Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] On this episode of Cox Talking Gamecocks. It is part two and the conclusion of my Gamecock football season preview. And also the basketball teams unveiled their conference schedule. Okay, here we go.
[00:00:57] Ok.
[00:00:59] Welcome to episode 254 of Cox Talking Gamecocks. I am your host, Tim Cox, where I will keep every episode from 1801 to 2001. And can y'all believe it? We are less than ten days away from Gamecock football. Ten days away from kickoff. Nine. Eight, depending on when you're listening to it. Unbelievable. And this weekend we have week zero. Action. There is college football being played this weekend. I just.
[00:01:37] We made it. Give yourselves a pat on the back. We have made it through the long, hot summer, and we might have a few more hot days this fall. But nonetheless, football will be back on our tvs and in our lives. And I am fully ready to step into the emotional rollercoaster that Gamecock football is. I wouldn't have it any other way. And here we are, so, so excited. And as such, it is part two, the conclusion of my Gamecock football season preview. But before I jump into that, I got some basketball news for y'all. That's right, we're talking basketball in August. How about that?
[00:02:26] Talking about both teams unveiling their SEC schedule. So that's always fun to see. Little sneak peek of what's coming up for the squads.
[00:02:37] The men are opening things up January 4 against Mississippi State. I feel like Mississippi State, if it's really like the last couple of seasons, it's either the first or second SEC game. I don't know if that's on by design or what, but just an interesting tidbit that I think is true here. A couple of interesting matchups at home. You are hosting Auburn and Texas this year, and Arkansas, actually. And a couple of interesting road games going to Oklahoma and then going to Tennessee to close things out. So a couple of games you could certainly highlight there. But Lamont and thiem are looking to build on what was a really great year last year. And then, of course, on the women's side of things, they look to defend their conference title yet again. And they will start things off January 2 at Mizzou. Interesting matchup there. And then a couple of other noteworthy matchups here as the ladies host both Texas and Oklahoma. So you're welcoming both new teams to colonial life arena while they hit the road against Tennessee. And then they also go to Austin. So they're hosting Texas but then go there as well. So, yeah, you got both teams with their SEC schedules out and something to look forward to. But all due respect to the basketball teams, and as much as I'm looking forward to that season, it is full steam ahead for football and that is where I will be picking up right now. So for anyone who missed the last episode, I won't hold a grudge, but maybe go back and listen to it. I think it was a pretty good one, but the spark notes of it here, I have tried to keep my expectations and my predictions and everything like that for Gamecock football this year. I've been trying to keep it fair and, you know, a little bit more realistic, as some people like to say.
[00:04:40] But through six games, the halfway point in the year, I have South Carolina sitting at three and three, highlighted by a road upset at Kentucky in the second week of the year. But I do have the team right now as it stands coming off back to back losses to Ole Miss and Alabama. And that is where we pick up game seven, which brings certainly a unique game here as Carolina faces new SEC foe Oklahoma and they're going to Norman to do so. So this one will be fun to watch from a fan's perspective because it's just so new. Right? I mean, we've all watched Oklahoma games, but to have the Gamecocks go to Norman is certainly fun. Feels like that. I don't know if that's ever happened. Right? And of course there's a little bit of intrigue there because that is, of course, where Shane Beamer was working as an assistant before taking the Oklahoma, before taking the South Carolina job. There we go. Got it right the second time. The Sooners, you know, they seem to be settling in more and more under Brent Venables, but there's certainly some question marks as they enter the SEC with a new offensive coordinator and a young quarterback. And it's also interesting because this game is slotted for an early kickoff. So I think they're leaving some of these games later in the year with wiggle room, like they're giving it a window. So I think this game will either kick off at noon Eastern or one, but either way you slice it, that's early Oklahoma, you know, either eleven or noon there. So who knows how raucous of an environment that will be. I do think that Oklahoma's transition to the SEC will be tougher than Texas. I think Texas going to be able to get into the swing of things quicker. I do think Oklahoma will drop some games that they probably think they could have or should have Wondez, but unfortunately for South Carolina, I don't necessarily see that happening in this game. And so I sadly see South Carolina dropping this one to the Sooners and slipping to three and four as they head into their second bye week, needing a bit of a reset and a big time rest and regroup here.
[00:07:14] So, yeah, going into the second bye week here, I think this is where you'll hear the usual coach speak of needing to get healthy. They're going to be doing self scouting, making some small tweaks and things like that. I have to believe that by this time in the year, the team has an identity on offense and there really shouldn't be wholesale changes on either side of the ball, really. But if the team does end up losing three straight, you obviously have to go in there and tweak some things and I think that this staff will be able to sort some of that out.
[00:07:53] But we get to game eight now with a big but because once the team makes it through that brutal stretch of Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma, the team returns home after a week off to homecoming against Texas A and M under the lights at Williams Bryce. This game is already slotted for the later times. I believe six to 08:00 p.m.
[00:08:24] i don't love homecoming being this matchup. You know, you usually want homecoming to be maybe one you think you might be able to get a somewhat easy w in. I don't think this is certainly teeing up to be a cupcake. Right. But I do love that with this game being in the later time slot after the bye week, fans, players, coaches, everyone around and everyone in Colombia is going to be ready to go. Because also, mind you, before the bye weekend, you have back to back away games in Alabama and Oklahoma. So it's going to be three weeks of no Gamecock football being played in Columbia. So everybody's going to be raring to go here. Texas A and M, of course, will be under a new head coach in Mike Elko after they parted ways with Jimbo Fisher. So it will be interesting to see what kind of team they field. They're still a team with solid talent and maybe with a new culture. They will be more consistent on the field than they were the last few years. So it's going to be interesting.
[00:09:33] But as we've seen before, Shane Beamer knows how to manage the bye weeks in his tenure. It feels like the team has almost always looked restored and improved. Also, if we take one look deeper, A and M will be coming off two SEC games in a row in Mississippi State and LSU, respectively. So this team might be worn out a little bit as they come to the end of their own tough stretch.
[00:10:04] Now, the last time these two teams met in Williams Bryce, it was a great night for the Gamecocks and I say that happens again. So give me South Carolina. Getting the win. To move to four and four on the year and get a win for homecoming would be a fantastic night in Williams Bryce there. Very exciting. Very exciting. And I don't remember the name of that trophy that we technically play for against them, but we'll get the trophy, you know, that's fun. And then looking forward here to game nine.
[00:10:37] After a win against A and M, the Gamecocks travel to Nashville, up to Nash Vegas to take on Vanderbilt. Now, it's. It's nice, right? Because with all the change in the SEC this year, it was nice to see Vandy still on the schedule. You know what I mean?
[00:10:59] Vandy had just a God awful year last year. There's just. There's no other. Other way to put it. And seemingly for this team and for that program, the only way is up, truly. And I think that as it stands now, with seemingly how that university is approaching football, I think that they are going to have a hard time staying competitive, especially in this portal era where they might get a recruit who blossoms into a good player. But he's playing for Vanderbilt and so he can opt to leave whenever, more or less. So I think it's going to be hard for Vandy as it stands right now to build a consistent winning team. South Carolina has won 15 straight against Vanderbilt. Now, despite being this game on the road, that hasn't seemed to impact this matchup, obviously. And I think Carolina keeps it going to get to a winning record and move to five and four on the year. And now you'd be looking at three games to go with one to win for a bowl game.
[00:12:16] Which brings us all to game ten and the Gamecocks go back home and have another shot at the mayor's cup against Mizzou.
[00:12:27] Now, for anyone who's listened to me for a few years now, or anyone who knows me, you would know that I always kind of had Mizzou as this team that was annoying, like I never feared Mizzou like I do. You know that you can maybe picture some other teams. I never hated Mizzou like you do a Clemson or, you know, maybe a Tennessee or Georgia.
[00:12:50] They were just annoying to me.
[00:12:54] That's changed. Mizzou has gone from a team that was annoying to a team that I dislike. And now that I've sat on it more, it's a team that I really, really don't like. Not quite hate, but I really, really don't like them. That's high up on the scale, let me tell you.
[00:13:15] And you just know that Shane Beamer wants to wipe that smirk off Drinkwitz's face. Their team last year seems to have really surprised some people and they keep a lot of pieces from that. Now, they did lose their defensive coordinator and that was huge for them last year, but they still have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. And their quarterback cook, you know, he really seems to do it all for them.
[00:13:43] Got some skilled position players returning as well.
[00:13:47] So this is gonna hurt.
[00:13:50] But it pains me to say that I think this is a. It's that game. It's the game where everyone gets up and things are looking up. You got two big wins in a row. You're feeling good, you're back at home only for us to be let down. It seems like the Carolina experience there tends to be that game and I think that's what this is. If you feel like you might be in it, you end up on the wrong side of it. And Carolina sits at five and five with two games to go.
[00:14:21] Which brings me to game eleven, who luckily is against Wofford. You know, Con, it seems like this is back to some of that normal schedule here, but it's funny, I had, I had a professor at USC who always called the cupcake game before Clemson. He called it the sacrificial lambda of the season. Just get a win, be feeling good before you go into that matchup. Maybe be able to rest your starters for a quarter or a half, get in, get your win and get out. And I think that is exactly what this is. And I have South Carolina becoming bowl eligible, moving to six and five with one game left. And at that point, you know you're feeling good.
[00:15:07] You are. Especially when you compare it to last year. Wherever you had to basically have a miraculous November to get to a bowl game and you came up just short. So to be able to secure bull eligibility before the last game of the year, that would feel great. And you have so far a pretty successful November here going into the annual rivalry game, game twelve against those damn old Clemson Tigers. This year, South Carolina heads to the upstate. Upstate. Now, last year this matchup was absolutely torture to watch. I'm not going to rehash it, but it really did feel like we let one slip away this year. Clemson has a harder schedule by their standards, at least. Both teams will be coming off a few games in a row. So could be a little banged up, both teams coming off of easier opponents. Right. So it will be interesting also to see what the standings look like both in the ACC and nationally, to see how much this game matters for Clemson. Because, look, let's be honest, if I have the Gamecocks at six and five, we're not competing for a playoff spot.
[00:16:26] I think Clemson is certainly falling behind nationally. But if we're talking that the top twelve teams, more or less, really top eleven teams from the power conferences, they go to the playoffs, you know, do I think that they're going to be right there? Probably not. But maybe, just maybe, depending on how some things shake out, especially in the ACC, they might have a shot to go to that title game in which they could play for an automatic bid.
[00:16:54] So they might be playing for a lot. And it's going to be very interesting to see how that goes and maybe, maybe it falls to a situation where it slips through their fingers, maybe a late season loss to say pit, they're not eligible. So going to be very interesting to see. Meanwhile, Shane Beemer has proven that he can win in the upstate. I think South Carolina comes into this game. I think they come in fired up, playing well in the month of November as they typically do with Shane Beamer. I think Clemson maybe starts off a little sluggish, maybe a little sleep with the wheel a little bit. And I think the Gamecocks pull off another road win in this rivalry to move to seven and five on the year.
[00:17:40] Call this a gut feeling, call this a pipe dream, call it whatever you want, but I think Clemson will continue to underwhelm this year.
[00:17:50] And I think that Carolina goes up there with nothing to lose and plays hard and gets the win and either gets to play the role of spoiler yet again or it's a situation where again maybe Clemson doesn't have too much to play for in terms of the playoff. So South Carolina goes up there saying we're going to get our 7th win at our rival and they catch him by surprise.
[00:18:19] So there you have it. Pencil me in for South Carolina going seven and five on the year, in the regular season, I don't care who we play in the bowl game, we're winning that.
[00:18:32] I think just about anyone right now will sign up for seven and five, especially after missing out on a bowl a season ago. I believe if it hasn't changed, Vegas had the win total at five and a half, so you're not exceeding it by a ton, but you are over performing in that capacity. Something Shane Beemer has done two out of three times in his tenure here. And look, I know that this team has some question marks.
[00:19:02] I know that this team does not have a standout wide receiver one, but this team has a dynamic quarterback who's only going to get better. They have a loaded running back room. The tight ends can and will make up for a shaky wide receiver group. And I am big on this defense.
[00:19:22] They're deeper than they have been. They're more experienced than they have been, seemingly better coached.
[00:19:31] I think this team could end up looking a lot like your father's SEC team, right leaning on defense and the run game to win games and teams that are built that way can tire out opponents and they can especially win late in the year.
[00:19:51] All this team really has to do to have that successful season, in my opinion, is to win one of the conference matchups in that first four stretch of games. So you're looking at LSU and Kentucky. You got to win one of those two because then it opens up all these sorts of possibilities for later in the year.
[00:20:15] They have to survive the gauntlet in that middle between the bye weeks. It's the toughest stretch.
[00:20:22] Just survive it, right?
[00:20:25] Is it possible this team can beat Ole Miss? Sure. Is it possible that this team can maybe go and take on Oklahoma? Yeah, it is. But I'm penciling in. Just survive it, right?
[00:20:39] And then that final stretch of November, you're home more times than you're not. I believe there's five games in November. They're at Williams, Bryce, three of them, and you're coming off that bye week. You can build some momentum.
[00:20:53] It's all right there. It's not that crazy to see this team going seven and five. It really is. Not win the games. You're supposed to get an upset here, a close game here. You're on the right side of it thanks to your defense.
[00:21:14] There you have it. Right. That's. That's probably you and your six and then you get your 7th.
[00:21:19] It's really not out of the realm of possibility. A lot of people out there are down on this team and I think it's because last year we went into the season with high expectations and we were very underwhelmed. That team went into the first game injured Shane Beamer saying there's no serious injuries. Couple guys are banged up here, but by all accounts, like the starters are going to be okay going into this game. Knock on wood.
[00:21:51] If you can start off on the right foot. Also remember last year this team did not start on the right foot. They had to go to Charlotte and play UNC.
[00:22:00] This team plays really well against Old Dominion. They get that first win. You also have Akron in that first four, again going up to Kentucky, taking on LSU. You can do that.
[00:22:14] And if this team can build confidence, and if Lenoris can really be that guy, and if Rocket looks like the 2022 Rocket Sanders. And this line is not dead last in the league, right? Even if they're.
[00:22:28] How many teams are now? 16. Right? If they're twelve, that's huge. There's a lot of talent online. There's depth on that line. The defense is going to get after people.
[00:22:40] I'm ready. Buckle up. Get ready. The season is basically here. Next episode will be my official preview for the old Dominion game. Get excited. Do me a favor. Share my show around there. If you know a Gamecock fan who likes podcasts, tell them about me. Let's take this thing to the fricking moon this season with that, that wraps up this episode. Please follow me on the social media, Twitter or X is Cox Gamecocks. Instagram is just the name of the show. Cox talking Gamecocks. And please, like, subscribe and review. I appreciate all y'all. Go Cox.
