The University of South Carolina football team has been picked to finish third in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference in 2009 – which, amazingly, is its best predicted finish since 2001.
South Carolina was picked to finish behind defending national champion Florida (a unanimous first-place selection) and Georgia but ahead of Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, in that order.
The Shamecocks … errr, Gamecocks … have been picked to finish fourth in the SEC East in each of the last seven seasons, which is about where they’ve always ended up.
In four years under head coach Steve Spurrier, USC has finished second (’05), fourth (’06), fifth (’07) and third (’08) in the East – a record which has the “Ol’ Ball Coach” planted firmly on the hot seat.
In the Western Division, Alabama edged out LSU as the favorite to earn a spot in the SEC Championship, with upstart Ole Miss picked to finish third. Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State were projected to finish fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Florida was the near-unanimous pick to win the SEC title, with one vote going to Ole Miss.
In 2009, the Gamecocks will play all five of their SEC East foes (like they do every year) as well as Alabama, Ole Miss and Arkansas from the West.
That’s one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
In an informal FITS poll taken last week, 76% of readers predicted the Gamecocks to finish somewhere between 5-7 and 7-5.
Also, 55% of FITS readers think Spurrier must win at least seven games to hold onto his job.
Pic: Travis Bell, Sideline Carolina
By CNSYD July 25, 2009 at 11:24 am
Yawn.
By Bobby Nunley July 31, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Seems like I’ve heard this before????