By FITSNews || Barring another Birmingham-style “egg-laying,” the University of South Carolina football team will defeat Southern Miss, Furman, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Troy in 2010.
That’s five wins … hopefully.
And barring a miracle, the Gamecocks will lose to defending national champion Alabama when the Crimson Tide (and Heisman Trophy running back Mark Ingram) roll into Williams-Brice Stadium on October 9.
So that’s one loss.
That leaves precisely one half of the Gamecocks’ 2010 schedule up in the air – six games that will mean the difference between a potentially historic 11-1 season and yet another year of soul-crushing mediocrity. Or perhaps something in between – which let’s face it, would be nice. With fifteen starters returning from last year’s squad and question marks surrounding several of the SEC’s traditional powerhouses (i.e. Georgia, Tennessee and Florida), South Carolina appears well-positioned to have a successful season in 2010.
In Stephen Garcia USC has an experienced (albeit inconsistent) quarterback coming off of his first full year as a starter. They’ve also got the best young wide receiver in the nation in Alshon Jeffery.
But is that enough? Let’s be honest … head coach Steve Spurrier has been a major disappointment since arriving in Columbia five years ago. He’s posted an unimpressive 18-22 record against SEC opponents and a disappointing 1-3 bowl record. He has won zero conference championships and has yet to even play in the league’s championship game. Most disturbingly, Spurrier’s teams at South Carolina have fallen apart down the stretch. USC went 0-5 to close out the 2007 season, 0-3 to round out 2008 and 1-4 over the final five games of 2009.
Can USC turn it around in 2010? Here are the six “swing” games which will determine the answer to that question … including three games that will take place during the season’s critical stretch run.
GEORGIA – 9.11.2010
As it does every year, South Carolina’s first “must-win” game of 2010 comes against Georgia – a game which will be televised nationally on September 11 at Williams Brice-Stadium. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs have consistently been an early season hurdle the Gamecocks just can’t seem to clear. The Dawgs’ suffered through a down year in 2009, but they still managed to edge Carolina in a high-scoring affair a year ago in Athens. In fact, USC head coach Steve Spurrier is just 1-4 against Georgia – his lone win coming in Athens in 2007. This year the stars could be aligned for Carolina, though. Georgia just lost its athletics director, its coach is on the hot seat, an inexperienced quarterback will be taking snaps for the offense and its defense is having to learn a new 3-4 scheme – after losing several key starters. EDGE: USC.
@ AUBURN – 9.25.2010
USC’s second swing game will come on the road in late September against an Auburn team that should be much better than last year’s 8-5 squad. This game will also provide a key mid-season comparison between the Gamecocks and their arch-rivals, the Clemson Tigers, who travel to Auburn a week before the Gamecocks. Spurrier is 0-2 against Auburn since coming to Columbia, losing 24-17 in 2006 at Williams-Brice (the Kenny Irons “revenge” game) and getting blown out 48-7 the previous season at Jordan-Hare Stadium. After looking like fools in 2008 for choosing deservedly unheralded coach Gene Chizik (who went 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State), Auburn is all of a sudden a real contender in the SEC West. EDGE: Auburn.
TENNESSEE – 10.30.2010
On October 30, USC enters a stretch of its season that could very well determine Spurrier’s future – a stretch that has proven most unkind to the “Head Ball Coach” since he took over the reins of the program five years ago. That’s when Tennessee comes to Columbia for the first of three season-defining match-ups. The Volunteers are in full-scale meltdown mode after losing head coach Lane Kiffin to Southern Cal, and with the loss of top defensive player Eric Berry they should be ripe for the picking. Frankly, USC should have beaten Tennessee last year, but the Gamecocks turned in a positively ghastly nationally-televised performance against the Vols on Halloween night. Spurrier is 2-3 against UT since becoming USC’s head coach, but given the disarray of the Vols’ program should even his record this year. EDGE: USC.
ARKANSAS – 11.6.2010
The week after hosting Tennessee in a revenge game, USC welcomes Arkansas – another team that opened up a can of whoop-ass on the Gamecocks in 2009. Unfortunately, revenge won’t be so easy to come by against the Razorbacks. Arkansas is another team that returns plenty of starters this year – including quarterback Ryan Mallett, who scorched USC for 329 yards in the Hawgs’ 33-16 win in Fayetteville a year ago. Mallett decided not to enter the 2010 NFL draft, which means that with Tim Tebow gone at Florida he is now the top quarterback in the SEC, as well as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. EDGE: Arkansas.
@ FLORIDA – 11.13.2010
Five years ago, USC upset Florida at Williams-Brice Stadium in game that seemed to indicate that the program was entering a new era of competitiveness in the Southeastern Conference. Then along came Tim Tebow – and four consecutive Gamecock losses. Of course, South Carolina was one blocked kick away from beating the Gators on their home turf in 2006 (the year Florida won the national championship) and USC played the Gators’ close again in 2009 before a late interception dashed their upset hopes. Fortunately, with Tebow in the NFL and head coach Urban Meyer’s future hazy, there is no better time for South Carolina to finally beat Florida in “The Swamp.” EDGE: USC.
@ CLEMSON – 11.27.2010
Without question, South Carolina turned in its most complete performance of the 2009 season against Clemson – bouncing back from C.J. Spiller game-opening kickoff return touchdown to humiliate the Tigers. In fact, USC’s 34-17 obliteration of their arch-rivals earned Spurrier a reprieve from the hot seat – as well as a contract extension. Clemson came into the rivalry match-up riding a six-game winning streak that included a tough road win over tenth-ranked Miami, but USC dominated them in every facet of the game. Spurrier improved his record against Clemson to 2-3 with the victory, and he could even his mark against a Spiller-less Clemson squad in Death Valley this fall. EDGE: USC.
So … with these six critical “swing” games on the horizon, let’s hope Spurrier puts in the effort this year to maximize the program’s chances of success … although based on the steady decline of USC’s offense in recent years we’re not holding our breath.
Four years ago, Spurrier’s scoring offense ranked 44th in the nation. Since then, it has been dropping like a rock – to 70th (2007), then to 91st (2008) and finally to 95th last year. The reason for this precipitous decline? A complete and total inability to run the football. In 2009, South Carolina ranked dead last in the SEC in rushing – amassing a measly 121.2 yards per game. It was the third year in a row that USC finished at the bottom of the conference rushing the football.
Translation?
Garcia and Jeffery can’t do it by themselves. And with All-American linebacker Eric Norwood gone to the NFL, there’s a big hole in the defense too.
What are your thoughts? Post your predictions for these – and other games – in our comments section below. Also stay tuned later this summer for our annual “pick USC’s record” poll.
Pic: Travis Bell, Sideline Carolina
By Toyota Kawaski July 15, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Stay HOME FITS and play “swing games” with your coconuts! Read a dam grocery store magazine and now you think your Danny Sheridan.
By Tiny Elvis July 15, 2010 at 4:29 pm
USC has the EDGE over Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson? Apparently, the end of your affair with Nookie Haley lead you to the crack pipe. I mean, really, don’t you read your own copy about how the Lamecocks suck? Come on!
By Doubt It July 15, 2010 at 4:51 pm
You are correct in all of these, although if Kyle Parker leaves as expected the Clemson game should go from toss-up to the list of teams USC should defeat this year.
By EasleyJack July 15, 2010 at 4:52 pm
It’s still Columbia. That hasn’t changed.. 7 – 5 with a loss to Clemson if Parker comes back.
By Ohmaar July 15, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I only count 2 “swing” games — Tennessee and Georgia. Just go ahead and put the other 4 in USC’s “L” column.
By Just a good ole boy July 15, 2010 at 5:26 pm
USC could go 9-3 or 10-2, if the stars align just right. The question is can Garcia remember to throw to his recievers and not the defense?! Also USC’s running game is non-exsistant, but they are suppose to have two freshmen that are horses (hopefully not Mr. Ed), if that is so then some pressure would be of Garcia so that he doesn’t make stupid force passes. Is a run at the SEC East possible? Let me answer it like this, if this time last year, someone had told me,that the Saints would make it to the Super Bowl much less beat the Colts this time last year I would have had them checked for heat stroke. Stranger things have happened, so in the meantime…GO CAROLINA!
By Florida Watching July 15, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Coconuts??? Nikki………
By Lot to do about nothing July 15, 2010 at 6:23 pm
8/4
By No Name July 15, 2010 at 7:24 pm
I hope Bobby Johnson becomes the Coach in waiting or even joins the staff.
Stevo…….. Tanner did it …now how about you…..maybe not a national ship….how about an SEC.
By aw July 15, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Are you Clemson homers serious? Parker or not Clemson is going to be sub-par at best… Not just in a USC vs. Clemson sense but in a national and ACC sense. They only return 12 starters (13 if Parker for some reason decides he has a brighter future in football than baseball… first round in baseball what’s that the first 3 rounds in nfl draft? YEAH RIGHT) and will be SERIOUSLY lacking in firepower.
Don’t get me wrong USC isn’t going to be hoisting any championship trophies this year. That said don’t throw stones if you live in a house made out of the ridiculously thin and fragile material they make christmas ornaments out of (glass is a bit too sturdy to make the appropriate metaphor).
By Todd July 15, 2010 at 9:07 pm
One of your better articles. Are you still drinking with Joe-ho Persons?
By fitsnews July 15, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Point of order.
We’re still the same eternal cynics we’ve always been as it relates to the USC football program.
Look at what was written. We simply said that based on the current status of these various programs, Carolina should (theoretically) have the edge in the majority of its “swing game” match-ups.
Did we say USC will win the majority of those games? No.
Do we think USC will win the majority of those games? No.
-FITS
By Eff the Banks! July 15, 2010 at 11:46 pm
6-5
By Calhoun Fawls July 16, 2010 at 6:56 am
8-4 for South Carolina. They go 4-0 in non conference play and 4-4 in the SEC. Shreveport calls.
By Florida Watching July 16, 2010 at 6:57 am
Does Nikki go to ball games???
Of Course She Does!!!!!!
By EasleyJack July 16, 2010 at 8:21 am
Every game is a swing game for USC. Hell, Wofford had ‘um beat 3 years ago. Still Columbia.. that ain’t changed. Oh, and AW, I went to Wofford and pull for both USC and CU. Clemson was supposed be sub par at best last year. Parker is coming back and they will beat USC this year.
By Ed July 16, 2010 at 8:44 am
Good article. The one thing I will say is that it is ridiculous that Mark Richt would be on the hot seat. Arrogant Georgia fans.
By DisgustinJustin July 16, 2010 at 8:50 am
I think we’ll be 9-4. The question is… can the offensive line pull it together? I predict minimal improvement. If there’s drastic improvement (and there’s no reason to expect it), we could be 11-1. It’s too bad the talents of Marcus Lattimore may go to waste until the big guys get their act in gear.
By piepton July 16, 2010 at 9:14 am
Clemson will be the key game between 7-5 (mediocre, lame season) and 8-4 (mediocre, lame season with the possibility of ending up ranked if USC can win the bowl game). So, in other words, almost exactly the same as the last 5 seasons.
By Catherine July 16, 2010 at 10:12 am
Sometimes, being a Gamecock fan is like being Fight Club. The first rule of Gamecock football is never, ever say they will win anything. The second rule is never, ever say they are actually doing well. The last rule is a combination of the first two never,ever say DURING A GAME that the Gamecocks could win.
By New Line Coach July 16, 2010 at 10:33 am
the big guys will be just fine and defense is going rip some freakin heads this year. We will smoke USM by 20; defense will score two tds on UGA and we win; Mark Ingram will be shut down for 80yds and Bama throws three interceptions; AU is a very tough one but will be a shoot out. UA and ARK are the only questions, so I soberly think 10-2 and we play Arky again and win on a field goal.
Oh and with or without Parker, CU goes down by 30 this year, we are like totally going to kick Clempson’s ass.
By Leon Black July 16, 2010 at 10:35 am
12-1 SEC Champs. Gonna make those ATL folk forget about Gen. Sherman after I burn that city down.
By Skidmarks July 16, 2010 at 10:58 am
Garcia is experienced. Sanford is experienced. DeMint is experienced. Doesn’t mean any of them are worth a shit.
By Chris July 16, 2010 at 11:19 am
I don’t know if you can say that UK is an obvious win. they’ve had 4 straight winning seasons and 4 straight bowl bids. Carolina may be favored against them, but to lump them in with Furman and Troy instead of the other SEC teams seems presumptuous.
By Brandon July 16, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Not this shit again…
By Florida Watching July 16, 2010 at 7:17 pm
This is old……anybody got any Nikki ample cleavage stories????
By cocky will July 16, 2010 at 7:50 pm
face it its our turn in the sec clemson fans are delusional no spiller no chance face it yall goin to suck
By PutDownDaPipe July 16, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Chris.. KY has the Joker but SC holds all the Aces.
By CNSYD July 16, 2010 at 10:46 pm
New Line Coach, how can I contact you to get Clemson and 30 points? I assume you are a betting man.
By MJeff July 16, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Fits, you need to make your mind up whether you want to be a political blogger and a sports blogger. You are much better with politics and the like.
By charlie July 17, 2010 at 12:29 am
GOOO GAMECOCKS!!!
By Florida Watching July 17, 2010 at 4:26 pm
FITS – Stick with scandal………any kind. If it stinks, whip it on us, other than that………leave the rest of this to others.
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By Florida Watching July 18, 2010 at 7:57 am
FITS – Napping on weekends, with all of this good stuff swirling about your head. Why don’t you load new articles in advance, so you can pop one out everyday. Just saying. Get on board with this rapidly changing world.
By Toyota Kawaski July 19, 2010 at 8:32 am
chris try 10 straight over the UK Mildkats
By really???? July 19, 2010 at 9:30 am
AW,
Clemson is only returning 2 fewer starters than USC so how can that be the basis of your argument??