftover Hot Dog
The General has us going to the Capital One Bowl. I’m hearing on the local sports radio that we’re a lock for the Outback. Is there anyone who actually wants that scenario to play out. On the bright side the same radio personality said we would be facing Penn State.

Bowl possibilities: What happens if South Carolina loses Saturday? | Spur of the Moment
Of course Haney throws in his to cents. He seems to think MSU to the Outback and USC to Atlanta is a more likely scenario. I have to agree.

Bowl Projections: Why Iowa vs. South Carolina Is a Gimme for the Outback Bowl | Bleacher Report
Something to think about: Do you really want to be invaded by the SB Nation blog Black Heart Gold Pants again?

MEN’S SOCCER

Morris: Gamecocks seniors oversee turnaround | TheState.com
Truth

In 33 seasons as USC’s only men’s soccer coach, the bar to attain success has been set high. When your teams have reached the NCAA Final Four twice, played once for a national championship and participated in 19 NCAA tournaments, nothing short of outstanding is considered acceptable.

VOLLEYBALL

Juliette Thevenin Earns SEC All-Freshman Team Honors | Gamecocks Online
There may yet be hope for the Volleyball team.

We’ve played Auburn, but both teams are different than they were a few months ago, so here are a few relevant things to keep in mind as we prep to play the Tigers again.

3. Cam Newton Throwing the Ball

Last time we played Auburn, most people thought of Cam Newton as an elite zone-read rushing quarterback who could throw the ball well enough. Newton hadn’t thrown much in the Tigers first few games and his TD-INT ration against MSU and Clemson was a mediocre 4-3. Since then, though, Newton has proved that he can throw the ball with the best of them. He’s had several big games where he’s done just as much damage through the air as on the ground, the most striking example being this past week against Alabama. Newton’s abilities throwing the ball make Auburn’s offense that much more impressive.

2. Carolina Secondary 2.0

After struggling for most of the season, Carolina’s secondary has come on extremely strongly over the past three weeks. We’ve held both Florida and Clemson to under 200 yards, with most of the yardage coming in garbage time in both cases. The secondary has also been in on some pretty key turnovers in that stretch. That’s not dominant–particularly considering the opponents–but it’s pretty darn good. And let’s not only credit the improvement to the quality of the opponents–we’ve benefited from some drops and the like, but our guys have generally seemed to be in better position and have a better nose for the ball in almost all cases. They’re clearly playing better. Auburn will provide a much stiffer test than the Gators or Tigers, but I like our chances to reel in Auburn’s passing game a bit.

1.Slowing Down the Run Game

Despite Newton’s newly apparent track record throwing the ball, Carolina’s goal should still be to force Auburn away from the run. Newton and Gus Malzahn would like nothing more than to wear Carolina out on the ground like they did last time we played them, which will allow them to dominate the second half. If we can force Auburn to the air, we’ll probably give up some big plays here and there, but we’ll hopefully keep our defense fresher and perhaps give our secondary a chance to make a big play.

For obvious reasons, this has been a landmark season for Carolina, and Spurrier has finally achieved some of the things he set out to do. The most important of these, in my opinion, is our program’s attitude toward Clemson.

If you recall when Spurrier came to Carolina, he ordered all the Clemson-related signage in our stadium taken down. He went on record not once, but several times as saying that the rivalry game is not the end all, be all. I was one of many fans who thought he was crazy and underestimating the game’s importance. I won’t lie; it really rubbed me the wrong way at the time.

But now, I think I understand where he was going with all this.

We’re beating Clemson because we are no longer obsessed with beating Clemson.

I realize that’s kind of an strange thing to say, but I really think it’s true. Spurrier encouraged fans and players to set their goals higher and they have. We don’t have to be an average, middling team that’s just hoping for a win over their rival to redeem the season. Now we have things to look forward to: a division title, a conference championship game, stellar recruits. He wants us to focus on the big boys because you can’t do big boy things if you don’t. And finally, we are starting to find ourselves as equals on the playing field with traditional SEC East powers.

Don’t get me wrong — Clemson is an incredibly important game and one that we should absolutely strive to win every year. But I think Spurrier has a done a great job with removing some of Clemson’s mystique and taking them off of their pedestal. It helps, of course, that Clemson is an out-of-conference opponent; were they in the SEC and especially in our division, the game would even more important than it is now. But in the grand scheme of things, at least when it comes to competing for SEC championships, he’s right. The Clemson game is NOT the big enchilada, unless you’re just desperate for bragging rights to cap off a 6-6 or 7-5 campaign.

Spurrier wanted this team and this program to aim higher. It took six years — and that is actually kind of incredible, since we have 115 years of mediocrity in our past — but Carolina has responded.

It’s hard to break out of a comfortable rut and it’s hard to push yourself, but it’s happening. We don’t have to measure our success purely by the Clemson game anymore because we’re creating our own standards. Tiger fans can live in the past all they want; what matters is the present, and the pendulum is swinging in the other direction.

Shamier Jeffery Commits

According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the sick old man of the BCS is about to get a little healthier. Texas Christian, former home of Gamecock AD Eric Hyman, will announce plans to join the Big East at a 2:00 press conference.

FOOTBALL

Report Card: No. 18 South Carolina 29, Clemson 7 | Spur of the Moment
This about sums it up.

Here’s the thing: USC didn’t play particularly well tonight. It played well enough and made enough plays, especially early in the ballgame. Meanwhile, after a blistering opening drive, Clemson retreated deeper and deeper into an offensive shell that has characterized this season for the Tigers.

South Carolina Gamecocks Football vs. Clemson Field Report | Leftover Hot Dog
The General provides his field report.

When we look back at the rise of the program under Coach Spurrier, we will look at becoming consistently better than Clemson as a key, and we can point to this year’s game as the beginning of the change. Last year wasn’t a fluke; the Gamecocks are moving ahead of the Tigers.

Clemson Tigers, Carolina Perspective – A Graphic Explanation | The Rubber Chickens
Onward to Atlanta!

Hitler responds to Clemson losing to Carolina yet again. 2010 | Youtube
This has become a strange tradition in our rivalry with the Tigers. Nevertheless, I submit for your viewing pleasure, Hitler is a Clemson fan. Warning: explicit language. (H/T: Leftover Hot Dog)

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly | GamecockCentral.com
Add this to the list of notches in our belt this season.

The Gamecocks won three games in November for the first time since 1984. The Gamecocks swept the murderous “Orange Crush” stretch (Tennessee, Florida and Clemson) for the first time ever. Spurrier got his third win over Clemson (more than the last six coaches ever got) and improved to 44 wins at USC, which is in third place on the career chart and only one win behind Jim Carlen.

helmet stickers 112710 – College Football Nation Blog | ESPN
The USC defense gets a helmet sticker.

Gamecocks Hold Steady in Rankings | Gamecocks Online
Up to 16th in the USA TODAY/ Coaches poll, staying still at 18th in the AP. Man, tough crowd.

Spurs Up Q&A with Cliff Mathews | Spurs Up
Better know a Cliff Mathews.

TICKETS

Letter to the editor: SEC Championship ticket lottery equally unfair to Auburn students | The Daily Gamecock
Hey, it’s tough to get tickets everywhere. At least we won’t have to deal with those ungrateful bastards selling their student tickets for a profit. USC students have to pick up their tickets in Atlanta with voucher in hand.

Letter to the editor: Donor generously provides family with tickets to SEC Championship | The Daily Gamecock
Nice to know some people who get tickets to the SEC championship actually deserve them.

MEN’S SOCCER

No. 18 Gamecocks Suffer Loss To No. 19 Michigan In NCAA Tournament | Gamecocks Online
Welp, that’s that. Any year with a conference championship is a good year, though. Would have liked a better performance at home, though.

Seventh-seeded South Carolina (13-7-2) battled but could not overcome playing with a man down as 10-seed Michigan earned a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon in NCAA Round of 16 action at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium in Columbia. The Wolverines (16-4-3) advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time since 2003.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks Defeat Western Kentucky In Double OT Thriller | Gamecocks Online
That’s right, the Gamecocks won TWO games on Saturday.

Ramon Galloway came off the bench and had seven of his 22 points in the second overtime to give South Carolina an 87-85 double-overtime victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

Gamecock 360: Bruce Ellington | Gamecocks Online
Better know Bruce Ellington

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks Fall at No. 3/2 Stanford | Gamecocks Online
Ouch. When does it get better?

South Carolina suffered a 70-32 loss at No. 3/2 Stanford Friday afternoon as the Cardinal limited the Gamecock offense throughout the contest. A difficult first half put South Carolina (2-3) into a halftime hole from which it could not recover, despite a better offensive effort in the second half.

Second Half Lull Steals Victory from Gamecocks | Gamecocks Online
Is UC Irvine known for its powerful women’s basketball program?

South Carolina dropped a 61-52 decision at UC Davis Sunday afternoon as the Aggies (5-1) battled back from a 16-point second-half deficit. The Gamecocks (2-4) found their shot early in the game, hitting 45.5 percent from the field, but 23 turnovers pair with Davis’ nine 3-pointers, including five in the second half, spelled South Carolina demise.

The Auburn Tigers (12-0, 8-0) have claimed the top spot in the latest BCS poll released earlier today.  The South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3) fell from eighteenth to nineteenth in this week’s addition.  If Auburn manages to survive the Gamecocks in the SEC title game on Saturday, they’ll move on to the BCS National Championship game against, most likely, the Oregon Ducks (11-0, 9-0).  The Ducks are number two in the BCS rankings and will certainly meet an SEC Champion Auburn team in Glendale, Arizona if they secure a Civil War victory.  However, should South Carolina defeat the Tigers and be crowned kings of the Southeastern Conference, they are assured their first ever BCS bowl trip and will play in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.  A fall still places Carolina as a strong candidate for the Capital One Bowl committee to consider.       

Highlights From Carolina’s Second Consecutive Win Over Clemson

FTC disclosure: The 2010 GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool is sponsored by Gameday Depot. Garnet and Black Attack is an affiliate.

Congratulations to C for winning a really difficult week in the GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool. He (or she) gets a South Carolina Walk On Short Sleeve T-Shirt from Gameday Depot. Be on the lookout for a confirmation email with instructions on how to claim your prize.

We’ll have one more week of regular season picking, and the prize for this week will be a 12″ Gamecocks car magnet. After next week, we’ll wipe the slate clean and kick off a GABA College Football Bowl Pick ‘Em contest. The prize for that again is a Carolina Gamecocks Automatic Pullover Fleece Hoodie and a $30 gift certificate.

Again, congrats to C, who, like his (or her) name is simple and singularly dominant. At least this week. Full Week 13 standings of the GABA College Football Pick ‘Em Pool are below the jump.

A few more thoughts on last night’s beatdown:

• I hate to be critical after a win like that, but one thing that I would have liked to see in this game is a more diversified rushing attack. Clemson was clearly committed to stuffing the run between the tackles, and they did so quite well. I know that’s where Marcus Lattimore likes to do his work, but I’m sure he’s fully capable of running tosses, sweeps, and other runs outside the tackles. We should have tried some plays like that a few times to see if we couldn’t open things up for him. WR screens might have also worked in this situation. We also could have tried running the ball with Stephen Garcia, but my impression is that Steve Spurrier didn’t want to risk injury after Garcia hurt his non-throwing arm. Maybe we should have brought Connor Shaw in to run the Wildcat.
• We really need to work on our XP team and trying to do something to get Ace Sanders more return opportunities. The missed XPs are very frustrating, and Sanders is typically bottled up long before he catches the ball. He did have one decent return, though.
• I honestly can’t fault Clemson’s game plan too much. They committed to stuffing Lattimore, and they succeeded there. Garcia threw the ball better than they could have expected, which was why we scored as many points as we did. On offense, the Tigers had a decent approach, but the players failed in execution, particularly Kyle Parker and his receivers. In the end, though, it all falls on Dabo’s head, and the result this year for Clemson was a thoroughly mediocre team. I think Dabo gets one more year to right the ship, but anything less than eight wins next year and I think he’s gone.

That’s a wrap on Clemson. On to Auburn and a shot at the SEC Championship. Stay tuned for more coverage.

1. Auburn Tigers

Auburn just netted one of its most memorable wins in program history. Can they follow it up by winning even bigger prizes?

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas was certainly no 2010 version of 2009 Ole Miss. Unfortunately for the Hogs, though, they picked the wrong year to have a great team.

3. LSU Tigers

Not the ending the Tigers wanted, but still a good season for them. They’re back in the SEC’s upper echelon.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks have come on very strong since the embarrassing loss to Arkansas.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide have been good this year, but their fans have to be disappointed considering pre-season expectations.

6. Mississippi St. Bulldogs

Dan Mullen wrapped up a good sophomore season in Starkville. Will the Bulldogs be able to keep him when suitors come knocking?

7. Florida Gators

The Gators just want this season to end as soon as possible.

8. Georgia Bulldogs

Ditto for the Bulldogs.

9. Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols ended the regular season on a positive note.

10. Kentucky Wildcats

This season ended up looking like a lot of past ones for UK. Lots of wins over cupcakes, one signature upset over a good SEC team, a win over Vanderbilt, and not much else.

11. Mississippi Rebels

Is the Nuttster on the hot seat in Oxford?

12. Vanderbilt Commodores

Meh.

It’s time to celebrate, Gamecocks fans! Carolina just made themselves comfortable in Clemson’s house and put a major whipping on the Tigers. The game really wasn’t even as close as the final 29-7 score. Clemson never  threatened to score after its early TD and Carolina had pity on its Upstate rival and took its foot off the gas in the second half. The gap between the two teams, especially considering that it all went down in front of what was early on a thoroughly energized Clemson crowd, was thoroughly apparent.

And that’s what’s so incredible about what Carolina did tonight. Before tonight, we hadn’t won two straight against Clemson since the 1960s, and now we’ve done to the tune of a 63-24 total margin of victory. We’ve been waiting for years for the Gamecocks to make the Palmetto Bowl a rivalry again, and Carolina just did it with a bang. This isn’t just a rivalry again, it’s now Carolina’s edge to lose. We now look to be the stronger program, and it’s easy to imagine our success against Clemson continuing next season. Clemson will undoubtedly field an improved team next year if they can keep their recruiting class together, but with all the offensive talent we have coming back and the game returning to Columbia, it’s hard to see us not being the favorite again next time around. Winning three straight against Clemson was difficult for Gamecocks’ fans to imagine a couple of years back after the Tigers whipped Carolina in 2008, but it now seems very easy to conceive. Pounding a team two straight years can do that for your confidence level.

In a season of many firsts, asserting ourselves in this rivalry is one of the sweetest. It may not have any immediate bearing on the SEC standings. However, after years of dealing with obnoxious Clemson fans look down on Carolina, it’s now Carolina’s turn to enjoy some success. That’s a great feeling. It’s what college football is all about, and it’s something we have gotten to enjoy much until now.

A few quick thoughts on the game:

1. Spencer Lanning deserves a game ball. Lanning missed a FG and had an XP blocked. (Our XP team needs some work, by the way.) However, his punting tonight was beautiful, and it allowed us to completely control field position in the second half. That was important, because I’m sure that Spurrier was happy to be able to play it safe and not ask Stephen Garcia or Marcus Lattimore to do to much in order to not have to risk injury going into the SEC Championship Game. Lanning’s punting made it easy for us to do that, because it put us in the position of not really having to worry about the outcome of the game for most of the second half.

2. The secondary has come full circle. Sure, they got some help from Clemson’s anemic passing game. (What happened to Kyle Parker, by the way? That was some noodly-armed QBing from the Clemson signal-caller. I take it this wasn’t what he came back for.) But Carolina’s secondary, outside of the early TD, again looked miles ahead of where it was earlier this season. They were consistently in position and showed a nose for the ball. What we’ve been doing since after Arkansas has worked, and it’s helped this defense morph into an elite unit.

3. Did Alshon Jeffery give the Biletnikoff folks something to think about? I’m watching Oklahoma wrap up a victory over Oklahoma St., and Justin Blackmon has been good but not great. I still think Blackmon wins the award, but Jeffery may have given himself a chance to put himself closer to contention for the award for the nation’s best receiver.

That’s a wrap for tonight. We’ll be back tomorrow with more coverage and analysis.

It’s go-time, boys. Go ‘Cocks! Beat the Tigers!