THE BIG GAME?
Is this Saturday's game VS Georgia the
biggest game of the year?
After this weekend, the Gamecocks will have played 25% of their 8 SEC
conference games. If the offensive line can protect QB Blake Mitchell and the
defense plays the game of their lives and hold the trio of talented Bulldog
running backs to under 125 yards on the ground combined, USC has a chance to
be up 2-0 in the SEC.
That would be huge considering that USC still has yet to play Auburn,
Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida. Georgia will probably finish at or near the
top even with a loss. However, in a tie-breaker situation, a win could send
the Gamecocks to the SEC championship. Far fetched? It was last year that USC,
Georgia, and Florida were tied for first place with a 5-3 SEC record. It was
the win over the Gamecocks that put Georgia in the driver's seat, with the
margin of victory being only the missed extra point and the failed 2-point
conversion.
IT'S NOT CLEMSON
No, it's not Clemson which is a big game of its own but after being in the
SEC, the Gamecocks now have other goals along with beating the Tigers. Back in
the days of being an independent, other than Clemson there weren't any other
teams the Gamecocks looked forward to on an annual basis. However, if USC is
still in the conference title race when it's time to meet the Tigers, that
game will be even bigger than in years past since Clemson is expected to
finish in the top-25 or higher.
THE RECRUITS
The good news is the Gamecocks are
competing for some of the best recruits in the nation and not just the best in
the state of South Carolina. The bad news is so are Georgia, Tennessee,
Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Southern Cal.
The top recruits USC is after are no longer
just the ones that are choosing between South Carolina and Clemson. These
recruits are interested in winning SEC Championships and national
championships. Being in the same division not just in the same conference, the
Gamecocks must win the battles on the field in order to win the recruiting
battles with Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida on a regular basis. The wins over
Florida and Tennessee helped land Alabama's Gatorade Player of the Year QB
Chris Smelley, despite losing to Clemson. This year's 5-star cornerback Gary
Gray is choosing between South Carolina and Notre Dame. A win over Georgia is
almost a must to land Gray and convince him that USC has a legitimate shot to
play for the SEC Championship and potentially a national championship which
maybe more likely at Notre Dame in the next 4 years, maybe. Gary and the likes
of Gary are not so much interested in who wins the in-state battle as much as
whether he'll be playing for a championship team while he's in college, which
will help propel him to the next level, the NFL.
So at least for the next week and maybe for the next season, this could very
well be the biggest game of the year.
