Pigskin Prophet: Gamecocks had hope, then lost it edition |
The Pigskin Prophet, the man of many jobs and talents, feels sorry for the South Carolina Gamecocks. That’s right, I pity them. It’s not even fun to make fun of them. Well, it is. But not AS fun.
One of our companies owns the buses that drives Gamecock athletic teams to and from the airport and to different schools for athletic contests, and I was one of the drivers for last weekend’s game at LSU. The group was lively and happy and they had the worst thing a Gamecock can have – they had hope. Hope is never good for that bunch. They were coming off a win in which they had beaten a very average Auburn team. Auburn had twice as many yards and more time of possession and many more first downs and generally owned every statistical category – including turnovers. Those turnovers told the story and allowed a team with less than 300 yards of total offense to sneak an SEC win. Couple that with a win over Vanderbilt – a program that would finish behind Byrnes in the Region 2-AAAA in South Carolina, and they felt like they had turned the corner. They were BACK BABY!!! They were indeed back. Back to hopelessness and despair after a freshman quarterback led an offense that never punted and ran at will on an undersized South Carolina defense. I am not saying those guys are little, but they ride together on the same bus and I thought they were all special teamers – long snappers and punters. Turns out it was the starting defensive line. Their souls had been crushed when we picked them back up at the airport. There are so many jokes, so many things to say, to write. It used to be funny. Now it’s just sad. Hope. They had hope. Bless ‘em. FRIDAY MINNESOTA AT MARYLAND Remember Tua’s little brother, Taulia Tagovailoa? He’s now at Maryland and has the reins of an offense that struggled last week. Meanwhile, PJ Fleck’s row the boat anthem hit a Harbaugh-sized iceberg in Minneapolis last week, and the Gophers need this win to keep pace in the Big Ten, which might wind up playing fewer than eight games. They get a win this week. MINNESOTA 42, MARYLAND 12 SATURDAY BOSTON COLLEGE AT CLEMSON Here is what you need to know about this one. Clemson didn’t play very well last week, and Boston College played really well in a win over Georgia Tech. Dabo Swinney was testy with the media after the win, but also said he had a lot of game tape that he could use to show his team. That means Clemson will come out sharp and crisp for another noon outing, and the Eagles (playing at Clemson a second consecutive year) will pay the price. The Eagles can score, and they will take advantage of a banged-up defense to keep it closer than many think. CLEMSON 44, BOSTON COLLEGE 20 COASTAL CAROLINA AT GEORGIA ST Ok, it’s time we give the second-best football program – I said it – in the state of South Carolina a little love and respect. Coastal Carolina is ranked and has hope – you hear that, Gamecocks? No. 20/21 nationally-ranked Coastal will take its five-game winning streak to Atlanta to take on the Georgia State Panthers. Coastal Carolina is tied for first in the Sun Belt and 11th nationally with a +4 turnover margin, tied for first in the league and 10th nationally with seven interceptions, and third in the conference and 22nd nationally with nine total takeaways. They get another win, and turnovers play a huge role. COASTAL 34, GEORGIA ST 30 UNC AT VIRGINIA The Heels have rebounded from a tough trip to Tallahassee and now face a dangerous but wounded Virginia team. The Cavaliers put up a fight at Clemson (and lost) and put up a fight at Miami (and lost) and now faces a North Carolina team that has the power to score from anywhere on the field. They will keep it close. For a bit. UNC 38, VIRGINIA 28 OHIO ST. AT PENN ST Ohio St. looked pretty good in the opener against Nebraska, while Penn St.’s defense looked great until the end against Indiana. A controversial call in overtime sealed the fate of the Nittany Lions, and they will come out angry this week. The bad news is that there won’t be a whiteout – unless a blizzard rolls in – and this Ohio St. team is out to demolish anything and everything in its path. This one should be fun to watch. OHIO ST. 31, PENN ST. 21 LSU AT AUBURN Who can figure out the SEC? LSU was left for dead until South Carolina’s Hope Train showed up, and Auburn showed signs of life until they were derailed by the Hope Train. What happens in this one with two schizophrenic teams? WHO KNOWS??? Auburn’s defense is a little better. They find a way. AUBURN 30, LSU 27
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