FOOTBALL

Kentucky vs. USC Football Preview | Leftover Hot Dog
LOHD has got your comprehensive Kentucky preview right here.

Kentucky awaits word on Derrick Locke | The Courier-Journal
The Derrick Locke situation is sounding more and more like mind games.

Locke will be on UK's list of 70 eligible players for Saturday's game even if his health doesn't improve. "We'll see how he feels on Saturday morning," Phillips said. "It could come back at any moment, any day, any time. … Who knows?"

Kentucky Week Winds Down | Gamecocks Online
Ellis Johnson is not falling for Kentucky's tricks.

Coach Ellis Johnson was asked if his team prepares any differently knowing that Wildcat running back Derrick Locke may not play on Saturday. "No, because you don't know if he's going to play or not," said the Gamecocks' Assistant Head Coach-Defense. "You've got to be prepared. They may run the "Wildcat" package a little bit more, but that's something we were going to focus on already."

Avoiding a Letdown | The Daily Gamecock
It's funny to talk about maturity on a team that feels so young.

"I think this team is very mature, as opposed to previous teams that I've been on," junior quarterback Stephen Garcia said. "We beat Ole Miss last year, but we didn't do anything with the season. I think this group of guys - we're a lot more mature and a lot more focused on the end result. Like I said, it was one game and we played extremely well, but we've got to play like that every week. And I think a lot of the guys really understand that."

Some College Football Midseason Predictions | Team Speed Kills

South Carolina Gamecocks: Steve Spurrier will bench Stephen Garcia at least once more before the season is over, but Garcia will still have the best season for a South Carolina quarterback since the Head Ball Coach arrived in Columbia

I'm not sure that I think Garcia will get "benched." I think Spurrier really regrets benching him in the Auburn game, and Garcia didn't get benched all of 2009. I'm not saying Garcia won't have some dumbfounding plays along the way, but I don't think he'll be benched.

Face Off: Mid-Season SEC East Predictions | Saturday Down South
1/2 of these prognosticators have picked USC to win the East.

Debunking Myths about Debunking Myths about Bye-Week Myths | Spur of the Moment
Travis Haney thinks our bye-week helped us beat Alabama. It did. But I think he's missing the point that, taken on average, bye weeks have a negligible effect. You can't aggregate data and then dissect each individual datum. The power in aggregating data is teasing out the trends within it.

Viewpoint: Where's the love for South Carolina?  | ajc.com
I'm not used to people other than South Carolina fans worrying about where we are in the polls. This is what it must be like to be a national powerhouse. Anyway, I have to agree with what they're saying here. It makes no difference to where we are in the polls right now. Polls and rankings only matter at the end of the season, and, really, they only matter if you're in the running for a BCS bowl. I care much more about the wins and losses.

Zell Column: Believe in good football, not fate | SCNOW
Spurrier deserves as much credit as anyone for the 'Bama win.

USC Beats 'Bama | Sideline Carolina
Photo montage from the Gamecocks' victory over 'Bama.

Will Marcus Lattimore Finish As South Carolina Gamecocks' Best RB Ever? | Bleacher Report
This guy seems to think Lattimore is on pace to compile 3,588 yards with 63 touchdowns in three years or 4,784 yards with 84 touchdowns if he stays for 4 years. Color me skeptical, but... wow.

A Few Notes Courtesy of the SEC | Spurs Up
Click for more stats like this one:

The SEC leads all conferences with 356 total appearances in the history of the BCS standings (1998).

Ole Miss defensive end says Alabama's offense is one-dimensional | WLOX-TV
I'm not really sure that you want to be giving Alabama bullitin board material if you're Ole Miss.

Powe said, "South Carolina exposed Alabama's offense as a one-dimensional team. The Gamecocks forced the Crimson Tide away from relying on tailbacks Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson and really couldn't get anything going after that."

TRC Internet Meme Tutorial | The Rubber Chickens
Familiarize yourself with "Leonardo DiHapprio."

WOMEN'S SOCCER

No. 14 Gamecocks Host SEC East Rivals | Gamecocks Online

No. 14 South Carolina returns home for two pivotal SEC East fixtures with No. 20 Georgia and Tennessee coming to Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks lead the SEC standings by three points and will look to keep that buffer with the nationally-ranked Bulldogs coming to town Friday night at 7 p.m. Carolina then hosts Tennessee in a game nationally televised by ESPNU at 3 p.m. Beth Mowins and Cat Whitehill will make the call in that match. Note: The Tennessee match has moved to 3 p.m. on Sunday to accommodate ESPNU.