IT'S GAME WEEK! Finally, this weekend, college football returns (as if it ever left) to the South. We here at Permanent Press have gazed into the crystal ball and have seen the future. Behold, the Permanent Press 2011 South Carolina Gamecock Predictions:
ECU: South Carolina opens up the 2011 season with high hopes. The first team to meet the Gamecocks are the ECU Pirates on a neutral field in Charlotte. ECU has had success in Charlotte before, when they took down Virginia Tech, so ECU is no stranger to pulling the upset. The much touted USC defensive line with Devin Taylor, Melvin Ingram and some guy named Clowney are not going to get to the QB too much. The ECU offense is going to look very similar to the Southern Miss offense we saw in last year's opener: The QB will get the ball out quickly to the edge on screens and in the flat. ECU is going to be frustrating in that point of the game. The counter to that will fall on South Carolina's arguably weakest link - the secondary. If the Gamecock secondary tackles well and clamps down, the ECU offense will not be a threat. When USC has the ball, look for a steady dose of Lattimore until ECU proves they can stop him. Once ECU starts filling the box, watch for Garcia/Shaw to find Jeffrey, Ace, et al. in the air. Ultimately, the ECU defense will not be able to keep pace with the USC offense and ECU gets forced to go deep, which hopefully is unsuccessful.
Official Prediction: ECU 17; USC 45
USC 1-0
UGA: If I had to circle one game on the SEC schedule to win, this is it. UGA will be coming off either a big win or devastating loss to Boise State. Either way, both teams will want this game badly. USC will be looking to make it two in a row, and UGA will be looking for redemption after Lattimore's coming out party against them last year here in Columbia. Going on the road in the SEC is never an easy proposition no matter who you're playing, but don't be fooled by the loss of A.J. Green and thin depth of UGA. The Bulldogs are a good, young team. They have some very good freshman who will be looking to prove themselves, and Sanford Stadium is going to be rocking. Aaron Murray is a great QB, so I think this game hangs on the offensive line of UGA vs. the USC D-Line. If USC can rush Murray and force him to make off-balance throws (or pile-drive him a few times) USC can get out of Athens with a win. If Murray has time, this game will go to UGA. Lattimore will get his yards, but he won't have another huge game like last year.
Official Prediction: USC 24; UGA 17
USC 2-0
Navy: Finally, after two road games, USC returns to the friendly confines of Williams-Brice for the home opener against the Midshipmen. Every Gamecock fan knows about the USC defeat to Navy in 1984, so no one will be overconfident going into this game. However, revenge will be the order of the day. Navy has the ol' triple-option which can be a very frustrating offense to contain when run well. Navy will run it well, but nothing like they did last year with Dobbs. Look for the USC passing attack to have a huge day, because I guarantee you that Navy has NO ONE that is even close to as fast as Byrd, no one as big and tall as Alshon, and no one who can handle Ace across the middle. My biggest concern is the chop blocks to our D-line in this game. If we come out with no injuries, it's a success.
Official Prediction: Navy 10; USC 38
USC 3-0
Vanderbilt: The Gamecocks are always good for a clunker of a game at least once a season, and this might be it. Looking ahead to Auburn next week, USC I think USC looks a little sloppy against Vandy, but it will have enough discipline and talent to get the win.
Official Prediction: Vanderbilt: 24; USC: 31
USC 4-0
Auburn: We all know what happened out on the plains and in Atlanta last year. Each time, USC ran into the buzzsaw known as Cam Newton. This year, he'll be playing in the NFL, so Auburn will have some rebuilding to do. This will be Auburn's second trip into the Palmetto state this year, with the trip to Clemson in Week 3. Last year was Newton's coming out party, so it would be fitting if this year Auburn is Lattimore's coming out party. As always, our WRs will be dangerous, so a few passes loosens up the Auburn Defense for a solid dose of Mr. Lattimore who will grind out the yards. Auburn won't have Cam Newton to save them this time.
Official Prediction: Auburn 17; USC 28
USC 5-0
Kentucky: The loss to UK last year is still tough to think about. That was just a train wreck in the second half last year. This year, the team will not be looking past UK. Garcia will go off in this game and have over 300 yards passing. Shon "Don't call me Greene" Carson will see some action and get his first TD of the year, and the Defense plays their best game yet.
Official Prediction: UK 0; USC 35
USC 6-0
Mississippi State: Ugh. I don't like the feeling of this game. Throw the stats out of the window, forget about talent, the damn cowbells, or the fact that Mississippi State has a darn good team. This feels like too many turnovers keep USC from winning the game against a solid opponent on the road.
Official Prediction: USC 17; MSU 24
USC 6-1
OPEN DATE: We'll have all week to think about the first loss of the season; which sucks.
Tennessee: UT still doesn't have a very good team, and USC is going to be fired up coming off a bye week where all we did was think about what could have been in Starkville. Lattimore leads the way again, with a great 2 TD game from Byrd.
Official Prediction: USC 27; UT 21
USC 7-1
Arkansas: The final game of the brutal three game road stretch has disaster written all over it. USC just never seems to be able to figure out how to get out of the Natural State with a win. The loss of Knile Davis will make the Hogs weaker rushing the ball, but everything clicks in Petrino's offense with the passing attack. If our D-line steps up and our secondary has a great game, we'll win; if not, tally another one for the Hogs. This one is a true toss up in my mind, but I'll give USC the edge - barely.
Official Prediction: USC 24; Arkansas 21
USC 8-1
Florida: By now, we'll know how the Muschamp/Weis offense is going down in the Swamp, but the game will be played in Williams-Brice. The fans are loud, and John Brantely still isn' the answer for the Gators. Alshon is the difference in this game, making a few big catches to seal the deal on a final drive and Garcia takes a knee for the Gamecock's ninth win.
Official Prediction: UF 20; USC 24
USC 9-1
Citadel: Carolina has a nice little break between the Florida and Clemson game, so this should be an opportunity to rest up any nagging injuries, continue building depth, and tune up for next week. USC should win this one in a walk, as The Citadel is a great school, but it's not a great football school on the level of an SEC program. Connor Shaw should see extended time along with Shon Carson.
Official Prediction: The Citadel 3;USC 49
USC 10-1
Clemson: Finally, the Clemson Tigers come to Williams-Brice looking for an end to the two-game losing streak, while Stephen Garcia looks to become a three-time winner against Carolina's upstate rival. This game is way in the future, so it remains to be seen how this Clemson team shakes out, but regardless of how the season has gone, Clemson will be up for this game. The key for Carolina will be shutting down Ellington and forcing Boyd to beat our secondary in the air, as Ellington is a proven weapon. On the defense, which is usually solid for Clemson, the departure of Bowers from the D-Line leaves a huge void that the Tigers will have to replace. In this game, I think it comes down to not turning the ball over, and the power of USC's defensive line may be enough to rush Boyd and force some poor throws. If Garcia can keep his composure, I think he can have a huge game at home to end his career at USC. It would be a nice way to end the Garcia story, but as we all know, Gamecock stories are more like Greek tragedies than anything else. Could this be the year that breaks the mold?
Official Prediction: Clemson 17; USC 20
USC 11-1
There you have it. An eleven win season and a trip to Atlanta. Sounds like fun. Some may find me overly optimistic, but I think that 11-1 is very doable. 10-2 is also possible. The key is for our team to find consistent play and to not have the "clunker" game. Who's with me?
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