Wednesday Afternoon Realist: South Carolina vs. Texas A&M

For the third time in four years, Kentucky has beaten South Carolina. A longtime competitor for last place in the SEC, who had given up a combined 131 points through three games, held us to 10 points. Things simply do not look good. The offense couldn’t move the ball in any capacity, and despite the turnovers produced by the defense, simply couldn’t capitalize. For the first time in a while, the offense, not the defense, is what is holding this team back. 2-2 isn’t the end of the world though, but it’s shaping out to be another average season in Columbia.

One question that has to be asked is whether Brandon McIlwain is the quarterback of the future for this team, or even the quarterback of the present. By no means am I calling for Orth to return to the starting lineup, but there isn’t much optimism to be found in the uninspiring and inconsistent play of the supposed savior of this team. He looks lost at times and misses too many open passes. While some of these can be chalked up to freshman errors, it’s holding the offense back. Another serious reason for pessimism is the offensive line, resulting in terrible pass protection and very little push in the run game. Without the run game, McIlwain will not succeed, as he isn’t quite ready to be the focal point of the offense.

This week, Texas A&M will make an appearance in Williams-Brice Stadium. Their high-octane offense, led by former Sooner quarterback Trevor Knight, has looked potent so far this season. If the offense struggles to score like they have so far this season (126th in the FBS in scoring offense), it could make to be a long day. Although many didn’t expect a spectacular season this time around, it definitely has fallen short of initial expectations. That being said, with recruiting taking a serious turn for the better, our days of national relevance could be coming sooner than previously thought.