Aggies Rout South Carolina

One major college football game played in 2014 and one top ten team knocked off. Texas A&M proved that they are bigger than any one player by putting on an offensive exhibition in Columbia, South Carolina. Quarterback Kenny Hill not only proved that he is a capable replacement for you-know-who but he surpassed him by throwing for a school-record 511 yards. In leading A&M to seven TDs on its first 11 possessions, Hill completed 44-60 and threw three scoring passes. Although Texas A&M still has a tough schedule to play they did show an SEC Network audience that they are not rebuilding in 2014. As for SC, well perhaps its missing star was irreplaceable. The Gamecocks defense was putrid tonight and it is hard to see that they can be a national title contender after this game, no matter how early it was played. Hell, they only have eight days to prepare for ECU and QB Shane Carden.

SEC Update

Although national championship implications always dictate the press coverage of the SEC, for this season the races to win the East and West have each broken down to neat two-team races. Alabama and LSU have not lost to anyone and have a showdown November 5th that everyone expects to settle the divisional title and Georgia has only lost one conference game, to South Carolina, and SC has lost only to Alabama. Sure Arkansas is ranked highly and Auburn is already 3-1 in conference, but not one pundit gives either of them a chance out West, while the four other SEC East teams have already the stench of also-ran about them.

Both Alabama and Louisiana State play home games this weekend before off weeks on October 29. So neither of them have an advantage. LSU has the tougher opponent in Auburn but it is hard to imagine a Tiger squad that has yet to surpass 17 points in any of its past three games to pull off a road upset. The Tide will have the pleasure of sending rival Tennessee to an 0-4 SEC mark.

The intrigue is really in the East were a season-ending knee injury to star back Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina has buoyed Georgia's chances of claiming the division. But Georgia needs some outside help to overcome their loss to SC. The Gamecocks need to lose one of their remaining three conference games--at Tennessee, at Arkansas or home versus Florida while the Bulldogs sweep Florida in Jacksonville and Auburn and home games versus Auburn and Kentucky. That is very possible--especially with the inexperienced Connor Shaw at QB and replacements at tailback--but the Gamecocks could very well rally behind their young QB and backs. We have already witnessed a fired up Steve Spurrier, so there is something to be said for that possibility. The big problem is that every opposing defense schemed for Lattimore and will now put more pressure on Shaw and young skill talent like back Brandon Wilds and wide receiver Bruce Ellington--he of the SC hoops team--who has excelled out of the Wildcat. With a week off, Spurrier will need to come up with some more creative offensive schemes to make up for the loss of one of the nation's finest players.

View From Bennett Avenue

I do believe in second chances for everyone, let alone teenage football players who, if they get their act together, can fulfill their athletic potential and possibly even make a buck or two off of it. And maybe, just maybe, a third chance can be warranted with proper contrition and proof that changes have been made.
But six chances? sorry, but fool me six times and...how does that go?
After five suspensions, quarterback Stephen Garcia is back as the starter for South Carolina. Coach Steve Spurrier said to ESPN's Chris Low that "we think he's going to do what's right" about his troubled signal-caller. You think? How does one get kicked off this team? Actually, let me amend that statement. How does a key player get kicked off this team? We all know that if Garcia was the third string center he would have received his walking papers.
Spurrier screwed this up from the beginning. Garcia was a troubled kid in high school and should have been on double secret probation upon arriving in Columbia in January of 2007. Instead he was arrested twice in the first six months and allowed to stay. Spurrier should have dumped him then, which may have been the wake-up call Garcia needed. Instead wile continuing to screw up Garcia has become the focal point of the team's offense and so Spurrier cannot let him go now. It is wrong and a horrible message to the kids doing it the right way.
Then again how is Garcia supposed to understand the right way to do things when his quarterback coach and former player G.A, Mangus was reinstated by the University after being caught urinating in the street by Greenville cops. You cannot make this stuff up. Mangus will end up losing a lot of money, including a month's pay, as punishment, but again how can we expect the 19-year-olds to do the right thing when their coaches are literally being caught with their pants down. But Mangus is an excellent recruiter and they do not grow on trees.