David Cloninger, at the Post and Courier, addresses one of South Carolina’s keys to the SEC Championship this season:
Beat Georgia. The Week 2 matchup against Georgia at Williams-Brice Stadium is the key to the title hopes. The winner has basically a two-game lead on the division counting the tiebreaker, and USC would have the easiest road after that. If the Gamecocks win, they have the rare opportunity to stub their toe once and still make it to Atlanta.
(To be fair to Cloninger, this is an analytical argument. He’s picking the ‘Cocks to finish second in the division.)
Anyway, this reflects a second underlying theme for the folks out there calling for the upset special in Columbia, that Boom’s team, well-prepared mentally and emotionally, is going to catch the Dawgs sleeping on them a little.
There’s just this one little, teensy catch to that.
Kirby isn’t sleeping on South Carolina.
Get The Picture 
Saw that reference to how seriously we are taking SC and preparing for that game.
Sic’em Kirby!
Sic’em Dawgs!
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I was originally back in the spring among those who was concerned about this game, now however after the summer long upset narrative (thanks WWL and others!), I agree there is zero chance our team is not more than ready for this game, they’ll be frothing for it actually I think, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
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Same here, Brandon. Everybody is a little weary of hearing how Usc is going to surprise UGA with an ass-whoopin’.
There’s going to be an ass whoopin’ alright, but Usc is furnishing the ass and UGA is bringing the whoopin’.
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This!!! ^
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Same here Brandon. Upsets require the element of surprise and USCe has completely lost it. I think Mizzou is now the sleeper although Dooley ultimately may doom their chances.
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Mizzou scares me because of Lock, but I agree Agent Dooley seems well positioned to eliminate that threat.
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Austin Peay allows such……
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USC? Why is the SC writer worrying about Southern Cal?
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Don’t kid yourself- we’re going to get their best shot!
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And they’re going to get ours.
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I liked him better when he was hitting two grand slams while pitching against the Reds. Or was that his dad?
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I remember that night…I was a lad and Tony Cloninger was my hero. One of the few major league pitchers to occasionally be used as a pitch hitter. Plus it is just fun to say his name..
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The grand slams were against the Giants in Candlestick Park. It was July 4, 1966 if I recall correctly.
Braves and Giants played a doubleheader that day. I listened to every pitch on the radio and kept a scorecard for each game.
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I thought about ’66. I suppose Milo Hamilton made the call…remember how, when the brave would be ahead going into the 9th, Milo would say, “We’re heading into the 9th and it’s going to be hoooooold ’em, Braves”.
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You are correct. I was going off memory, which fades.
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Kirby is on the mother.
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Carolina gone lose 4….
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i could watch laura rutledge talk all day long.
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Ha. I’m the opposite. Can’t stand her!
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Damn gator.
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Question for Coach Muschamp: Do you know what sound the bomb the Dawgs are ready to drop on your team on Sept 8 makes?
A: Boom.
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I think you meant “Boom, M’fer!” 😉
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Senator, Kirby is not preparing us sufficiently. He is not blasting Sandstorm at 100 decibels during* practice since SC playing Sandstorm loudly is why it will win, according to an ESPN radio jockey I heard. 🙂
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I’m hoping scarolina gets caught napping in their opener.
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I am very impressed with Lanning’s recruiting. We will see how it translates to the field.
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Perhaps it’s just me, but this has the same feel of those big games in the last eight or so years of the Richt era, where the team everyone is picking for the upset, us back in those days, Carolina now, flat-out fails to show up, despite the magnitude of the game. Bama 2015,:just about every one of those losses to UF a couple of years back. I think Kirby has them ready.
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I agree
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Who could Kirby, or anyone affiliated with the team, be sleeping on with all the alarms going off around the country? My Lord, they are hiding kin plain sight. There is no one in September beside this dangerous team of Cocks for out guys to earn any respect from. The 2nd week schedule with sc is a blessing. What else was KS going to use to keep them from snoozing? Worst thing that could happen to them. Only thing better for us would be to have had them first out of the chute. We cannot earn respect with the Govs,, MTSU, Vandy, or TN in September. Our guys want to perform with an audience, chickens drew the short straw. No one else in September should stay within 4 TDs, they probably will since they are home.
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Curious just who those “people” are that Laura claims they they thought Fields arm was an issue? Please explain this “observation” Laura.
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When people write these things, do they ever note that better South Carolina teams than this one beat Georgia twice and failed to reach the championship game with that de facto two game lead and then did the same with Missouri the next year?
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