Posted by Chili

Well, shit.

I could leave it at that, but I’ll extrapolate on the issue a bit the best I can. I only caught updates of the game on my phone as I trudged through Istanbul (not Constantinople), and the one of us who actually saw the game is too busy to get to the wrap-up right now.

First off, forgive me for using football cliches, but Sakerlina came to play. Either Clemson didn’t or was completely taken out of their game by the Cocks. I tend to think it was the former, as several Clemson players have since said they thought the team had gone through the motions in weeks before and simply thought they could put on their pads and be better than Sakerlina. Obviously not. Blame that on the players and coaches for not taking the game seriously enough. We had concerns over whether the GT matchup in the ACCCG would be a distraction, and apparently it was. Dabo said in his phoner yesterday that Clemson had beaten the Cocks many times in the past but hadn’t won an ACC title in years, so the latter took precedence. Well we could’ve done both this year damnit.

Carolina was right there to capitalize on each of Clemson’s many mistakes. Their offensive line, which was viewed as being mismatched against Clemson’s defensive front, had their way for the most part with our D. The Carolina offense had clearly studied how the QB draw and similar mild misdirection plays had worked against Clemson’s scheme throughout the year and executed some similar schemes. The formidable Sakerlina defense proved worth the hype as they held Clemson to its lowest point total in months.While a bout with the flu certainly put the clamps on CJ Spiller, the Sakerlina defense did a good job in the limited time CJ went against them.

As an aside, there’s been plenty of times this football season that I’ve been bummed about missing some great Clemson football moments by being over here in Europe. This was one of the times I was damned glad. Happy not to hear the Whiner Line callers, happy not to see the retards flying Gamecock flags on their cars for a month after the game, happy not to see images or replays of the game unless I choose to seek them out. Thanks for that.

EXCUSES

To help you deal with the loss, I’ve prepared a list of excuses for you to whip out:

- Dabo and crew were focused on the Georgia Tech game.

- CJ Spiller had the flu. This is more of a factual excuse than bullshit, but Gamecock fans will still probably claim that he was skeered by their defense or some garbage.

- Nike’s new uniforms; the titanium D-rings were only 60% lighter than previous steel rings, clearly not enough of a weight differential. Back to the drawing board, fellas.

- The Gamecocks, yet again, had two weeks to prepare for the game.

- To use a claim that Sakerlina fans have pointed our way in the past, the game just meant more to them. You heard it coming from their camp the past two weeks. They set about preparing for this game with way more urgency than did Clemson. There were rumors of a coaching staff shakeup if they dropped this game.

BULLSHIT

Excuses aside, you’ll hear a lot of things from your Gamecock co-workers/friends/gas station attendants:

- Spurrier has got Clemson “figured out.”

- This is a turning point in the rivalry.

- All your recruits are belong to us.

- Hurf a durf SEC.

None but the last point really mean anything. (Not that the last one really means shit either, but it’s complicated) Nobody knows what, if anything, this game means to the rivalry. Also, Sakerlina has had no trouble recruiting for years and it hasn’t necessarily shown on the field. The SEC is no doubt a stronger conference and showed it over the weekend. Not a lot we can do about that. With the billions poured into the conference from TV deals and no less than two networks attached at the hip to the conference, it’s only going to get worse.

Everything else aside, it was a good ol’ fashioned ass whipping. We’ve given plenty to Sakerlina in our day, and now’s out turn to take one. Swallow the bitter pill and move on.

Posted by Willy Mac

This week we actually ran across the mine field laden no man’s land that is the tension of the Clemson/Sakerlina rivalry and traded super secret, feignedly barbed, double secret probation questions with Garnet And Black Attack over at SB Nation. I’ve got hate in my heart, but them folks is cordial-assed people. I’ll bite my tongue. Our answers over there.

1) Can you offensive troubles be solely placed on your offensive line this year? If yes, we need a reason. Surely it still takes a team effort to reflect a bad final score. How do they match up against our defensive line?

No. The offensive line is part of the problem and is perhaps the biggest one, but it’s not the only problem. In fact, I think the offensive line is much better than a year ago, particularly when blocking the run. Pass protection continues to be a problem, but is also in general more competent than last year. The line also commits way too many penalties, which along with the sacks has often stunted drives.

We have other problems, though. The play calling has gotten a lot of press lately, and I’m in the camp that believes it has been suspect. I would like to see us commit more to the run. Spurrier and his staff said this would be a focus this year, and to some degree it has been, as we have a better running game than a year ago. However, we seem to abandon the run completely at times, and I’ve been disappointed that Spurrier hasn’t founded ways to get speedsters Jarvis Giles and Bryce Sherman opportunities to carry the ball. I also don’t like our tendency to go straight for the big play every time we cross midfield. Don’t get me wrong; I think a well-timed 40-yard fade is a great idea. However, at least since Alshon Jeffrey emerged as our top receiver, we seem to go for the big play every single time we get within striking distance. Teams know it’s coming now, so they know to have their safeties on alert and to blitz Garcia hard. In these situations, we seem to completely forget not only about the run but also about our mid-range passing game, particularly our talented TE Wesley Saunders.

Field position has also affected this team’s ability to score. Our defense is good, but, unlike a year ago, it doesn’t force many turnovers. Our return units are also very average, again unlike a year ago. That has contributed to a situation in which an offense that is seemingly better than the one we had a year ago has failed to score as much as last year’s version did.

Not all Gamecocks fans will agree with everything I’ve just said. Some will blame our failures on offensive line play and lack of execution. My two cents, though, are that Spurrier and his staff have improved the offense in some ways but are still failing to maximize its potential, particularly when we get in scoring position, which is when it counts. I should stress, though, that we have often moved the ball much better than the score would suggest, and a few more plays here and there could have made a major difference in our year. That means that success could be right around the corner. I feel like I’ve had to say that too many times over the past few years, though, so I’ll believe it when I see it.

2) What’s the number one thing about your team that we have to worry about come Saturday? Who’s the game changing player?

I’m going to say our push on the defensive line. If we’re getting pressure on Kyle Parker and getting to C. J. Spiller before he gets to the line of scrimmage, it could be a long day for your offense. When we’ve been able to do this, such as against N. C. State, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Florida, our defense has been really tough. When we haven’t, though, it’s much more pedestrian. The guys to watch here Eric Norwood (of course), Clifton Geathers, and Cliff Matthews.

3) Statistically, you guys have some of the worst kickoff/punt coverage teams in the nation. Do you think Spurrier’s game plan involves kicking directly at Spiller since he’s so stubborn?

I hope not, but maybe. Shane Beamer said that we didn’t have any special plans for dealing with Spiller this weekend, that we were just going to try to do the basics well, play good coverage, fill our lanes, etc. I hope that’s just coach speak. Even teams with good coverage units should plan around players like Spiller, and a team with questionable units should be extra careful. We’ll see what we actually do. I will say that we’ve been playing a little better on coverage over the last few games than we did at the beginning of the year, so there’s that.

4) I want your honest opinion. I’ve noticed that there are a few Gamecocks making a case against CJ Spiller. Why is this happening? Spiller is one of the most dangerous players in all of college football and he’s changed our future through his play this season. What’s the problem? Is it the fact that he’s less likely to be doing rails off of the trophy sometime later in his life that disturbs your fan base? Get it? Get it? A George Rogers joke! Get it?

Personally, I think Spiller has a quality case for the Heisman. As you say, he’s one of the most dangerous players in the game, and he contributes in so many ways. I think it’s a serious blow to the Heisman’s credibility that he’s not getting more of a look. It says a lot about the Heisman, really; basically, what you’re seeing is that a greater burden of proof is being placed on Spiller than on name-brand guys like Tim Tebow, who is clearly having an inferior season, IMO. The Heisman should be about rewarding the best player in the game, not the guy that ESPN plasters all over their website. Sadly, that’s not the case.

As far as why some Gamecocks disrespect Spiller, I guess it’s just the nature of rivalry. Lots of people just hate to see their rivals succeed. You might have also heard that there are lots of Gamecocks fans that don’t think the ACC is up to par with the other major conferences. Some of the Spiller-hatred comes from that angle, from the idea that Spillers’ numbers are inflated because he plays weak competition. Personally, I disagree with this idea. The ACC has lacked an elite team for some time now, but from where I’m sitting, the conference has a fairly deep set of teams that are pretty good even if they’re not national title contenders. I think some Gamecocks fans console themselves with the idea that being in the SEC makes us better than ACC teams. I’d prefer to console myself with actual wins over those teams, particularly Clemson, when and if those wins start coming.

5) Put into words for us what a win against us would do for you guys.

I think this team–and particularly its coach–needs a good showing in this game to earn back the respect of parts of the fanbase. Another debacle like last year’s, and I think you’ll see a lot of fans lose faith in Spurrier.

More to the point, if we win we’ll go crazy and burn down Five Points. Seriously; I will have the worst headache in the history of mankind Sunday morning if we win. Any win against a rival is a cause for celebration and since we haven’t won many games against you guys lately we’ll have all the more reason to throw down.

Posted by Willy Mac

I’ve been marinating on Ron Morris campaign to push the Clemson/Carolina rivalry to the first game of the year for a few days now. Okay, let’s just point out the fact that not only is Ron Morris a god awful journalist with zero common sense, but he’s a blatant USC fan boy when he really should be impartial. His stories are so bad that they’d be better served as packaging material rather than reading material… ZING!

Moving the game to the beginning of the year would only lessen the rivalry and would be the first step in the process of South Carolina fans wanting to get rid of the game all together, in my opinion. Of course Terry Don Phillips in true-to-himself fashion was all for changing any Clemson tradition he could. That or he was messing with Morris, in which case he shouldn’t have even taken the call. Moving the rivalry makes no sense. It’s the essence of hating your foe all off-season and all regular season that makes the game so much better. I don’t want a sloppy game as the most pivotal and talked about games of the year for most people in the state of South Carolina. I want both teams in end of season form. Both teams should be well oiled, harbingers of destruction. Well, I can see how Gamecock fans might like this idea since their season has gone down the drain by the time they get to this week on the schedule. But do you really think the sour taste is going to leave your mouth when it’s Florida drubbing you at the in of the year as opposed to Clemson, Gamecock fans?

There are some cheesy things in place right now that are already detracting from our rivalry. For instance, who really wants to win a trophy with Hardee’s or who ever the hell else’s logo plastered all over it? This game is about bragging rights. It’s about who’s the better school in South Carolina where it traditionally counts.

Now here’s where it seems that I’m going to run off the tracks, but stick with me. The Gamecocks have started making it a habit to take a page out of Ohio State’s book and start using the phrase “THE University of South Carolina.” Well there are two schools in this state and we’re starting to pull away in a few things. If you’re seeking a graduate degree, more times than not USC is your best in state choice. But their undergrad and initiatives are a fucking joke compared to Clemson. You could take a shit in a box, staple a letter of recommendation from a homeless crack head to it, send it to them and they’d send you a letter of acceptance for undergrad studies. As for football, everyone knows that story.

Now, I’ve suggested this before so if you’ve heard this from me try and give it a second look. It’s a fact that after their pitiful midfield puppet show, the USC… uh… pep squad flag bearers pole handlers male cheerleaders lead the team out with a Gamecock flag, a South Carolina state flag, and individual letters that spell out “Carolina”. Sometimes one of the players will come out holding a smaller state flag on a pole. How about the winner gets the right to bear the state flag and the loser fore goes that privilege until they win that right again? Who ever wins would be the representing university for the state. Maybe I’m pissing in the wind here, but Clemson is really running out of things to take away from Carolina. We’ve taken their pride. We’ve taken most of the research and grant money. We’ve taken the power of their diploma. Minnesota/Michigan has it’s Little Brown Jug. Notre Dame/Michigan State has it’s Megaphone. Cal/Stanford has their Axe. Why can’t we have our Palmetto Flag? It’s just an idea that might spice things up.

Posted by Chili

Yeah those Coots only wish they had an eduation like this eruite gentleman.

Posted by Willy Mac

A buddy of mine and I recently got into a heated debate the other day. The argument?

“If Clemson isn’t playing South Carolina, should you pull for them?”

One of his main bullet points is that it makes Clemson look better if we beat a team with more wins at the end of the year. He stated that it’d be best if we were to beat the best Carolina team we could. Everything comes into play at that point.  Rankings, bowl selection, bragging rights, the ramifications of us ruining the end of their year yet again grow larger…  I can see where’s he’s coming from too.  Now that they’re decent year in and year out, it’s a higher stakes game.  The game is not just to decide whether or not they stay home for the holidays anymore. The end-of-season showdown now determines how good of a bowl game each one of us will get into.  Face it, more likely than not neither one of our teams is going to their respective championship game year in and year out.

One of his other points was that it makes not only the state of South Carolina look better in terms of football prowess and talent, but it makes the south in general look better than all the other regions. I agreed with him on his first point, but this point kind of turned me off of his argument.  I don’t care what any other team in another conference does.  If it’s not the ACC, I don’t care what region a team is from.  Also, I want to be the best team in this state.  Not only that, but I’d like for Clemson to be consistently heads above the rest in this state. Our only competition on that category comes solely from the Gamecocks. I think the ACC being a conference that’s not exclusive to the southern territories weighs in on my mindset here. If an ACC team is playing an out-of-conference opponent, it’s my feelings that I want our guys to win so it makes Clemson and our conference look better. Likewise, I’d like for the rest of our OOC opponents to win the games on their schedules as well so it makes us look better.

But when it comes to South Carolina I feel that you cannot root for them, lest you betray your Clemson fandom. Now, we’re getting picky here and it’s obviously a slow day around the office but bear with me. We have a deep-seeded and intense rivalry that I can’t just put on a shelf for three hours a week when the leaves start turning colors. If you ask the same question to an Alabama or Auburn fan, you’re not going to get the response that they put their rivalry on hold. I’m not saying I want our fan base to emulate another group of fans… we do that enough as it is. I usually take a step out of character here and say that life is too short to worry about trivial things like this. However, the man with the keyboard says that life is too short and that’s exactly why you should have principles like strictly not rooting for a rival team. You should take things like this seriously because you’re only here for so long.

My dad had a saying, “If the Russians were playing the Gamecocks in a game of tiddlywinks… I’m rooting for the Rooskies.” There is a ringing of truth that follows that statement in some maniacal kind of way. I guess you could call my approach “waging total war.”  It’s one culture against another. It’s how the greatest wars in history were decided… why not apply the same theory (sans horrific killing… or not… it’s your decision ultimately) to a game played by kids?  Sign me up.  How about you? Comments? Thoughts?

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