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Does this team surprise us?

cockyferg

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Dec 7, 2010
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I know we have had bad records the last few years, but I'm looking at so many of the transfers we have, the running backs, the return of the offensive line and some underrated defensive line players, and I think the team could surprise us and be a lot better than many people think. Last year we literally only had one reliable receiver and he was sort of a turd. If that kid from Georgia tech turns out to be a good slot receiver and a couple of these other players have come along with our new wide receivers coach, then I see us actually having a very competitive offense this year. I have always thought Aaron Sterling was a really good player and he is almost always in the backfield chasing QBs. I really don't think of winning record is inconceivable because there have been times when even at our worst we've played some really good teams close. All it really takes is one upset. We beat Auburn last year and we were literally terrible. We haven't seen a lot of these kids play, and we'll be running a new offense. I'm going to choose to be optimistic about this upcoming season and hope that some of these kids really surprise us with great play
 
I hope so. I think the attitude of the players will be more positive this year. We do need to win our first two games if we have any chance of having a winning season.
 
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I do think there is big chance that the offense will be much improved over what we have seen.

My concern is more in the defensive backfield than anywhere else. I think there is a coaching upgrade there but I worry about the lack of experience and depth even with that coaching.
 
I know we have had bad records the last few years, but I'm looking at so many of the transfers we have, the running backs, the return of the offensive line and some underrated defensive line players, and I think the team could surprise us and be a lot better than many people think. Last year we literally only had one reliable receiver and he was sort of a turd. If that kid from Georgia tech turns out to be a good slot receiver and a couple of these other players have come along with our new wide receivers coach, then I see us actually having a very competitive offense this year. I have always thought Aaron Sterling was a really good player and he is almost always in the backfield chasing QBs. I really don't think of winning record is inconceivable because there have been times when even at our worst we've played some really good teams close. All it really takes is one upset. We beat Auburn last year and we were literally terrible. We haven't seen a lot of these kids play, and we'll be running a new offense. I'm going to choose to be optimistic about this upcoming season and hope that some of these kids really surprise us with great play
I think we can surprise some ppl. Listen how confident the coaches been. A lot of the media doesn’t respect South Carolina enough to dive in deep to our team. We got the nation sack leader, sec sack leader, 2 5 stars on the d line, an freshman all American corner, Cam smith flashed, Greene flashed, and if we get the backend to tighten up we can be good. I only see about 2 games on the schedule where I feel like it’s close o impossible to win and that’s Clemson and maybe Georgia. The rest of the teams aren’t world beaters.
 
Talent gap is a huge thing. Another issue I suspect was team morale.
I work with a former college athlete who talks about their time on the team. (Not a Carolina athlete for the record) He told me stories Of athletes that sandbag to purposely not vet a starting position so they don’t have to br as involved with the team. There are some who are more ready to enter the off season then go to a bowl.
 
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In the W/L column, not really sure. On paper, we're strong in some areas, pretty deficient in others.

The biggest thing that I want to see is forward progress, and I think most of us will know it when we see it.

I do think we have a good chance of winning 6 games. We have 4 that "should" be gimme's. Can we split KY, TN, MO, and AUB? I think we can. To me that will show progress.

What would pleasantly surprise me is if we can steal one from GA (remember Kirby is still their coach), FL, A&M, or the taters. Probably not likely, but that's why we play the games.
 
I think this ^^^^^^ sounds like typical pessimism. A change in culture, players believing in the coaches and coaches who actually can coach will make a difference. How much we don't know. Let's look forward to the year. If it fizzles, you can come back and say "told you so"

I don't think simply acknowledging the typical annual swing to optimism over the summer is really pessimism. Jmo.
 
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I think this sounds a lot more like the standard July optimism. Jmo.
Perhaps it is, but it's better than losing those games before they're played. Also, all I'm saying is that there are several players who could be starters that we've never actually seen play. Plus there have been a lot of coaching changes that could make immediate differences. We're going to be watching a team that we've never actually seen play before so it's really hard to make assumptions one way or the other
 
not playing in the grueling SEC this season?
Since perhaps the subtlety alludes you, I think what he's saying is that we shouldn't be getting blown out by most of the teams on our schedule and that if we have a good game and they have a bad game it's possible to win. The SEC is generally a stronger conference than many of the others but that does not apply to every team every game every season
 
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What teams other the teams I posted are man beaters? Auburn have a OL issue and receiver issue, Florida has lost a lot to a already terrible defense last season and offense, Tennessee? Vandy? Kentucky? We are more than capable of beating these teams.
I don't think there's any. Neither do I think that an SEC schedule is the insurmountable weekly grind that many fans claim. That was my point... not to argue against yours.
 
In the W/L column, not really sure. On paper, we're strong in some areas, pretty deficient in others.

The biggest thing that I want to see is forward progress, and I think most of us will know it when we see it.

I do think we have a good chance of winning 6 games. We have 4 that "should" be gimme's. Can we split KY, TN, MO, and AUB? I think we can. To me that will show progress.

What would pleasantly surprise me is if we can steal one from GA (remember Kirby is still their coach), FL, A&M, or the taters. Probably not likely, but that's why we play the games.
I think Florida is much more likely then the other 3 in that last group. They lost a ton off that team last year
 
We lost a lot of our best players from a 2-8 team. We do have a few key guys back. Most of our players are unknown…no idea what we’ll get. I have no doubt our attitudes and morale will be better. It’ll be hard to duplicate our success in the run game but hope it’s possible. Still, we only won 2 games running the ball up and down the field.

I don’t know…I just think we are a 4 win team, 5 at best, 6 and Beamer should be SEC Coach of the Year. Score TDs instead of kicking FGs and who knows. Muschamp’s teams couldn’t do that.
 
I do hope that the change in leadership will improve the product on the field, even if we don't immediately see improvement in the win column. How many games did we watch last season that were just complete disasters? LSU, A&M, Ole Miss (defense), and then the really embarrassing performance against Kentucky. Too much of last season looked like they had no idea what they were doing.
 
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Not at all. HIs reasoning was well thought out. There is more talent on this team than most realize. We just need a QB to step up and 'manage' our offense.

Perhaps I didn't think his reasoning went very deep.

But fast forward to the end of this year, and you can pretty much bet "lack of talent" is going to be repeated often as a defense of the new staff and why the season ended the way it did. (And probably by some of the same posters)
 
What teams other the teams I posted are man beaters? Auburn have a OL issue and receiver issue, Florida has lost a lot to a already terrible defense last season and offense, Tennessee? Vandy? Kentucky? We are more than capable of beating these teams.
Texas A&M for sure. They are very good, we have to play them there, and we've never beaten them. Kentucky has passed us by and it would now be considered an upset for us to beat them. Tennessee I think is a toss up, but we play them there and we never beat them there even when we have a better team.
 
Texas A&M for sure. They are very good, we have to play them there, and we've never beaten them. Kentucky has passed us by and it would now be considered an upset for us to beat them. Tennessee I think is a toss up, but we play them there and we never beat them there even when we have a better team.
I don’t think from a talent standpoint we’re behind Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, or vandy.
 
Also regarding Auburn, Tennessee & Vandy... all of their players were recruited into a different system by a different coaching staff. They are all wildcards this year. Really, this could be Kentucky's best chance in awhile.
 
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Also regarding Auburn, Tennessee & Vandy... all of their players were recruited into a different system by a different coaching staff. They are all wildcards this year. Really, this could be Kentucky's best chance in awhile.
Feel like Kentucky has been getting picked to be the dark horse team for the longest. I can’t believe it until I see it
 
Perhaps I didn't think his reasoning went very deep.

But fast forward to the end of this year, and you can pretty much bet "lack of talent" is going to be repeated often as a defense of the new staff and why the season ended the way it did. (And probably by some of the same posters)
That's a distinct possibility, but we won't know until we've seen THIS team play. We will have several new starters at the skill positions since guys left and were drafted. We've seen Carolina play, but not this team. I feel like there's going to be a completely different product on the field, but I'm willing to admit the fact I may be very wrong, too
 
I don't think simply acknowledging the typical annual swing to optimism over the summer is really pessimism. Jmo.
That's a relevant point. The only real point of my OP was to suggest we have reason to be optimistic because we will have a very different group of players on the field with a very different coaching crew and mentality. We haven't seen these kids compete. We got some solid transfers, and I think our offense will actually be aggressive this season. So we won't know until we've seen the product, but I'm CHOOSING to be optimistic based on the addition of skills players and coaches
 
I think 7 wins is an absolute possibility.
In fact, that is my prediction.
Wins: E I'll, ECU, Vandy, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Troy.
Of those Kentucky at home the biggest Longshot imo.
That should have Gamecock fans over the moon excited.
The recruiting job & enthusiasm this staff has developed, while having a 2 win season to "sell", has been nothing short of astonishing.
Imagine them having a bowl season/surprise team in the SEC type product to sell!!!
 
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That's a distinct possibility, but we won't know until we've seen THIS team play. We will have several new starters at the skill positions since guys left and were drafted. We've seen Carolina play, but not this team. I feel like there's going to be a completely different product on the field, but I'm willing to admit the fact I may be very wrong, too

I agree that this team should be very different than last year's.

Some see only positives in the unknown, some see only negatives.

The truth will probably be somewhere in the middle.
 
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I guess if I were spinning that, I'd say we lost a lot of the main contributors to a 2-8 season.
Honestly, that's not saying much outside of Shi, Ernest, and Jaycee. And I think Ernest was the biggest loss of the three even though Horn was drafted higher. Shi was good, but not a game changer good like Debo Samuel was when he was healthy.
 
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Honestly, that's not saying much outside of Shi, Ernest, and Jaycee. And I think Ernest was the biggest loss of the three even though Horn was drafted higher. Shi was good, but not a game changer good like Debo Samuel was when he was healthy.
Hahaha, I misread your post at first. In that case, I'd say Shi was in both camps
 
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