Weekend Clippings
by Gamecock Man on Jul 10, 2010 8:12 PM EDT
in News
6 comments
A happy weekend to everyone, folks. The weekend found me spending the time I allot to blogging writing stories for the EA Sports campaign, which has been a blast. However, it kept me from keeping up with the news as I like. Here's a list of significant clippings, in case you missed them.
USC books trip to Sunshine State | GoGamecocks. USC has scheduled a home-and-home with Central Florida.
Worst. Scheduling. Ever. Leftover Hot Dog reacts to the Central Florida news. I would generally have to agree. While I would prefer to watch the Gamecocks take on Central Florida or Navy rather than, say, Charleston Southern, at the same time you have to admit that this kind of scheduling is something of a lose-lose for the Gamecocks. Although they're a relatively tough opponent, they're not a team that anyone is going to give us credit for beating, which makes this a nothing-to-gain, everything-to-lose sort of situation. That's particularly true when you talk about an away game against these guys. As someone that enjoys good football, I'm down for taking on Navy or Central Florida at home. Like I said, it'll be more exciting that way. Away games are a different story, though. UCF will be ultra-jacked for what will be one of the biggest home games in program history. We still have no business losing that game, but you have to admit that it'll be a snakepit down in Orlando.
Second of all, as LOHD also points out, most teams use OOC games against non-marquee opponents as a chance to rest up and prepare for the real prizes. We may laugh about the kind of mismatches this philosophy creates, but there's a reason why Alabama has Georgia State scheduled before taking on Auburn. It's smart scheduling in its way, even if its a little cheap.
The realist in me has to wonder, though, whether or not marquee programs view scheduling home-and-homes with us in much the same way I'm construing our upcoming series with UCF. If Hyman and Spurrier were to go to, say, Ohio State with a proposal to do a home-and-home, what would the Bucks say?
USC lineman gets sixth year | GoGamecocks. Terrence Campbell gets extra eligibility. Good news here.
USC’s top QB prospect hits S.C. | GoGamecocks. Tanner McEvoy hits town.
UGA football players arrested for alcohol offenses | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC. This story isn't quite as juicy as what happened with the Vols, but compounded with the Damon Evans story, it's just more bad news for a program desperately seeking stability.
Reserve back Burns leaving program | GoGamecocks
TheBigSpur.com - Tanner is the best ever
Tanner seeking new deal | GoGamecocks
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I understand the scheduling argument, but I think everyone’s a little too worked up. The fact remains that schools from other conferences do this fairly consistently (scheduling games, even home-and-aways, against mid-tier teams), and if a team is worth a damn, it won’t matter. Given that Texas has done home-and-aways with the likes of UCF and Wyoming, I don’t think this is something for Gamecock fans to be riled up over.
Besides, from a recruiting and alumni reach standpoint, playing games in FL and Charlotte is pretty cool in my opinion.
by VA Libertarian on Jul 11, 2010 1:03 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Hmm. As my comments suggest...
I’ll admit I’m a bit ambivalent on this one, so I’m curious to know why you’re more or less OK with the idea. I do prefer to watch a real game vs. one against an over-glorified intramural team. And like you suggest, if we’re worth a damn when we play them, it shouldn’t be an issue. I guess what gets me about this situation is that it doesn’t strike me that Alabama or Florida are following this model, and I wonder what the stakes are in the difference. It seems to me that either (1) we’re not capable of getting the good OOC matchups, (2) we’re unwisely choosing the lesser over the better matchups, or (3) some combination of the two.
It’s also of course worth remembering that this is the off-season, and we need something to talk about.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Jul 11, 2010 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions
You know what I found hilarious?
One of the kids in that McEvoy article had a list narrowed down to 10 schools, and one of the schools was Stanford. If you can get into Stanford, why are you even considering another school? What is he thinking? Opportunities like a college education are completely wasted on people of that age. They’re too inexperienced to make good decisions.
stuff 'bout stuff.
Heh. So true.
I’m guessing one’s chances of making a million bucks a year and being part of the country’s intellectual elite as a Stanford grad are actually higher than that kids odds of making the NFL. Not that he realizes that.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Jul 12, 2010 7:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't even think what college you attend affects your draft status all that much anyway.
Players get drafted high from all kinds of small schools, and schools without great teams. So much emphasis is put on the combine these days. As long as a player has good stats from college and has a good combine, I’m not sure the competition he went up against really matters.
stuff 'bout stuff.
by silver82blade on Jul 12, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
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