LOHD, your favorite Gamecocks blog, recently did a Q&A with Randall Simon’s Sausages about the SEC football landscape and the USC Gamecocks 2010 season. RSS, for short, is a new Bloguin blog and covers almost anything dealing with sports. I suggest you check them out – HERE – and read some of their other blog posts about how other BCS conferences will shape out this upcoming season.
Continue reading (or click on ‘Read More’) as we share some thoughts on how the SEC will shake up and what to expect from Coach Spurrier’s squad in 2010 –
1) What is the outlook for the Gamecocks in 2010? What are your thoughts on the Spurrier Era so far?
The USC Gamecocks in 2010 are primed for a great season as they are loaded with talent and depth. Many think that the Gamecocks could contend for the SEC East due to a wee bit easier schedule and the other programs having somewhat of a down year ahead. I have stated many times that the team could easily go 7-5 (worst case) or 10-2 (best case). The Gamecocks in 2010 have all the right ingredients for a great season with yet again a top notch defense and playmakers on offense. The only question mark, again, is the offensive line. If they can hold water or create a running lane then it could be a magically season. I predict at least an 8 win season and I say they finish 9-3 with a Florida bowl game in January. I really think USC can contend for the SEC East as I think they will be 5-2 in conference as they enter that final SEC game with the Gators with winner takes all in the East on the line.
I am very pleased with the Spurrier Era at USC. He has re-built the program after Coach Holtz did not leave him the right mix of players for what he wants to accomplish. He wants to take USC to uncharted territory and he finally has them going into that direction now. The 2010 squad is the most talented team overall that USC has ever had in its’ history. And it only gets better each year. As long as he sticks around for 3-4 more years then USC could be a serious threat each year for SEC glory and no longer a middle of the pack program.
2) What is the one SEC game to circle on our calendars?
Saturday November 13 – Florida vs. South Carolina
This will be the battle for the SEC East title and winner goes to the championship game. This has classic match-up written all over it with Spurrier v Urban and SEC glory at stake. USC will be coming in sitting at 5-2 and UF at 6-1. Winner takes all and surely a game you will not want to miss.
3) Which coach is on the hottest seat?
Les Miles out of LSU has the hottest seat going into 2010. Some may say Mark Richt at Georgia but Coach Miles since winning the national championship in 2007, has LSU sitting at 8-8 in the SEC over the last two seasons and none of those wins have come against a team that finished with a winning conference record. The program is heading in the wrong direction. 2010 will not be easy with a tough schedule facing LSU but how this shapes out will determine Les’s fate. If he has another .500 year, well a pink slip will be heading his way as the LSU fans demand better.
4) What team could surprise/disappoint this year in the SEC?
That team is Arkansas due to the hype coming into the 2010 season. They could surprise or they could disappoint. The fate of that question lies in two areas – QB Ryan Mallet and their defense. They have the offense to put up some silly numbers but will the defense be able to hold a lead? Ryan Mallet does not want to be like Jevan Snead and fall flat on his face after getting many kudos from college football pundits. It should prove fun to watch in which direction this team will head as it could be a special season in battling Alabama for SEC West glory or it could easily be somewhat normal 3rd place finish (or heck event worse).
5) Who is one player to watch this season?
There are so many to name in the SEC from AJ Green at Georgia and Patrick Peterson at LSU to Ryan Mallet at Arky and how Brantley does as the lead Gator. Not to mention the likes of Chris Marve at Vandy, Justin Houston at UGa and Cliff Matthews at USC. On this one, I gotta say Mark Ingram from Alabama. As the defending Heisman Trophy winner it will be interesting to see how he does in 2010. Will he repeat? Will Trent Richardson steal significant carries? What kind of post-Heisman season will he have? That is the reason I am watching Ingram in 2010.
6) With realignment dominating the summer, does it have any impact on the dominant SEC? Do you expect the conference to make any moves in the near future?
No impact really on the SEC as it is still the best conference thus the reason other conferences are revamping to catch up with the SEC on many fronts. I really don’t see, this year, the dominance of the SEC being impacted by what others do. The SEC did the right thing by staying calm and allowing the cookies to fall as they did. With that, college football is evolving due to money. At some point the SEC will have to alter how they do things and that means expanding. When that happens CFB’s landscape will change forever and the notion of super conferences will be born and heck we many even get a true playoff system in place.
7) Whose your pick to win the SEC?
That is a really tough question because there are so many storylines that must play out before the crown is given in December. I feel going into the season, this is Alabama’s championship to lose. They are my pick to win it again due to a smart QB under center, the best 1-2 rushing attack in the nation, 9 starters on offense and the Saban factor. Only question mark is on defense as they return just one starter but this brings me back to the Saban factor. He prides his coaching on defense and he is not going to let that unit lead to disappointment. If Alabama can keep Arkansas’s offense quiet on Sept. 25, then get over the UF hump on Oct. 2nd and not let an upset happen in Columbia on Oct. 9th – then Alabama will repeat as SEC champs.
Thanks again to the guys over at RSS and do check them out. So what do you think of our SEC overview heading into 2010?
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