SEC!

Somehow.

Cautionary.

Alshon!

In this history of corporate bowl sponsorship, I’m not sure if there has ever been a more ironic tweet:

http://twitter.com/#!/CapitalOneBowl/status/153624290779070464

That having been said, the C1B folks have been an awesome twitter follow, and I’m sure are gonna put on a great party for the Gamecock Faithful.

Some other Gameday notes:

– The Anderson Independent Mail issued a 32 page special edition Sunday in honor of the CTU Orange Bowl game.   Wouldn’t it be nice to have a hometown paper working this hard for the Gamecocks?  I half expected The [banner redacted] to honor our C1B bid by publishing a retrospective on the 2003 Carolina too-much-tutoring scandal that led to the previous round of NCAA skullduggery.

– Kyle Nunn will start and play the entire game.  With a bad back.  And without more than a couple of days of meaningful practice time.  This should tell you all you need to know about our Offensive Line Depth.

– Kyle Nunn will start and play the entire game.  And forgo a potential medical hardship application, which was apparently never sent in.  This should tell you all you need to known about the competency of our compliance staff.

– CC Whitlock and Jadeveon Clowney will both play in the C1B.  This despite their appearance on a Christmas Party poster, which is apparently some type of NCAA no-no.  Yeah, I don’t get it, and neither does our staff apparently, as the HBC has become increasingly obtuse when asked about the fiasco.  But such is the world of NCAA rules and regs.

– This will be Alshon Jeffrey’s last game in a Carolina uniform.  Unless he is insanely sentimental and fiscally naive.

– This will be Melvin Ingram’s last game in a Carolina uniform.  Unless the Panthers draft him.

– This will be Kenny Miles’ last game in a Carolina uniform.  Unless it isn’t.

–  BONUS:  TRC uninformed game day insight:  Watch NU’s Burkhead, or whatever his name is, today.  If, early on, he looks like Outback Bowl Ryan Brewer, then we are in for a rough time of it.  If, instead, he looks like Outback Restaurant Buck (i.e. blooming onion crumbs on his shirt and a glazed perservative-induced coma grimace) then we should be OK.

The 2012 SEC schedule is officially out, and it turns out the rumors are true:  Craig James DID kill a bunch of coeds back in the 1980s.  Allegedly.

No, no, not that – the other rumors, the ones that assert UGA and Bama are pulling the strings at the SEC home office down in Birmingham.

Consider the following:

Each western division team has to face at least 4 teams ranked in the 2011 final BCS rankings (poor Ole Miss has to play FIVE).

*Except for Bama, that is, which only has to play THREE.

On the eastern side of things, each team has to play at least three teams ranked in the 2011 final BCS rankings.

*Except for Georgia, which only has to play TWO – one of which (Auburn) was ranked 25th (last).

Georgia will end the 2012 campaign having played almost four full years of conference ball without facing LSU or Alabama.

Good deal, if you can get it.

As for South Carolina, the schedule is a mixed bag.  We get to open college football nationally on a Thursday night against Vandy, but we have to face what is arguably the toughest three game stretch in the conference with Oct. 6 Georgia, Oct. 13 at LSU, and Oct. 20 at Florida.  We also don’t get an open date until the first week of November (prior to facing Arkansas at home on Nov. 10).

Obviously we will spend the offseason alternately shouting “Win Anyway!” and “”We Got Screwed!” and be right on both counts.  But the question that begs to be answered is why some schools seem to be on the inside, and some (Ole Miss, Carolina) seem to be out?  Is it our administrations apparent benign approach to conference negotiations, or is it something more sinister?

Maybe Craig James is innocent, I don’t know.  But UGa and Bama sure look guilty.

Please join us for TRC Unleashed – Episode 16 on Thursday, December 29 at 6 p.m. This will be our final episode of 2011, and we’ll be discussing the upcoming Capital One Bowl against Nebraska, the newly released SEC schedule for 2012, and some of the memorable plays and players from the Gamecocks’ 10-2 regular season.

We look forward to talking at you then.

One might think that after 20 years of SEC membership, and (somewhat) steady athletic progress, that the University of South Carolina would have earned a little respect; that we would be able to exert  just a small amount of influence when it comes to things that impact the success of  our sports program.  Well Gamecock fans, if the rumors about 2012 football scheduling are true, we aren’t even close on the respect or influence fronts.  Very much to the contrary, it’s abundantly clear that we are still the red (garnet?) headed stepchild of the SEC.

The So-Called Facts:  Based on unofficial reports, our 2012 schedule will include a game against our still permanent Western Division opponent Arkansas, and a previously scheduled game against LSU.  LSU is replacing Auburn on the rotating schedule while Missouri comes on board as a permanent Eastern Division foe (in place of Mississippi State, our other 2011 rotating opponent-who was scheduled to visit Columbia prior to expansion).  In contrast to this, UGA, our chief Eastern Division rival at the present, is strongly rumored to be retaining Ole Miss as its rotating Western opponent (the 2011 equivalent of Mississippi State to us-as these schools played in 2011), while its previously scheduled home and home rotation against ALABAMA is being dropped.  Meanwhile, UGA retains its games against its permanent Western Division opponent Auburn.  In summary, we get ARKANSAS and LSU.  Georgia gets auburn and mississippi.

The Screw Job:  While our home and home against Mississippi State is cut off in midstream, UGA’s home and home against Ole Miss is preserved.  In return, we get LSU and UGA avoids Alabama.   Call us TRC guys crazy (and many people do) but we see some home cooking here for the Dogs.  Following a year where they somehow skirted Alabama, Arkansas AND LSU (due to pure luck), the schedule  appears to be working out so that they miss them ALL again in 2012 (due to something other than luck).  Instead of playing perennial power Alabama coached by a guy named Saban, they get the absolute worst team in the entire SEC (with apologies to Kentucky) coached by a guy named Freeze (who, I must admit, had never heard of until they hired him).  Now ain’t that as sweet as a Georgia Peach.

This is supposedly all being done so Missouri, the new kid on the block, can secure a marquee opening game against Georgia to kick off their entry into the league.  Gee, SEC brass, thanks for taking care of Mizzou.  That down home Southern hospitality really makes us feel better. 

Well, we don’t buy for one second that this is being done for Missouri.  It’s pretty clear to us that this has nothing to do with the Tigers to the north and a lot to do with the fact that we currently have our best team ever – something that evidently does not sit too well with the ruling elite of the SEC (don’t forget that Bama also gets to avoid Georgia, whom we grudgingly admit is back on track) and those folks who run college football nowadays (i.e., ESPN).  With Florida and Tennessee “down”, a powerful Georgia is theoretically better for business than an upstart like us.  Therefore, the wheels went in motion and we ended up with LSU while Georgia got Ole Miss.

The USC Response:  Evidently nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  As one of my TRC cohorts tweeted:  “It appears that Eric Hyman took a banana to a knife fight.”

The TRC Response:  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING US?  Let’s be honest.  Most of  us rational fans realize that we are currently in a window of opportunity that may not appear again for quite some time – if ever.  Steven Orr Spurrier is our football coach while Dooley, Jr. (still has the training wheels on) and a guy willingly called “Boom” coach UT and Florida, respectively.  Now is our chance to supplant Tennessee in the East.  Florida will rise again, it’s just a matter of time.  With the state of Georgia to recruit, UGA can’t help but be decent every year.  

Due to a certain set of unique circumstances South Carolina has the chance to become an upper echelon (top six) SEC program.  The only way to accomplish this is by winning, and winning in a such a way that forces others to take notice.  Otherwise, the national media folks will continue to give ink to the traditional powers, as that’s what sells to most casual fans. 

Without national attention and the perception that we are an upwardly mobile program, the top recruits outside SC will continue to look elsewhere.  And at the end of the day, winning football games is about having better players than the other guys.  Make no mistake about it, this scheduling business is about the preservation of power and the ultimate delivery of dollars to outstretched hands. 

We at TRC were always of the opinion that expansion, no matter how it was sliced, was bad for USC.  If this colossal screw job actually takes place, there’s a more than a decent chance that UGA will waltz to Atlanta once again. Even if we beat them. Again.

Well, the holiday depression is now in full swing – the day after Christmas, almost a full week to New Year’s, boring no-name teams playing in boring strangely named bowl games, cold, wet winter weather – ugh, it almost makes you want to sleep until about 6 p.m. on December 31. Well folks, today I have good news for you – it’s time for the first annual TRC Gamecock Football Superlatives!

Now calm down and don’t read through these too fast. It’s like that present you couldn’t wait to open yesterday, so you tore through it like Travian Robertson through the CTU offensive line, except you didn’t get the satisfaction of a sack dance. (OK, maybe a few of you did do a sack dance because that’s how you roll, but I digress.)

So take your time to savor these people and moments from a very special 2011 Gamecock football season.

Plays of the Year

Defensive Play of the Year – Jadeveon Clowney came to South Carolina more hyped than any player in its history, and showed why late in the fourth quarter of his second career game against Georgia.  With the Gamecocks hanging on to a three-point lead with a little over three minutes to go, Clowney came through the UGA offensive line unblocked, grabbed quarterback Aaron Murray by the jersey and slung him to the ground like a rag doll.  The sheer force of the sack separated Murray from the ball, and big Melvin Ingram scooped and scored for a 45-35 South Carolina lead. That would be the deciding score in a 45-42 win in Athens, the ‘Cocks second straight over the Bulldogs.  Honorable Mention: Antonio Allen’s interception return for TD against UGA; Devin Taylor’s interception return for TD against Arkansas; D.J. Swearinger’s game-saving interception against Mississippi State; pretty much any sack against Tajh Boyd and CTU.

Offensive Play of the Year – The Gamecocks were on the verge of a devastating loss in Starkville against Mississippi State, trailing 10-7 when they took over on offense midway through the fourth quarter.  Connor Shaw took the team on a methodical drive down the field and had them in position for at least a tying field goal, facing a third and goal at the four yard line.  Alshon Jeffery had only 20 yards receiving up to that point in the game, but with Marcus Lattimore sidelined with what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury, Jeffery was the obvious option, as evidenced by the Bulldogs double coverage on him.  Shaw lofted the ball towards the corner, and Jeffery out-jumped two MSU defenders for the winning score.  (Scrub video to the 2:10 mark.) Honorable Mention: Stephen Garcia’s first TD run against ECU; Marcus Lattimore’s 52-yard catch and run TD against Vandy; Bruce Ellington’s 61-yard run for TD against Kentucky; Connor Shaw’s 60-yard TD run against The Citadel; Alshon Jeffery’s TD catch against CTU.

Special Teams Play of the Year – Also the overall play of the year, you didn’t really think I was going to leave this one out did you?  Not only is this the play of the year, I’d dare say it’s a serious contender for play of the decade in USC football.  It is certainly a great play in and of itself, but it also came at a critical time in the Georgia game when the Bulldogs had seized momentum.  The play was a message from Steve Spurrier that we were going to do whatever it took to win, and we needed every break we could get that day.  It is also the only single play in over thirteen months of TRC blogging that deserved it’s own post.  Honorable Mention:  Ace Sanders’ 68-yard punt return for TD against ECU; Jay Wooten’s 49-yard field goal against UGA; Ingram’s leap and grab of a UGA onside kick.

Drive of the Year – A 20-play, 98-yard touchdown drive against Tennessee epitomized what kind of team and program South Carolina is becoming.  A drive like that against UT in Neyland Stadium would have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago, but this team showed serious heart, determination and talent that night.  Honorable Mention: The aforementioned 12-play, 79-yard drive against MSU; a critical 9-play, 60-yard drive just before half against CTU after they had tied the score 10-10.

Players of the Year

Team Most Valuable Player – Melvin Ingram. What a ride for this kid. I’m only going by memory, but I believe he came to USC as a linebacker and spent a little time at fullback before settling into the defensive line rotation.  It took him some time to learn the nuances of the DL, but once he did, boy did he make a difference.  You saw glimpses of it last year, and his freakish athletic ability jumped out at everyone who saw him play this year.  He’s had the tag “unblockable” placed on him, he’s intercepted passes, ran fake punts, been a mentor to young guys like Jadeveon Clowney, and I’m sure at some point he’s washed towels and handed out Gatorade.  A consensus first-team All-American, Melvin will be a first-round draft pick and will go down as one of the Gamecocks’ greatest ever.

Defensive Player of the Year – Antonio Allen. Led the team with 81 total tackles and tied for the lead with three interceptions. Allen always seems to make a play when the Gamecocks need him most. Unheralded when he got to South Carolina (heck, even unheralded coming into this season) Allen matured into an All-SEC performer and will be an NFL draft pick in the spring.

Offensive Player of the Year – Connor Shaw. With the trio of Garcia, Lattimore and Jeffery on the team, it was impossible to see this coming. But when Garcia was benched and then dismissed, Shaw stepped in and guided the team to six wins in seven games, and only the second 10-win season in school history. He was solid and rarely spectacular, until the last game of the season that is, when he dumped the Shaw kitchen sink on CTU and gave Gamecock fans reason to be very optimistic about the quarterback position for the next two years. Shaw completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for 12 TD’s, and gave the Gamecocks a controlled running threat from the position once he got comfortable.  The one thing he did not do that was a pleasant surprise – make backbreaking mistakes.

Special Teams Player of the Year – Vacant. Oh, ok, if I have to pick somebody let’s go with…uh…Jay Wooten.  Congratulations Jay.

Freshman of the Year – Jadeveon Clowney. Really an easy pick and I don’t think I have to rehash why. All I know is he is going to be a beast for the next two years at USC.  I’d be remiss without acknowledging the contributions of newcomers Brandon Wilds, Mike Matulis, Bruce Ellington, Buster Anderson, Kelcy Quarles and Victor Hampton.  The Gamecock football program will be in good hands with these guys over the next few years.

Coaches of the Year Not Named Spurrier

Offensive Coach of the Year – Shawn Elliott. The South Carolina offensive line has been a problem since Steve Spurrier’s arrival in 2005. But this year Shawn Elliott patched together a group that should be talked about for one primary reason – because nobody talked about it. There were times when the OL didn’t play particularly well, it happens, but those moments were much fewer and farther between than recent years.  Under Elliott’s tutelage, and with the young talent we have returning on the line, look for the OL to be a strength instead of a weakness going forward.

Defensive Coach of the Year – Ellis Johnson. This guy has gotten it done with many teams over many years, but this might have been his best coaching job. Granted, he had a lot of talent to work with, but he also had a hand in recruiting the talent to fit his system. After a rough first two games, the South Carolina defense rebounded and is now mentioned in the same breath as National Championship contenders Alabama and LSU. Johnson’s defense held two teams under 100 total yards (Vanderbilt, Kentucky) and two more teams under 200 total yards (Tennessee, CTU). He will be a tough man to replace.