Ole Miss to South Carolina: Smack! SMQ takes a look at Mississippi's quest to find another coach that can do what David Cutcliffe did, something the Rebels haven't had since ... well, since they fired David Cutcliffe for doing what David Cutcliffe did.
After laying out the issues facing Ole Miss and Houston Nutt, SMQ summarizes thusly:
First-year starter in a new system, with familiar but rather generic receivers and no proven running threat? Taken with "most generous defense in the conference," which this one was last year almost across the board, five SEC losses seems assured, not including toss-ups with Arkansas and Mississippi State; then there’s Memphis and Wake Forest out of the league. Under the circumstances, any bowl game this year would be an enormous success.
This is, of course, relevant to South Carolina fans because the Gamecocks play Mississippi on the road on Oct. 4. And, something I didn't realize until looking at the Rebels' scedule for 2008 -- South Carolina is their homecoming game.
I'll repeat that. I'll repeat that because it is something I might have never seen before. One SEC team is choosing a tilt against another SEC team not named "Vanderbilt" as the homecoming game. South Carolina is Ole Miss' homecoming opponent.
It is on. It is on.
J-Brink hears about South Carolina being Ole Miss' homecoming game.
So what do we do with this? "This" being an article in The State that portrays Darrin Horn as a bit cold-blooded.
And then came the stunner: “He just said my strengths didn’t fit with what he was trying to do. ... He said I wasn’t going to play.”A month later, Deloach is transferring to Chipola Junior College in Florida. The Saluda native never suited up for the Gamecocks, having redshirted this past season under previous coach Dave Odom. ...
“It’s a motivation. It’ll help me work harder to get to where I wanna be,” Deloach said. “Basically what (Horn) told me was I wasn’t good enough for the SEC, and I knew I was. So I’m just gonna prove him wrong.” ...
Horn could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. He said last month that he would have honored Deloach’s scholarship -- which the player confirmed -- but that Deloach “felt it was in his best interests to pursue other opportunities.”
Um, hmmm. It's not that telling a player he doesn't fit the team now that a new coach has come in would be unprecedented. But this seems like Horn actively pushed Deloach out despite, as Deloach says, having very little to go on.
On the other hand, better to tell him now than later. But C&F finds something vaguely unnerving about this.
Elsewhere...
Dawg dreams end in Lexington? Wildcats Thunder Blog isn't calling it, but points out that the spelling-challenged Dawgs could be upset-ready when they go in the Bluegrass State. (No, not Boise, Idaho -- Kentucky!)
Kentucky is in a perfect position for a trap game, after two very tough games against LSU and UF and right before a tough game at Auburn. Kentucky gets UGA right in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule.
If UGA gets upset in 2008, C&F would obviously prefer that South Carolina does the deed. But the Wildcats could have the better chance. (RSS HT: ASOB)