Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] On this episode of Cox Talking Gamecock's SEC media days coverage and ranking South Carolina's games for this upcoming football season.
[00:00:09] Okay, here we go.
[00:00:54] Okay.
[00:00:55] Welcome to episode 397 of Cox Talking Gamecocks. I am your host to Tim Cox, where I will keep every episode from 1801 to 2001. And if there wasn't any doubt, we are full sending it to football season. Are we still saying full send? Because I am, and I am full sending it to football season. We are officially in that window. We had media days this week, and we full on talking season. We have a Nike uniform drop Justin King doing his thing, and I have just been reinvigorated with excitement and just everything for football season. And that's all we're talking about this episode here. There's been some comings and goings on the baseball team. There's been some news and notes, you know, operationally and things like that. But we are fully focused on football this episode this week. And it's just been a ton of content out there, really, just from media days and. And everything else. You're getting interviews, you're getting sound bites, you're getting more predictions and takes and all that. And it's been a hell of a week. It's been very exciting. And just being in this realm now where we're like, yeah, you know what? It really is right around the corner here. Like, before we know it's gonna be August, week zero is upon us then, and, man, we are gonna be off to the races before we know it. So gonna break down media days, and then I'm going to be talking about the difficulty in ranking South Carolina's opponents for this upcoming football season. But before I do that, let me pull out my Gamecock calendar here.
[00:02:39] Excuse me.
[00:02:40] Got a bit of trivia for y' all here. Funny enough, it's not about football.
[00:02:45] In what season did South Carolina product Whit Merrifield lead the American League in total hits as a member of the Kansas City Royals?
[00:02:54] I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and say 2019. 2019 it is.
[00:02:59] How about that? I mean, you know, you kind of piece together what you know about Gamecocks and the pros and timelines and when Whit was in school and all that jazz. So, yeah, that's a very educated guess, but a guess nonetheless, and hope y' all got it right there, too. Shout out Whit Merrifield. Shout out Gamecock baseball.
[00:03:17] But now we're talking Gamecock football here as it is officially Talking season or just talking season? Done. Now I never really able to keep track of the unofficial timeline of all this, but SEC media days signifies that we are fully turning the page and fully focused on this upcoming season. You're also right around the time when players are getting ready to report to camp soon.
[00:03:43] Everything is gearing up for that next level. So if you didn't see Shane Beamer brought Lenores, Nick harbor and Peyton Williams with him to media days, I think it was out in Tampa this year. It's always fun to see who gets the nod to come out to media days. Lenoris, of course your QB one. I love Nick Harbour coming out. A guy that has worked tirelessly on his development and really in my opinion, broke out last season. I think there's still more work to be done. You know, you leave a little meat on the bone last year, but he can play himself into the first round this year. And then Peyton Williams, who Shane Beamer brought up the fact that he is the most tenured player to be at South Carolina on the team. So maybe not necessarily the oldest, but he has been at USC the longest, if that makes sense.
[00:04:39] Kind of today's world of college football. So love that for him. Right? And Peyton's a guy who has always been ready to answer the bell.
[00:04:46] You know, when he had to step in for Nick at times when Emanwari was on the team, he did well. He had more of a full time position last year. He played well in my opinion and I think he's really going to be that leader on the back end of the defense this year. So Shane Beamer really not messing around with this one. Like sometimes, you know, you see maybe a specialist or you know, someone that's really just been a grinder for you come out to these. These are playmakers and setting the tone for that, hey, these guys are going to play out and play big for us this season. So just a summary of what Shane Beamer said in my commentary along with it here, leading off with that expectations haven't changed, right. He said he wants to win at South Carolina for the fans. You know, Re emphasized that this is his dream job. Re emphasized that he understands that expectations were not even close to being met last season and the goal is to get back into the playoff conversation. But he said really to get into the playoffs. And I think that's exactly what you want, right? I mean you're not going to have a coach up there say our expectation is not to win at the highest level. That would be crazy. But the sound bites and the energy and the passion that you get from Shane, especially in these settings, it is motivating and it is good to hear and it's reassuring. Right. There's plenty of talk about Beamer and his job security, and frankly, rightfully so after last year. But when you see the passion that he brings to the table, to me at least, it's like, okay, this is the guy who really wants this. And sometimes in sports you see the coach and you can get a feel that maybe it's just a job to them, but there's that additional layer for Beemer, and I really liked to see it there. And you saw it be incorporated in some social media videos and whatnot already. He emphasized that this is an older and wiser team compared to last season, and I talked about that when we brought in some of the players from the portal. But I 100% agree and I think that that will pay dividends this upcoming season. In 25, you had a good core group of players and you did have some veterans on this, that team, like, make no mistake about it. But I think there was a little bit of a void of guys who knew how to motivate others and have those challenging conversations and be the more vocal leader and whatnot. Like in 24, you had plenty of that with Rocket, Sanders, Debo and whatnot. So this year, not only do you have the guys on the team who have been through the adversity that all those past couple of seasons have had, but you bring in a couple of transfers who have played at a very high level elsewhere. And I think that's going to pay off, not only in the development of the young guys, but when we talk about these tough games that you have to dig deep in the fourth quarter, I think that's where it's going to show up.
[00:07:53] That starts now, frankly.
[00:07:56] Beamer also talked about the importance of getting off to a good start, particularly in September. Stop me if you've heard that one before, because I feel like we've been talking about it for every off season since his second one. Right. You know, so it is important. You know, you have two SEC games this year in September, and part of what South Carolina has faced when we talk about rankings and things like that, is that it feels like we're always playing catch up, where it's fantastic that Beamer led teams have typically finished the season well late October into November. But if you're digging yourself out of a hole because you dropped two or more games that you necessarily shouldn't have or, you know, could have avoided. That's not going to get it done. And then it ties back to the earlier point where if your expectation truly is to make the playoff, your margin for error is slim. And so, yeah, you better be ready to play in September. Going to get into that in a second here. But when you talk about Mississippi State, right, in September, you talk about Alabama early in the year, you have to be ready to play in these games. There's no excuse of we're still gelling. Right. That needs to go away. Other teams start well. We have to as well. And I do think Kendall Barros will help with that.
[00:09:18] Talked about needing to be better in close games.
[00:09:22] I agree. I co signed that. That kind of ties back to being an older team, more experienced team and also starting better. Right. Knowing how to close out those games, it's been a weird thing where it feels like almost every season under Beamer, there's one game that you're like, man, we really let that one get away. And you know, it's I really don't want to open old wounds here. Sometimes you can really point to other factors and be like, this guy got hurt or we got hosed here, etc. But nonetheless, there's really at least one in every year that I think of that you can look at as a blown lead. And particularly last year there's a couple that you really, really led away. And so Beemer has to learn how do we avoid this? Sometimes the other team is just going to get you right, but there are other things where you can control. And Lenores talked about this and just talking about like being able to make those couple of plays and like recognizing when it is your moment.
[00:10:24] And I think Kendall Briles is going to help with that. I think last year was a learning experience for this entire program and I have to believe that Shane is going to be better on and off the field for it. And then Beamer also mentioned that the wide receiver group is one to be excited about. I talked about that in a past episode. I totally agree where he even said this. Beamer did where last year he talked about the great recruits they brought in in that wide receiver group and that's an underrated group for the team this year. All those guys are a year better and they're a year older. And then you bring in some veterans from the transfer portal and you have some veterans on your team like Nick and Mazio and it just makes her a fantastic group. So I wholeheartedly agree with that. Then when we talk about what you hear what you heard from some of the players here, Lenores and Harbor, really just both excited, it seemed like, for the new offense, and they're working at building that chemistry with the group. Harbor especially, like, he, like, gave a. Like a grunt. He's like, man, we are just working hard, just, like, getting after it. Like, I think they're taking a lot on themselves individually and doing work outside of the building or, you know, outside of structured practice and just doing those little things that you have to do, A, to get better, B, to compete at such a competitive, you know, in such a competitive space, but C, to continue to get on the same page with the new playbook and new terminology and everything like that. So you love to hear it, right? I mean, you know, these guys work hard and they put in a lot of time, but when you see the excitement and the energy behind it that I saw, at least, especially in the harbor interview, you really did, really did love to see that.
[00:12:11] Both guys brought up that Matt Fuller is someone who is primed to have a big year. I love that. I've been high on him for a while now. Would absolutely love to see that come to fruition. So it was a fun day to sit on the couch, pretend to work, and watch a bunch of interviews throughout the afternoon.
[00:12:31] It energized me, certainly. I think it energized the fan base and. And it just makes you want the countdown to go that much quicker to football season, because I think there's a lot to be excited about. You know, I do. You know, you. You look at some of the guys, some of the guys, you look at the three guys that Beamer brought, their veterans at key positions that you feel good about, but then you look at the players around them and you feel good about those guys.
[00:12:58] And so it's just sort of correcting these oddities that happened last year.
[00:13:04] And you can be in a good position, right? So let's continue to work, let's continue to get better. But that leads me perfectly into this next segment where I'm going to be ranking South Carolina's games opponents, however you want to phrase it in the challenge that I think it's going to present. Okay, so this is not a record prediction, all right? This is simply my take as it stands right now in the off season in July, of who I think is going to present the biggest challenge.
[00:13:38] Of course, I would be shocked to see if this actually works out right, because there's inevitably going to be a team that is a lot better than a lot of people think. And I think that's going to be South Carolina. That's another thing that I got the sense of with Shane Beamer, that he sort of back in that underdog role when I think that's when he gets his teams to play best.
[00:14:01] But then on the flip side of that, there's always a team that people think are going to be really good and really tough, but just struggles. Right. So there's. That could be towards the top of the list here. So I'm ranking it. We're going to go, for lack of a better term, easiest to toughest in terms of opponents here. So starting with number 12, the Towson Tigers. This is the second game of the year at home. First night game of the year that week one jitters are out. I expect the team to absolutely mow through towson there.
[00:14:34] Number 11, Kent State. This is the opening game.
[00:14:38] Again, this is a opponent where you feel fully confident you are have more talent everywhere across the board.
[00:14:46] Sometimes though, in week one, college is wacky. We've certainly seen plenty of that at South Carolina where you get off to a slow start or the other team has some trickery and stuff that you just don't have tape on and it takes you time to adjust. So because of that, I have it not quite as the absolute easiest. Number 10, Kentucky at home.
[00:15:09] This game is in October, early October. You're at home. Kentucky, I think, is in a bit of a disarray. You have a new coach who I'm sure is going to be installing a new culture and everything like that. Who knows how that's going to go.
[00:15:25] I just think that was a team that was always kind of teetering to me. I, I look at this as, you know, not quite up to snuff with some of the other games here. Then number nine at Arkansas. Okay, so this game is on the road. We're playing it after A M, which will surely be a physical game, so it could be a little challenging to do that. It's late in the year, guys are going to be ding up and whatnot.
[00:15:49] I just don't see Arkansas as incredibly formidable opponent. I don't think Fayetteville is exactly, you know, the most intimidating place to play.
[00:16:01] That's where I put them. Number nine followed by number eight. This is Mississippi State at home. Maybe there's some folks there who think this is going to be a little bit easier.
[00:16:09] I don't think Mississippi State are world beaters, but they have improved under Jeff Levy in his tenure. And then they just brought in Zach Arnett, bringing him Back to Mississippi State as their defensive coordinator. So it's going to be a tough scheme on both sides of the ball to prepare against a lot of high risk, high reward play.
[00:16:33] SEC opener, though, at home, that's going to be an electric atmosphere.
[00:16:38] Doing a deep dive in that. I think Mississippi State actually plays power four opponent before us, so I think they'll have to kind of empty their bag of tricks a little bit more. So hopefully there's some good tape on them for that one.
[00:16:53] Then we get into this area where it's a little tricky where you had the middle of the pack, if you will, here, really weighing the pros and cons about who I think is going to be tougher here for the Gamecocks. And it's. It's a thin margin, but at number seven.
[00:17:09] So still, that bottom half here, call me crazy, I'm putting the Alabama game. Okay. It's on the road. It's going to be at night. I understand that they're coming off the College Football Playoff appearance, but they have a quarterback issue to figure out. Right. Carolina has played them incredibly close both times recently. It feels like we're due. And I think this being a little bit earlier in the year, it's week four, I think that's going to potentially play in our favor in this instance.
[00:17:43] Which brings me to number six, right in the middle of the road here at Florida. Okay, this is an interesting matchup on the road in that early time slot, noon to 1 o'. Clock.
[00:17:53] I don't really know what to make of Florida is why I really struggled. Right. I almost just put them at seven because I just don't know what to make of them. But this is a team that's in flux. They're surely still going to have some talent on the roster. They're going to be well coached. And I think going down to the Swamp effectively in the middle of the year is going to be a challenge for Carolina. I think Florida is going to be. They're going to be what they are at that point. You know what I mean? If they are a much improved team, we're going to see that come October 10th.
[00:18:27] Number five at Clemson. These games have been very close, but Shane Beamer has always had the team ready to play in Death Valley. Clemson has plenty of roster question marks as of right now as well. So when I sit here and look at the schedule, I don't think they are the most formidable opponent that South Carolina is going to face this year out of respect for the rivalry and just wacky things. Happening.
[00:18:51] Put him in number five.
[00:18:53] Number four, Tennessee at home. I love that this game is after the bye week for us. I'm glad to see the Vols back in Columbia in late October to boot. This offense, though, for Tennessee is always going to be hard to prepare for and will be a challenge for our defense.
[00:19:12] Number three, Texas A and M at home. The Aggies are coming off their bye week going into this matchup, which makes it always a little bit more difficult. And despite what South Carolina did in the first half against the Aggies last year, this is going to be a tough matchup, especially if A and M is fully healthy in this one.
[00:19:32] Then number two, Georgia at home. I'm so excited for this matchup. Part of the reason is because of the challenge, honestly, like that was part of the deal when we played Georgia regularly that you knew it was going to be an uphill battle. You know that the Dogs are, are going to have a good team year in and year out, right?
[00:19:51] Feels like they're set to have another one.
[00:19:53] And at this point in the year it's the, it's the second to last week of the regular season.
[00:19:58] They're going to be trying to solidify their resume probably right?
[00:20:02] But this game later in the day, it just feels like the crowd is going to be absolutely bonkers. Last home game of the year for South Carolina. It's going to be electric. I might have to go to this one now. I just might have to. But it's going to be an uphill battle nonetheless, right? And then number one most challenging game for South Carolina this year in my opinion is at Oklahoma. Coming off college football appearance themselves returning some big time players. It feels like Venables has really figured this thing out over there and I think this game being in the later part of the day on the road is the most challenging game on paper for South Carolina. So again, no record predictions in this. I'm going to get to that in a couple of weeks.
[00:20:46] But when we talk about like okay, strength of schedule, you know, where can Carolina maybe steal one or two here, right? Who should we really be on the lookout for? Right? What games do I want to try and play on floor?
[00:20:59] This is the list here and you know, maybe there's a few out there that are a little spicy takes but nonetheless that's what I got. But with that, that wraps up this episode.
[00:21:08] Please follow me on social media, Twitter or X is Cox Gamecox Instagram is just the name of the show. Cox Talking Gamecocks. And please like subscribe and review the podcast. I appreciate all y'. All go Cox.
