2014 Gamecock Football Prediction

Ok, campers. We are at T-minus six days and counting to the kickoff of the South Carolina Gamecocks 2014 season. As I've done in years past, I'm going to give you a game-by-game prediction for the entire season before it starts.

However, before I get into this year, I'm going to recap my previous predictions, just so you can see how they shook out. All numbers exclude the bowl game. I'm just talking about the regular season.

2011: My prediction was 11-1 . Actual result was 10-2.

2012: My prediction 10-2. Actual result was 10-2.

2013: My prediction was 11-1. Actual result was 10-2.

So, with the exception of 2012, I have a track record of being one game too many too optimistic. I guess that's probably true, as I freely admit my bias towards the Gamecocks. Anyway, here's my 2014 season prediction, for whatever it's worth.

8/28 Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

This game will be the kickoff of the entire college football season. It's a Thursday night game, so the entire college football world will have it's eyes on this game. TAMU will come in ranked at #21, and the Gamecocks will come in ranked #9. This will be a great test right out of the gate for both teams. It's a conference game, so there isn't any tune-up game in week one to work out the kinks. Both teams need to hit the ground running to be successful.

We know that TAMU will have a good offense. Coach Sumlin likes to throw the ball around a lot, so we'll really see how good our secondary is (or isn't) in the first game. Having said that, I think this is going to be a game that has become somewhat of a normal recipie for a Gamecock victory under Spurrier. When confronted with an opponent who likes to throw the ball most of the time and use tempo, look for the South Carolina offense to really grind the clock with a heavy dose of running the ball. I think South Carolina will win the time of possession battle, keep the TAMU offense off the field, and wear down the TAMU defense. The rushing attack will be interspersed with Dylan Thompson throwing some deep balls to keep the Aggie defense honest, but in the end, I see this being a solid win for South Carolina. A&M will be starting a new QB, so look for our defense to try and force some mistakes.

South Carolina 1-0

9/6 East Carolina vs. South Carolina

Once again, the Gamecocks will face a team that likes to thrown the ball a lot, however there will be less talent on the ECU compared to TAMU. I think the Gamecocks will play fairly conservatively, keeping the ball on the ground and controlling the tempo of the game.

South Carolina 2-0

9/13 Georgia vs. South Carolina

This game. It's always big. Barring some crazy injuries to one of the teams, this game will be a dead heat in Vegas. Big implications here. Both teams will probably come in undefeated, which makes it a top ten match-up. ESPN College Gameday will probably be here for this game.

Both teams will try to run the ball, and Georgia will certainly have success doing so with their big horse in the backfield. This is already set for the 3:30 CBS game, so it's going to be a day game. I'd prefer a night game, but the atmosphere will be electric anyway. I think this one is going to come down to a turnover or two, because these teams are so evenly matched. You could really pick this one either way, but since the game is being played in Columbia, I'm going to take the home team in  a very close game.

South Carolina 3-0

9/20 South Carolina at Vanderbilt

This will be the first road game of the season for South Carolina, and this I'll actually be making this trip. I've been meaning to cross Vanderbilt off my list of SEC stadiums to visit, so I'll be doing that for this game. (Only Knoxville and Missouri will remain on my list in the SEC East.) Vanderbilt is plucky, has gotten better over the years, but so has South Carolina. I think South Carolina will go into their first road game with some confidence having edged past Georgia (or alternatively, fired up having lost to Georgia). Either way, I think South Carolina wins by two scores in Nashville.

South Carolina 4-0

9/27 Missouri vs. South Carolina

Revenge will be on the minds of the Missouri Tigers, since South Carolina absolutely broke their heart last year in a 2OT game, that culminated in a missed Missouri field goal. I don't know how good Mizzou will be this year. No one really predicted them to be good last year, but they were. I think that maybe Mizzou will come down to earth a little, and I think that the South Carolina defense will get the best of Matty Mauk. I predict two INTs for the Gamecock defense to set up short fields for the offense.

South Carolina 5-0

10/4 South Carolina at Kentucky

The second road game takes the Gamecocks to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Wildcats. This ain't basketball, so South Carolina wins easily.

South Carolina 6-0

10/18 Furman vs. South Carolina

Spurrier won't let the team lose focus against Furman. He's undefeated in his career against FCS teams for a reason - he treats every game the same. Furman won't be any different. Look for USC to get an early lead, and then take out all the starters in an effort to avoid any injuries. Big game next week on The Plains.

South Carolina 7-0

10/25 South Carolina at Auburn

This will be the toughest game of the year so far. I would rank Auburn on par (or slightly better than Georgia) and when you throw in the fact that it will be on The Plains, this game has trouble written all over it. South Carolina has never beaten Auburn since joining the SEC, and I don't think this will be the game that snaps that streak. I think the Auburn rushing attack will be relentless, and ultimately, too much for the Gamecocks to handle. Unless Auburn makes some big mistakes they win this one.

South Carolina 7-1

11/1 Tennessee vs. South Carolina

This will be a revenge game for South Carolina. Had the Gameocks not lost to Tennessee last year, they would have gone to Atlanta. However, the clunker of a game in Knoxille last year had the Gamecocks watching the SEC championship game like the rest of us - on TV. Now, I look for the Gamecocks to pounce on Tennessee and extract vengeance.

South Carolina 8-1

11/15 South Carolina at Florida

I think Georgia will still only have one loss at this point (to South Carolina), so this will be the chance for the Gamecocks to punch their ticket to Atlanta with a win. We did exactly that in 2010 behind Lattimore and Garcia. I don't know what this Florida team is really going to look like, but I know the Florida defense is going to be nasty. This could be a low-scoring slugfest, which suits Muschamp just fine. While I'd really like to pick this as a win, my head says that Florida will hold serve at home behind the Gator faithful. I think South Carolina will make a few crucial mistakes and lose by one score.

South Carolina 8-2

11/22 South Alabama vs. South Carolina

The Gamecocks come home for a game against an FBS opponent this week. Coming off a loss to Florida and looking ahead to Clemson, they'll need it. A workmanlike win that should see lots of time for the backups.

South Carolina 9-2

11/29 South Carolina vs. Clemson

Look y'all. Clemson had the best chance to beat us (for a long while) last year and the year before that. Two years ago, Carolina started Thomson as a backup (without Lattimore), and beat Clemson up in Death Valley. Last year, Clemson had a great team, but still couldn't win. This year, Dylan Thompson returns to Death Valley to see if he can be one of the few Gamecock QBs to win two games in Death Valley.

He will. The streak will continue. Six in a row.

South Carolina 10-2

Post-Season/Final Thoughts

I'm not sure if 6-2 will be enough to win the East. I could see Georgia losing only one game. Heck, I could see Florida losing only one conference game. All I can tell you is that which ever team wins seven games will take the division title. I think seven is the magic number. If South Carolina finds a way to slip past Auburn or Florida on the road, then I think we'll get to Atlanta. I just don't think we can lose both of those games and make it to the Georgia Dome at the end of the year. That will be somewhat disappointing, but 10-2 with a sixth straight win over Clemson is enough to keep this Gamecock fan very happy.

Only 500 Days Until "Climate Chaos"

To continue on the whole global warming topic today, I guess I should cancel the awesome party I was planning on throwing 501 days from now.

There is no week without a phone call or a visit between John and myself, and we have on the agenda many items, many issues – Iran, because negotiations are resuming today; the question of Syria, and we shall meet next Thursday in London together; Ukraine as well; and very important issues, issue of climate change, climate chaos. And we have – as I said, we have 500 days to avoid climate chaos. And I know that President Obama and John Kerry himself are committed on this subject and I’m sure that with them, with a lot of other friends, we shall be able to reach success on this very important matter.

The thing this French guy needs to learn from psychics and horoscopes is to keep your predictions vague. Being specific never works out. You need to say things that can't be distinctly proven wrong.

500 days seems kind of specific.

My favorite part of the piece is that the only commentary in the piece is "France is scheduled to host the "21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change" in December 2015, about 565 days from now".

Seems like they should just cancel that whole shin-dig, amirite?

No Hurricanes for SC This Year?

Hurricane Irene Via NASA

According to scientists at Coastal Carolina University, we won't have any hurricanes hit the Palmetto State this summer.

But wait! I was told that global warming would increase hurricane activity. How can this be?

2014 Gamecock Baseball Season Preview

Last night, Holbrook, Myers, and Esposito spoke at a Palmetto Club dinner to give a season preview. I took a few notes, and thought I would share with fellow USC Baseball fans. It's long, so I'm putting it below a jump.

Florida State vs. Auburn (My Pick)

It's a beautiful backdrop in Southern California, perfect for the last game of the season. It's also the last BCS Championship ever. Next year will be the first year of the playoffs, so there's a special quality to this game.

Auburn has gotten here due to some magical plays down the stretch. Some people are calling them the "Team of Destiny". Florida State has gotten here by beating the snot out of what is admittedly a weaker schedule than most. However, they're for real.

I don't know if the Auburn magic will continue for one more game, or if Florida State will continue their dominance, but we should be in for a good one.

Relax, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the majesty of this beautiful game. For a die hard football fan, it's really nice to be able to watch a game without really having too much stake in the outcome. My new brother-in-law has Auburn in his family, and my mom has some Florida State in hers.

Being a good southern boy, I'll go with my mama and the Seminoles.

Enjoy the game.

Clemson vs. Carolina Prediction 2013

That's all I have to say about that.

2013 Gamecock Football Game-by-Game Prediction

Ok, folks. It's that time of year again. Last year, I accurately predicted a 10-2 regular season, with the only problem being I picked the Gamecocks to beat Florida and lose to Arkansas, and the opposite happened, so they kind of washed each other out.

We're now seven days away from kicking off the season.

Anyway, on to the present. Here is the official Permanent Press™ prediction for the 2013 Gamecock Football season. I hope we can work in the tight ends this year the way we successfully did at moments last year. Everyone is telling me that this is going to be the year that the O-line puts it together. I'm skeptical, but I'd sure love for them to be right. Clowney will get double teamed most of the year, but he'll have his moments. I almost hate how much publicity he's received. There's almost no way he can live up to it unless he hurls fireballs from his eyes every play. He'll end up in New York, but I doubt he'll win the Heisman. Carolina will have some young linebackers, but they'll be ok. Here's the detailed game-by-game prediction:

2013 Game by Game Prediction

8/29 North Carolina

The South Carolina Gamecocks start their 2013 campaign next Thursday against the North Carolina Tarheels. North Carolina has a really nice campus, they have a good coach, but they ain't SEC. This game will probably be close in the first half with UNC running the up-tempo offense, but the Gamecocks size and strength will wear down the Tarheel front seven in the second half. Look for lots of yards from Mike Davis and company.

1-0 (0-0 SEC)

9/7 @Georgia

You know this game is important. I don't have to tell you that. Georgia is not happy about losing to the Gamecocks the last three year. They're going to be mad. They don't like Spurrier, and they look at South Carolina as the little brother who needs to know his place. Sorry, Dawgfans. Carolina wins again in a hard-fought game. I think Shaw's legs are the difference in this game, as he'll scramble out of trouble and put a dagger in the heart late. Clowney and the rest of the D-Line will keep Murray under pressure all night, so it will be up to the Dawg running game to keep the chains moving. They'll do it some, but it won't be enough

2-0 (1-0 SEC)

9/14 Vanderbilt

James Franklin is a great coach. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have a great football team. Vandy will be breaking in a new quarterback who will be introduced to a nasty D-line. I think this game is going to be a stomping. Carolina goes up early and doesn't look back.

3-0 (2-0 SEC)

9/28 @Central Florida

Not really thrilled with having to go on the road to Central Florida. This is the kind of game that worries me. UCF is now in the AAC, whatever the heck that is. The only thing that gives me confidence is that Spurrier doesn't lose these types of games. I think Central Florida will play the Gamecocks pretty tight, and they might even have the lead early. In the end, the Gamecocks sneak out with a win. I think this is one of those "gut-check" win-ugly kind of games.

4-0 (2-0 SEC)

10/5 Kentucky

The offense will be happy to be back within the confines of Williams-Brice after the trip to Orlando. Kentucky will be the perfect team to beat up on before the big three game road trip that looms large. The offense and the defense will both put up big numbers in this game and give everyone a boost of confidence going into the road trip. We'll need it.

5-0 (3-0 SEC)

10/12 @Arkansas

Dammit. I hate going to Arkansas. I mean, I'm not actually going, but I hate it when the Gamecocks have to go to Arkansas. We never play well there. I don't know if it's the travel or what, but Arkansas just always seems to have our number. I know Arkansas has a new coach that likes to play the Big 10 style of football, but I'm not entirely convinced that the Gamecocks win this game. I'm going to go ahead and call this a stumble on the road in the SEC. I'm so glad they won't be our permanent Western opponent anymore after this year.

5-1 (3-1 SEC)

10/19 @Tennessee

This game scares me, but it doesn't scare me as much as Arkansas. South Carolina doesn't have a great track record in Knoxville, but the Volunteers aren't what they used to be. They'll match up good on the offensive line, and this could be a low-scoring game. I'll take South Carolina by a field goal at the end, but I would not be shocked by a loss here. Disappointed, but not shocked. Any win on the road in the SEC is an achievement. This will the the one road game I attend this year.

6-1 (4-1 SEC)

10/26 @Missouri

We saw the fast paced offense of UNC in the first game, and this is the same type of offense. They're going to try and run the up-tempo style. I'm not too worried about this game, as Mizzou isn't going to have the same quality defense as the Gamecocks. I think the WR corps has a great day in the other Columbia, as Carolina puts up some big numbers on offense and wins by two touchdowns, and I think it's set up by more than two interceptions from the Gamecock defense to put our offense in short yardage situations.

7-1 (5-1 SEC)

11/02 Mississippi State
South Carolina gets to host CLANGA this year, so at least we don't have to go to Starkville and listen to CLANGA. This is a nice draw from the SEC West, as we're dodging Alabama and TAMU. Dan Mullen is a great coach for CLANGA, but he's not going to bring his boys to Williams-Brice and win.

8-1 (6-1 SEC)

11/16 Florida
Last year's game against Florida was awful. We held Florida to under 200 yards, but still lost because we were entirely inept on offense to the point where we just handed the ball to the Gators on the 1 yard line a few times. It was awful. The team will remember this game, and they will be motivated to play better. This will probably be the career defining game for Connor Shaw. If he can beat Florida (and my predictions are right so far) this will seal up the SEC East for South Carolina, and punch our ticket to Atlanta. I think he gets it done in a hard-hitting, slugfest of a low-scoring game. I'm thinking the Gamecocks win in a score of something like 17-14.

9-1 (7-1 SEC) Atlanta Ticket is punched.

11/23 Coastal Carolina
Kind of a week off game. With the ticket already punched for Atlanta and Clemson looming, the starters get pulled early, and the new kids get lots of playing time. My guess is that Carolina will win, but we won't cover the spread with all of our starters sitting on the sideline the entire second half. It's not a bye week, but it's about as close as it gets.

10-1 (7-1 SEC)

11/30 Clemson
Five in a row. That is all.

11-1 (7-1 SEC)

My guess is that we go to Atlanta, face Alabama and lose. I'm not sure where that will put the Gamecocks for a bowl game, but it will be a good season. Not a great season - that would require an SEC title - but it's a good season. Clowney falls a little short of his goal of delivering an SEC title, but winning the SEC isn't easy. It's the de facto national championship until some other conference steps up.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Am I too optimistic? I hope not.

Garden & Gun Southern Food Bracket

I'm not filling out a bracket for squeaky-hoops, like our President and millions of other folks. Instead, I just filled out the Garden and Gun Southern Food Bracket. You should do this as well, because we can't let Fritos beat Palmetto Cheese.

Just looking at the bracket, I'm going to predict a Coca-Cola vs. Krispy Kreme final.

Understanding the Sequester (Pie Chart)

http://www.investors.com/editorial-cartoons/michael-ramirez/645725

You know, to hear some people tell you about the sequester, we're DOOMED! March 1 will be here soon. What do you think will happen?

I think this pie chart really puts the cuts in perspective. They're not really that big. To put it another way, this year, the cuts are $85 billion, leaving the government with a nearly $3.6 trillion budget.

In fact, under the sequester the government will spend about $60 billion more than it did in 2008 just on what are called domestic discretionary programs — like education, law enforcement, highways and the environment. That's an increase of more than 10%.

I understand that the sequester is going to cut across the board. Good programs that don't waste money will lose funding along with the wasteful, useless, bloated programs. But the government will spend more the year after. The spending is set to increase at the same rate as always. We're just having a one-time cut, then we'll continue to spend more each year.

We're driving towards a cliff, and instead of accelerating at full speed, we're just going to tap the brakes for a second, then accelerate at full speed again. Maybe we are DOOMED. Just not the way people are saying.

2012 Electoral Map; My Prediction

I've looked at the polls and I've decided that I'm going to go with my gut on a few picks. First I think that that Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia go red. Florida is the state that Romney really needs, and he'll get it earlier in the night than most people think. North Carolina is red. 2008 was sooooo 2008. It's red again this year, along with Virginia.

New Hampshire goes red because Romney is in solid shape there. I wouldn't have expected this a month ago, but I'm cautiously optimistic for New Hampshire. Colorado goes red, because it's razor thin in the polling, and it's been moving Romney's way in the last month.

So, to count electoral votes at this point, I've got Romney 261, Obama 223. The remaining states are Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Since Romney needs 9, Iowa becomes irrelevant.

Romney wins one of the remaining three, or Obama wins all three, and it's game over. I know that lots of really optimistic GOP folks are saying Pennsylvania is going red this year, but I'm not buying. PA is blue. Just to go for the unexpected, I'm going to say that Obama gets Ohio and Romney pulls a surprise and takes the Badger state to go over the top.

Final Score: Romney 271; Obama 267.

Here's my map. Am I crazy? Or crazy like a fox?

2012 Gamecock Football Prediction

This prediction took me a little longer than I thought. After much analysis, crunching numbers, reviewing opposing teams, and throwing some bones into a pot filled with Alligator blood, and smoking some peyote, I have seen a vision. Behold: Gamecock Football 2012, Permanent Press Prediction.

Gamecock Football 2012 Prediction

August 30: @Vanderbilt

The season starts on Thursday night, under the lights in Nashville. The Vanderbilt Commodores have been looking towards this first game during the entire off-season as their “coming out” party to show that they aren’t going to be the doormat of the SEC anymore. The South Carolina Gamecocks have high hopes for 2012, and it all starts with this conference game.

On the Gamecock offense, I see Lattimore getting the ball early to take the early pressure off of Shaw. If #21 and the offensive line starts to get into a rhythm early, this game is going to be over before it starts. If the Commodore defense starts to stack the box, then it will be time for Shaw to show why he’s the leader of this team. If USC is up late, guess what? More running plays.

On the Gamecock defense, they need to pick up where it left off last season. Everyone knows about the great DEs that the Gamecocks have, so my guess is that the Commodores are going to try and neutralize that with quick screens, draws, and slants. Hard running between the tackles will also be expected from Zac Stacy, who had a great year last year (1,193 yards and 14 TDs). If the Gamecock defense can keep Stacy from grinding out yards and make Jordan Rodgers try to beat them through the air, the less than stellar Commodore O-line will not be able to hold.

Ultimately, I think this game is a win. One thing that Spurrier is good at is winning the games that he is “supposed to win”. The Gamecocks have more talent than Vanderbilt and going to be the favorite going into this game. Apparently, the Commodores are going to “Blackout” this game, in an attempt to get the crowd to become a factor in the game. I predict that #21 scores the opening touchdown and the crowd doesn’t get a chance to get into the game.

South Carolina 1-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 8: East Carolina

The Gamecock’s home opener for 2012 comes against the East Carolina Pirates, who put up more than thirty points last year in Charlotte against a very good Gamecock defense. This year, the pirates have to come to WB and face a fired up crowd. I don't think they're going to get as many points as they did last year.

South Carolina 2-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 15: UAB

South Carolina’s first night game of 2012 (the new video-board is going to look AWESOME at night) will be against the UAB Blazers. This should be a final tune up before the SEC schedule starts, so look for the coaching staff to work out all the kinks. If Carolina gets a lead early, this would be a great game for the backups to get some reps while protecting the starters.

South Carolina 3-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 22: Missouri

The first conference game played in Williams-Brice in 2012 will be against the Missouri Tigers. Time to see what our new conference foes in "the other Columbia" will be able to bring. The Mizzou offense likes to go up and down the field, so this should be a great test for our defense. If the Gamecocks can keep Mizzou in check, we will know our defense is ready and loaded for bear. Mizzou will be coming of a two game stretch of UGA and Arizona State, so this may be a nice time to pounce on them. Look for QB James Franklin to be the center of attention - he's getting hype already. Hopefully, Clowney and Co. will make this a long day for him. Mizzou seems to have the playmakers, but I question their skill and size in the trenches. Look for Lattimore to have a big day, and TE Adams makes a solid contribution with a TD of his own.

South Carolina 4-0 (2-0, SEC)

September 29: @Kentucky

After a three game home-stand the Gamecocks head to Lexington, KY to take on the Wildcats. We whoop some Wildcats and come home. Every road win is a good win in the SEC, so I don't care if it's pretty or not. Get in, get a win, get home, no injuries. Get ready for Georgia next week.

South Carolina 5-0 (3-0, SEC)

October 6: Georgia

The month of October holds four games that will define the season for the Gamecocks. This date is circled on the calendar for both teams. You know the Bulldogs want to avenge the two game losing streak they have, they want to show that they are still the big brother program, and Spurrier probably wants to beat Georgia more than any other SEC team. This game is going to be a slug-fest of two heavyweights who know that everything is on the line. Can the defense get to Murray, will our O-line be able to open up some running lanes and give Shaw time to find the open man? I think this game will return to the old-fashioned, low scoring affair from several years ago. Turnovers will be the story of this game, but a field goal could likely be the difference.

South Carolina 6-0 (4-0, SEC)

October 13: @LSU

I'll be at this game in-person, as this will be my one road trip of the year. LSU will be without the Honey-Badger, but that's fine. They have a bevy of highly talented guys just waiting to step in and replace him. This isn't going to be a pretty game. I have to give the advantage to the home team here, and LSU knows how to win.

South Carolina 6-1 (4-1, SEC)

October 20: @Florida

Coming off the first loss of the season, the Gamecocks head to Gainesville to take on a Florida Gator team that has a lot of questions. We'll know more about the Gators than we do right now, but this isn't going to be a Florida team that runs up points. I think the first team to 28 wins this game. The Gamecocks will need to play disciplined and grind the clock out to get another win in the Swamp. Lean on Lattimore time at the end, but freshman WR Shaq Roland will contribute in this game early.

South Carolina 7-1 (5-1, SEC)

October 27 Tennessee

I like Derek Dooley as much as I can possibly like a UT head coach. He actually seems like a classy guy, which is more than I can same for the asshat that he replaced. Unfortunately, Tennessee is going to fire Dooley after the Gamecocks hammer the Volunteers. Ellington has a big day. Think kickoff-return for a TD-type big.

South Carolina 8-1 (6-1, SEC)

November 10: Arkansas

The Hogs. They've had our number for years. I just can't sit here at my keyboard and type words that predict us to win this game. I try, but the words just come out alksd adifojee rejadsoiew jeejielkdx. See? I tried. Arkansas continues to roll over us despite their lack of Petrino.

South Carolina 8-2 (6-2, SEC)

Will 6-2 be good enough to win the SEC East? I really don't know. This could be a repeat of last year where the Gamecocks sweep the East, lose two games to Western division foes, and the Georgia Bulldogs go to Atlanta. That could happen. Again.

November 17: Wofford

Yeah, Wofford. Am I looking ahead to the next game? Yep.

South Carolina 9-2 (6-2, SEC)

November 24 @Clemson

State Championship Game. The three-time defending Champion South Carolina Gamecocks travel up to Clemson to try and make it four in a row. Just think about that for a moment. Trying to make it four in a row. Clemson is going to fight like hell, the crowd will be fired up, and this will be a tough game. In the end, Carolina breaks their Tiger hearts for the fourth time in a row. Mass suicides may take place at the Esso Club after the final whistle. What makes this even sweeter is that Spurrier gets to become the winningest coach at South Carolina but sticking the knife into Clemson.

South Carolina 10-2 (6-2, SEC)

___________________________________________

There you have it. A ten win season, four in a row over Clemson, sweeping the SEC East (again) and Spurrier becomes the all time winningest Gamecock Football coach. Sounds like a hell of a season. Who's with me?

PGA Championship at Kiawah

The PGA Championship at Kiawah was a resounding success for both Rory McIlroy and South Carolina at large. For a state that has a “First in Golf” license plate, expectations were understandably high. Kiawah did not disappoint. The setting of the South Carolina coast struck awe (and possibly some fear) into players and patrons alike. The wind was downright brutal at times, but that’s the way we like it. Also, it’s not every day that there is a “gator delay” on a golf course.

Even though there were some doom-and-gloom folks who were saying that traffic was going to be a nightmare, the folks at Kiawah and the PGA did an excellent job with what was admittedly a tough situation.

Although Permanent Press was not able to obtain press credentials this year (although I will be doing that eventually if the readership continues to climb) we had secret agent "Scorecard" infiltrate the highest levels of the Ocean Course. Scorecard traveled to Kiawah via mini-sub, then swam ashore in a wet-suit that pulled away to reveal traditional golf attire underneath, James Bond-style.

At great personal risk of being caught by the “mobile device policy enforcement” police, Scorecard was able to obtain a beautiful shot with the beach in the background.

Courtesy: Secret Agent "Scorecard"

Notice the name "Woods" on the top? Yeah, that didn't last too long. On Sunday, McIlroy made it look easy the way Tiger did a decade ago. Good for McIlroy; this won't be his last win, either. On a related note, wow, doesn't it feel weird to say “a decade ago” for Tiger? Could the window be closing on his run to eclipse Nicklaus’ major championship record?

If you're not familiar, Nicklaus, who many would label as one of the greatest golfer of all-time, has the record for major championship wins at eighteen. Tiger is currently sitting at fourteen. When Tiger was at his zenith at the turn of the century, it looked like he was going to obliterate Nicklaus' record. Now?

Four more wins looks like a pretty tall order for the man who at one point won four in a row. I'm going to call it right now, though: Tiger Woods won't win four more majors in his PGA career. Just remember you heard it here first. Hey, maybe you should save this photo, since we may not see Woods' name on the top of a leader-board too many more times.

Gamecock Football 2012: First Impressions

Last summer, I accurately predicted that the South Carolina Gamecocks would go 11-1.  Specifically, I predicted that the Gamecocks would lose to Mississippi State and beat Auburn, so that washed out. Other than that, I ran the table with my picks.(Suck it, Phil Steele) This year, probably towards the latter part of August, I’m going to give my overall season prediction for 2012.

This year, in addition to my general preview, I’ve decided to up the stakes and give a Friday prediction against the spread for each Carolina game (and maybe a few others), just for fun. However, I don’t recommend that you use my college football picks for anything other than fun.

For now, I’m going to look at the 2012 schedule for the Gamecocks and let that marinate a little. My first impression is that the month of October is pretty much going to decide the team’s fate.

10/6    Georgia

10/13  @LSU

10/20  @Florida

10/27  Tennessee

Wow. That’s a brutal stretch. The boys will have to battle.

Also, my (probably only) road trip game this year will be a trip down to Baton Rouge with Mrs. Permanent Press. We’re looking forward to some seeing some LSU friends and getting the inside scoop on the best food, drink, and atmosphere that a tailgate at Tiger Stadium has to offer.

Hurricane Experts Give Up Trying

In South Carolina, the natural disaster that we worry about more than any other is the hurricane. (No, not this one.) Every so often, the weather experts tell us whether or not we should expect an active hurricane season or not. Personally, I put very little stock in these predictions. However, we're seeing a change in this:

“We are discontinuing our early December quantitative hurricane forecast for the next year … Our early December Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts of the last 20 years have not shown real-time forecast skill even though the hindcast studies on which they were based had considerable skill.”

Basically: Our predictions have been worthless, so we're going to wait until the hurricanes are closer before we try to predict them so we stop making fools of ourselves.

The two scientists from Colorado State University will still discuss different probabilities of hurricane seasons in December. But the shift signals how far humans are, even with supercomputers, from truly knowing what our weather will do in the long run.

What? You're telling me that even with a "supercomputer" you can't predict general hurricane patterns a couple of months out?

One Question: Are we still supposed to go along with all your friends who are telling us that the entire earth is going to heat up in the next twenty years, the polar ice caps will melt, the cute polar bears will all die, and we'll all cook to death because Mrs. PP (and company) drives an SUV?

Just checking, because if you can't tell me whether or not a hurricane season is going to be big or not in less than a year, I have trouble believing you when you talk about things that will happen in 20 years.

[H/T: Ace]

2011 Clemson Tigers Football Prediction

Ok, I know that I promised a prediction for both USC and Clemson Football. As you may have seen from my earlier prediction for the Gamecocks, it was quite a long post. Accordingly, it has taken me awhile to do the Clemson prediction, as I'm not quite as familiar with the Tigers. In any event, my 2011 Clemson Tigers Prediction is below the jump:

2011 Gamecock Football Prediction

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:

Debt Ceiling Strategy Predicted by Marc Ambinder...

in December of last year. But the President wasn't worried. Just like the Cassandra of Greek mythology, Ambinder predicts the future but is not believed.


No further commentary necessary.