The Cool Chicken

I know we 0-21. I know we lost to Navy when we were ranked #2 in the country. This has been a gut wrenching, heart breaking, nose bleeding, season.

There is nothing like watching a championship slip through your fingers. There is nothing like watching your team lose to Vandy. There is nothing like watching your team get rolled up for 48 and 51 points in consecutive weeks.

There is nothing like watching Darren McFadden run for more yards than any other sec running back in history, then watch a poor Tennesse team hold him to just over a hundred.

There is nothing like watching Tim Tebow do the same thing over and over and still gain yards. I mean, is it just me? Am I a genius? I called every play Florida ran before they ran it. How is that I can see it and Coach Nix can't?

Sad. I have never been more disheartened as a Gamecock fan.

This is not about the players. We have the players on both sides the ball. The way this team feel apart this season is on the coaches. Coach Nix especially.

And it's not over. We still have to play those troglodytes from the upstate and I do not have faith in this coaching staff to bring home a victory. In two weeks we will be forced to watch another 63-17. Mark my words.

Now before your cry baby, touchy feely, whiny heart fans out there call for my head, I am a Gamecock. I will always be a Gamecock. That does not mean, I am not allowed to be pissed off. I will always support the players. Always. The coaches are a different animal. If Coach Spurrier does not fire Coach Nix, this season will fall squarely on his shoulders and even though he is a great coach, it might be time for us to look somewhere else. You heard me.

FROM PALMETTO SCOOP

For Gamecock fans, Saturday’s loss to SEC rival Arkansas was the third straight heart-breaker in as many weeks. The 48-36 loss means South Carolina is no longer ranked and, with two tough opponents remaining, faces the prospect of going from 6-1 to not making a bowl.

While it was the team as a whole that lost and not one particular player’s fault, one of the most glaring weaknesses was the offensive line. Sorensen outQuarterback Blake Mitchell was sacked twice and hurried at least another dozen times. It seemed the rare occasion that more than three seconds passed between the time the ball was snapped and the time the Razorback defense was in the South Carolina backfield.

And then we received these hilarious photos of Gamecock’s right tackle Justin Sorensen (above and left) — among a number of other players — from a reader who said they were taken on Halloween night in Columbia’s Five Points district, and suddenly it all made sense. A bunch of South Carolina players went out partying the night before the team traveled to Fayetteville, and then the team got roughed up by the Razorbacks. The only reason we weren’t more surprised at these pictures was because Sorensen has a history of crazy behavior.

Is Darren Mcfadden Bo Jackson's clone from Super Tecmo Bowl?

CLICK FOR FULL SIZED GOODNESS

If you were going to write a movie about Arkansas’ year thus far, that would be a good title. Darren McFadden is of course a monster but the rest of his team, is lost. A lot of pre-season hype turned out to be just that.

What is that you say? Arkansas leads the SEC in offense?

This is true. However, their stats are skewed in that most of their yards and points have come in out of conference games. As a matter of fact, they have lost 3 out of 4 games in conference and their only win is over Ole Miss.

No one man makes a team and other than a few blowouts of less than worthy opponents, Arkansas has found that out. Any coach worth his salt has identified the way to beat Arkansas: stack the box and make them beat you throwing.

While as I said it is true that Arkansas leads the SEC in offense, it is all rushing. They are number 1 in rushing offense (and with a guy like McFadden, they should be) and next to last in Passing offense.

I fully expect Steve Spurrier and Tyrone Nix to put all of their marbles on the rushing defense. They will put the big boys on the line and dare Arkansas to throw it. And why not? After all, South Carolina is #2 in the SEC in passing defense. Should be a good plan.

This is key #1 for South Carolina: Limit the rushing attack. We are not going to stop it. Arkansas will run the ball on us, but hopefully, we will be able to limit how much.

The second key is the exact opposite. We have to avoid letting them limit our rushing attack.

Arkansas is no slouch on the defensive side of the ball. They rank third against the pass and 7^th against the rush. This is where we have a chance to rack up some points. Cory Boyd played like a monster like week and hopefully he will have the same sort of week this week.

The third and final key is intangible. Which South Carolina team will show up?

If the South Carolina team that played in the second half against Tennessee and the first half against North Carolina shows up, this will not be a close game. South Carolina will dominate. We have no way of knowing if that will happen though.

Before the season began, I predicted South Carolina to win this game. I still think South Carolina wins this game. But, I think it is going to be a down and dirty, hard fought game that is still undecided late in the third quarter.

Final Prediction: South Carolina 27 Arkansas 21.

It should be a good game to watch.

Looks like ESPN has changed it's mind about picking up the ARKANSAS game! The time has been moved to 8:00PM.

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