Buck says:  USC 38, Kentucky 20.  This game is everyone’s upset special, and it has all the trappings:  USC coming off huge emotional victory, Kentucky in desperation mode, the ‘Cocks 10-game win streak over the ‘Cats (are we on borrowed time?).  What those calling for an upset don’t realize about last week’s win is this is a South Carolina team with a different attitude and a different talent level.  They’re going into Commonwealth like the SEC title is on the line, which in a way it is.  It won’t be easy, but I’m going to fight my usual pessimistic urges and say we win this one going away.  Once the Gamecocks settle in we’ll control the clock and continue our excellent work in the red zone.  The big three of Garcia (200+), Lattimore (100+) and Jeffery (100+) will all have big nights.  One more step towards the big showdown in Gainesville.

Tbone says: Gamecocks 35 Wildcats 24.  Why?  ‘Cause I like that score so much, that’s why.  I would also like to see the Kentucky run defense (last in the SEC) get a steady diet of Lattimore and Maddox (and maybe even Kenny Miles?).  Keeping the Kentucky offense, which has some punch, off the field is our best defense, so stick with the run, HBC.    A question that needs to be answered is whether the Wildcats lead the SEC in pass defense because they are that good, or because opponents don’t need to do anything but run to win.  Its gonna be cold road game (UK puts the visitors in the shade) which has bad pizza-related memories for me, but this still feels like a win going away.

G-Man says: USC 27-Kentucky 24.  Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Randall Cobb to graduate.  Get ready to see a steady diet of the Wild Cobb tomorrow night.  I’m betting we counter with Marcus Marcus and more Marcus.  I’ve got the score a little lower because I suspect a lot of long drives, eating up the clock.  Like last week, I expect EJ to commit to stop the run.  If we can (and that means stopping Cobb), I like our chances.  Hartline is a decent QB but I don’t see him as a threat to burn us much down field.  We need another solid performance our of Garcia and a clean game-low penalties and turnovers.  I’m expecting us to play well but have a feeling that UK will make this very difficult.  We hold off a late rally to win-and quickly get the heck out of dodge.

confused?  Check it here.

As a public service to those of you struggling with the series of tubes that is the internet, we occasionally offer explanations for viral internet phenomena.

This week, we will look at the “Leonardo DiHapprio” Meme.

As defined by www.knowyourmeme.com,  ”Leo Strut (also known as “Leonardo DiHapprio”) is a photoshopped exploitable that uses an image taken of Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”. The original image is of DiCaprio doing a jolly strut down a street, but has been photo shopped into several scenes that usually depict a catastrophe or terrible happening, similar to Disaster Girl. DiCaprio is shopped into the scene, as if he could have stopped the incident or helped people nearby, but instead continues throughout the scene doing his jolly strut.”

And so we at TRC offer this example as an illustration:

You’re welcome.

[Note: this post can be found as a guest commentary on the excellent Saturday Down South blog.]

Last week was big. As in BIG. REAL BIG.

But it was also Last Week.

This week the Gamecocks travel to Lexington, KY to face Joker Phillips and 3-3 (0-3 SEC) Wildcats. It’s a contest that is easy to overlook, as this Kentucky team has struggled on defense and may be without both a starting defensive end and tailback phenom, Derrick Locke.

There’s also the fact that the Gamecocksown a ten year winning streak over the Wildcats.

So, time to breathe easy, right?

Not on your life. Setting aside the general paranoia that haunts the Gamecock faithful (see Navy game, circa 1984), the SC-KY matchup is always a particularly tough hurdle. While much has been made of South Carolina’s ten game streak, the individual games in that streak have generally been nip and tuck affairs, particularly those played in Commonwealth Stadium.  A quick recap of those Lexington games will illustrate:

2000 – Ahead 17-13 in the second half, Jared Lorenzen led his Wildcats on a potential game-clinching drive. After driving deep into SC territory, Lorenzen was picked off by future NFLer Sheldon Brown, who returned the ball to midfield. On South Carolina’s next play, Derek Watson took a simple pitch left from Phil Petty and raced 58 yards for the second half’s only score. Final, South Carolina 20 Kentucky 17.

2002 – South Carolina everyman and cult hero Ryan Brewer scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the 4^th quarter. Jared Lorenzen answered with a drive that brought the Wildcats to the SC 35 yard line, only to see his last-second end zone pass fall to the bluegrass incomplete. Final, South Carolina 16 Kentucky 12.

2004 – Kentucky scored late in the contest to take a 7-6 lead. South Carolina, without injured QB Dondrial Pinkins, saw backup Syvelle Newton leave the game with an ankle injury. When the young Blake Mitchell failed to get the Gamecocks moving, Head Coach Lou Holtz inserted 4^th string, JUCO transfer Mike Rathe into the contest with the game on the line. An improbable 80 yard drive followed, culminating with a desperate Rathe scramble and pass into the back of the end zone. Speedy Troy Williamson grabbed the floater, kept his foot inbounds, and Gamecocks escaped with the victory. Final, South Carolina 12 Kentucky 7.

2006 – With the game in a 4^th quarter balance, Carolina QB Syvelle Newton innocently handed off to RB Cory Boyd. Boyd trotted casually toward the sideline, and then recklessly flipped the ball to WR Kenny McKinley. McKinley, surrounded by UK defenders and looking doomed, threw a rainbow-arched pass into the back of the end zone, where Syvelle stood waiting. Both dangerously conceived and poorly executed, the trick play worked beautifully in the end. Final, South Carolina 24 Kentucky 17.

2008  The Wildcats led 17-14 going into the 4^th quarter. Gamecock quarterback Chris Smelley, the reigning SEC player of the week, was pulled in favor of freshman Stephen Garcia (Oh, HBC, you never change). Garcia manufactured ten 4^th quarter points with his feet, his arm, and blind luck. Final, South Carolina 24 Kentucky 17.

So, if history is any guide (and for the Gamecock faithful, history is more than a guide, it’s a rent-collecting mob boss) then the Kentucky contest will come down to a play or two in the final quarter. Any expectation to the contrary, whether on the part of our coaches, our players, or our fans is a recipe for disaster.

Otherwise, next week this space may be full of moaning about how the last game was BAD. REAL BAD.

From his latest power rankings:

It’s like he’s looking into my VERY SOUL*.  Creepy.

*Except for the Chicken Curse part, because  that doesn’t exist.

Some folks follow college football.  Some are fans.  Others could be described as passionate about their favorite school. 

But every once in a while you run across a guy that transcends fan-hood, and enters batpoop crazytown.  Witness the following fan IN HANDCUFFS but still taunting the exiting Crimson Tide.  Watch at about the 2:00 mark, black ‘Carolina’ shirt, yellowish hat gelcoat hair, in the end zone, and 100% committed:

 

He’s ‘all in’ in a manner of speaking.  Of course, Dabo’s favorite phrase may have had additional, and disturbing, relevance for our super fan a little later on in the Richland County Hoosegow.

(side note:  McElroy +1 – watch him salute the fans as he exits)

A perfect game – well, there were a couple of blips, so maybe a one-hitter.  In my many years as a Gamecock fan, I don’t know if I’ve seen us play a better game from the opening kick to the final bell.  The offense was powerful and efficient.  The defense was stout and fast.  The kicking game went mostly unnoticed (unlike Alabama’s), which is a good thing.  The only glaring mistakes from the game were Holloman’s busted coverage in the fourth quarter and…

The Garcia safety - which I submit to you wasn’t nearly as boneheaded as it first appeared.  Think about what Ghost of Stephen Garcia Past would’ve done on that play – picked up the ball, momentum carrying him further into the end zone, turned left, and seeing multiple ‘Bama defenders, lowered his head and tried to bull his way out.  Fumble, TD Tide, different game.  Instead, Garcia, with his back to the play, not knowing who might be chasing him, decides to not make a bad play worse and pushes the ball out of the end zone.  But his quick thinking is not what earned him…

SEC Offensive Player of the Week – given Cam Newton’s gaudy numbers on Saturday night, this shows how much respect the voters had for Garcia’s performance.  If we can get performances like this out of him week in and week out, we’ll be extremely difficult to stop, especially with the emergence of…

Lattimore and The Freak – just wow.  First, about #21, why is a guy who has just one 100-yard game and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry getting so much hype?  Because the people doling out the hype know football and know just how much Marcus means to this offense.  I have a feeling there are some big games in store for him in the near future.  And about #1, I was told last week that they better find somebody else to throw to because Dre Kirkpatrick was going to lock Jeffery down.  I believe Kirkpatrick was the gnat hanging off of Jeffery as he grabbed that ball one-handed, flicked the gnat off, and galloped inside the 10-yard line to set up the deciding touchdown.   Jeffery was named Rivals National Player of the Week, but for some reason was left off the…

SEC “Other Outstanding Performances” list - but Stephon Gilmore was deservedly there for an all-around outstanding performance on D.  And while we’re on that side of the ball, all is forgiven from the Auburn game.  Our much maligned linebackers were fantastic, the D-line was quick off the ball and kept the line of scrimmage stacked up.  Chris Culliver was also all over the place, and committed ZERO personal foul penalties.  Swearinger, Holloman and Allen were all around the ball a lot.  If we can carry this momentum over week after week…

The SECCG is within reach – Maybe I’m a little drunk on our success at the moment.  But let’s look at it – there is a good chance we’ll be favored in every game from here out.  If we play like we did Saturday, there is no reason to think we can’t go 11-1 and have a rematch with Auburn or Alabama in Atlanta.  But it all starts with…

Kentucky – ugh, I get a pit in my stomach just mentioning it.  This is the perfect upset scenario.  We’re coming off the biggest win in school history, they’re coming off a heartbreaking loss to a top 10 team.  Our ridiculous win streak against them seems like it’s on borrowed time.  They are good enough to beat us, and it will be a nail biter I’m sure.  With Vandy and Tennessee to follow, this game will have a huge bearing on…

Our postseason fate - It’s probably ridiculous to talk about, but just consider the possibilities.   I didn’t say I was going to map it our for you, I just said consider them.  We’re definitely in better shape than…

Clemson Tiger University - Hoo boy, things are not going well in the upstate.  The sweet taste of moral victory over Auburn has turned into a bitter seed of loss against the UNC JV’s.  Since we’re thinking long-term in this week’s column, here’s a question that has been posed before, but now that it actually seems like it could be a realistic scenario…

What would you rather have - A loss to CTU and a trip to the SECCG, or a win over CTU and no trip to the SECCG?

Tbone says: Bama 31, The Other SC 16.  Much has been made of the loss of Eric Norwood, and its apparent that the defense suffers without him,  But this game will underscore the absence of another NFLer, Darian Stewart.  D-Stew brought a physical presence to our secondary run support that showed in big games like this one.  Look for our ground game to struggle against their stout dline, and Bama’s backs to roll over our underperformers.  What will still be a relatively close game in the 3rd quarter will come unravelled as we resort to throwing on every down.

Buck says:  Alabama 27, USC 9.  I wrote last week that this is the only game on the schedule we cannot win.  Knowing sports the way I do, I know that’s not true, because stranger things have happened.  But I can’t come up with a scenario that doesn’t involve miracles that results in us winning this game.  I think we’ll get out-muscled on both lines of scrimmage.  I see long, sustained drives by ’Bama, which will actually help keep us within striking distance for a while.  But like Tbone, I believe our inability to run the ball will rear its ugly head once again.  On the bright side, it should be a spectacular fall day, so enjoy it regardless of the outcome.

G-Man says:  Bama 30, USC 20.  Here we go, a shot at #1.  As Buck said recently, Bama is building a dynasty.  The dynasty in making rolls into Willy-B tomorrow.  Could this be a trap game as some have predicted?  Perhaps, but only with a perfect game by the Cocks and a sub sub par game by the Tide.  We need 3+ turnovers and a special teams TD (yeah, right).  As much as I’d like to see it happen, I have to agree with Buck and T-Bone that Bama will gradually wear us down with a relentless ground game and a stout D.  Too much Ingram.  Too much Richardson.  Too much O and D line depth.  As I see it, we are much better than we have ever been since joining the SEC, but the Tide is just too good.   Hope like hell I’m proved wrong about this one.