Steve Spurrier was famously neglectful on the recruiting front his last couple of years at South Carolina, so this should come as no surprise:
The Gamecocks have played more true freshmen than any team in the country the past two years, and while only one is projected to start this year, there are seven others that are almost certain to play, and four more who could play.
How many is more? This many.
Thirteen true freshmen played in 2016, seven of them starting. Included were Jake Bentley, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards and Keir Thomas.
Eight true freshmen played in 2017, four starting (Jamyest Williams, Sherrod Greene, OrTre Smith, Shi Smith).
All of which brings me to today’s point, which is why are so many pundits looking at the Georgia-South Carolina meeting in week two and seeing the key issue being the Dawgs getting their collective shit together early on? That’s not at least as big a deal for the ‘Cocks, given their inexperienced roster?
Not even Carolina’s coaches are going there.
“We’re in a phase of our defense where we got to keep developing guys. We didn’t develop enough that we needed to (last year),” defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said. “We got a lot of young guys, whether they were mid-years or the guys that came in in June, that we got to get ready to play in Game 1.”
Forget about comparing raw talent levels for a minute. What remains is the reality that Smart walked into a situation with a more talented roster than did Boom, thus giving his staff a development advantage over SC. And we’re supposed to believe that won’t matter in the season’s second week?
Get The Picture 
The reason pundits say it is because they want SC to win so they have meaningful SEC east games to cover in October and November. They have to give some reason for picking SC to win. The stupidest reason was an ESPN radio guy whose name I didn’t catch who is picking SC because SC will play Sandstorm really, really loud.
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Is it that or is it the fact the pundits really want two teams out of one division on the SEC to be in the CFB playoffs. Auburn IMO is getting the same ridiculous type of love the USCe is getting. Either way, it is all getting crazy.
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No, they are hyping Auburn because they want to meaningful SEC West games to cover as well. If they said they thought that Bama and Georgia were going to kick the shit out of everyone while everyone else has at least 2 losses, then covering the other games would seem pointless. Everything would be meaningless until you got to the SECCG.
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But, but….SANDSTORM!!!!…HEAT!!!!
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These two “factors” make me roll my eyes more than any others. Nobody seems to be able to explain how it is supposedly fifty degrees hotter there than anywhere else we play. That’s because it isn’t of course. It’s just an early road game so it’s usually hot. Big deal. I’m not even going to get into the Sandstorm nonsense. The fact that they think a techno song is a weapon and that it intimidates people encapsulates the essence of the epic level of douchiness that is that fan base. I hope we embarrass them.
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I think it comes down to the fact that we’re going to get their best shot. They’ll play less than best the rest of the season. Clempson sighs in relief.
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Nah, its sandstorm for real!
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I’m also scratching my head on why they think UGA drops this game. I mean, sure, anything CAN happen. But for so many writers to come out and pick the Cocks. I dunno.
Is it because we still have the Richt stink on us of losing those games we should win??
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Oh no you didnt…..
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Well, Kirby hasn’t completely exorcized our annual face plant game on the road. Granted, those were two talented teams in the west, but still, Columbia is an annoying place to place and this will be Boom’s best SCAR squad yet. Anything can happen.
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You are correct in everything that you said…
If Kirby is the coach we all “think” he is, UGA doesn’t lose this game.
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Damn bro, hope we do not lose a single game or you know it will be one of those.
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You aren’t supposed to lose the games when you are double digit favorites.
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It’s called wishful thinking. They want UGA out of the picture big time.
Mark my words…
.AFTER the Dawgs dispatch Usc, there will be dawgrading of the win in epic proportion.
Before the game, they are USC…after they will be ” a young and not very deep usce team”..
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I think you’re right. My question is, why is this the case?
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Don’t forget that stupid chicken noise! That’s a problem the UGA coaches will have to game plan for…
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No kidding, it makes watching any home game they are winning especially annoying. That damn rooster crow is worse than Rocky Top.
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Uh, no.
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Absolutely yes
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+1 And it ain’t close. Did the band forget how ti play Rocky Top last year in Knoville, I don’t seem to remember being annoyed once.
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Just a thought on ‘cruitin my S. Cackalacky friend said SOS lost it when he said in an interview he would be there a “few” more years. He was never the most avid or best recruiter even against Goff, wasn’t keeping up with the power players in the SEC and then to make that statement. It did him in. He did do an amazing job getting funding from alumni to update their facilities up to par and better than UGA for a while.
Boom is looking stable and get some talent again which combined with a down UF and UT’s continued dumpster fire has elevated the program.
As I have said in the past let them hype the game. I want our guys to be taking them seriously, and to think of them as being better than SCar actually is. Last year the media was hyping up Vandy just before the Bama game. We saw how that went and how many of us expected that beating behind the woodshed?
I will say that should the Chickens win. They do have a clear path to Atlanta and the SECCG thanks to the down East and their easy schedule out of the West. I believe UGA wins but it maybe the single biggest must win game to get to Atlanta. A single loss to LSU, Auburn, or likely UF will not keep UGA from getting to Atlanta and then further. A 1 loss in SEC play SCar team is possible especially if they get past UGA.
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Just make it official USCe:
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Great, so we beat them last year by only 2 scores while they had a bunch of freshman and sophomores. This even after we were blowing folks doors off, a week before they had a look ahead game with UF, with 1 more day of preparation than a normal, at home, and they did not have Samuel? Perspective is in the eye of the beholder wearing rose colored glasses here. Saw a quote from Kirby recently, answering a question about who the leaders were, especially on defense. I think it’s premature and that the truth about who that really is (or becomes), lies sometime in the 4th Quarter at Williams Brice, hopefully during the last drive killing stop.
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That South Carolina team also had Hayden Hurst and Skai Moore, both gone to the NFL. Sure, they get Deebo Samuel back but I’ll take my chances against a receiver who won’t have played a meaningful game in almost a full calendar year.
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I get so damn tired of hearing about how good South Carolina is going to be every year around this time.
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USC wound not even been in the game last year if it was not for the onside kick?.
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who they think is coaching this team now Mark Right?
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Many pundits are pointing to past blunders by us in Columbia…that has changed.
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Cacky Lacky – barely beat UT, La Tech, lost to UK, Lost to A&M, Florida, spanked by Clemson, lost by 14 to UGA, and barely beat UM in the Outback bowl. They fininshed 9-4 but could have been 7-6 easily. They talk about all this they have this year, but where those players last year that all of a sudden will be great this year? Bentley was never that great in any game. He gets Samuel back who gives them something. They have some good WRs. BUT – what about defense – they got a midget playing Safety. How is that going to work when Ridley, Landers, or any other WR we have is out there? They have some guys to deal with on the OL to replace like their Center. We get shit for our Ol changes but they don’t? What about the Skai Moore being gone – he was their Roquan? All the questions are what is UGA going to do and they are just blowing over what USuCk has to address. Then factor in a new OC and new scheme and this will only be their 2nd game. What about the fact Muschump is just not a great coach – and you can say whatever you want about this but look at him at Florida…He was USuCk’s 4th choice. Look at all the talent we have even if some of it is young and needs experience, that talent and speed will overcome a lot. Look at our depth. Look at our OL and the talent their. Finally – remember this is not your Daddy’s Coaching Staff and this is the year that Kirby can get the Richt faults off the backs of UGA and the doubt that the fan base carries into a game like this. Yes they games were close in the past at Cacky Lacky. BUT – we have beat Cacky Lacky 3 years in a row. They are fighting to get the spoils of what is left in available recruits after UGA, Bama, and Clemson take what they want in the south east. It is my hope that Kirby will go to Columbia – KIRBstomp the cocks and leave no doubt. Do to them what we did to UT last year.
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