GAMECOCKS CONTINUE ROAD TO
THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP WITHOUT SIDNEY RICE
South Carolina's road to the SEC
Championship hit its first hurdle when standout wide receiver said he would
declare himself eligible for the NFL draft and forego his junior and senior
seasons at USC. Rice was the Gamecocks leading receiver in each of the past
two seasons and Coach Spurrier will need other receivers to pick up the
slack, which will not be easy to put it mildly.
THE GOOD
QB Blake Mitchell, will be returning for
his senior season and should be very comfortable with the high-powered Spurrier
offense. Running backs Cory Boyd and Mike Davis will also return along with all
but one starter on defense. Ryan Succop, one of the best kickers in the
nation will again be called upon to win close ball games on special teams.
How often do you hear South Carolina in the same sentence as
Texas, Tennessee, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Florida, LSU, Nebraska, and
Georgia? Hopefully, every year. The Gamecocks are surprisingly among the
nation's elite as the 2007 recruiting season winds down to signing day.
South Carolina is expected to finish in the top-10 matching or even
exceeding the class of 2003 in which Lou Holtz signed Demitrius Summers,
Syvelle Newton, and current QB Blake Mitchell.
THE BAD
Along with playing without
leading receiver Sidney Rice, the bad news for the Gamecocks is that the SEC
will most likely have five out of the top-10 in the 2007 recruiting class.
Four out of those five would potentially be from the SEC East Division,
Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. By the way, Florida also
just won the national championship.
THE UGLY
Whether they're a low-profile
receiver or a high-profile quarterback, most college football athletes have
a glimmer of hope that one day they would get a chance to play on Sundays.
Who can blame them when some of them come from low-income families and that
glimmer becomes real once their potential is maximized on the playing
field.
Some fans are unhappy that Sidney Rice is leaving for the NFL
and some are wishing him well. Rice, wide receiver, flourished in the Steve
Spurrier offense and was named Freshman of the Year following the 2005
season and got noticed across the nation. He struggled to begin the 2006
season but finished strong and is enticed by the thoughts of playing in the
NFL. Torn between competing for a SEC Championship and risking career-ending
injuries or providing for his family, Rice decided to forego his last two
seasons and opt for the NFL. Only Rice knows whether he made the best
choice. What would you do? Regardless, the ugly truth is success has its
price.
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