Tag: NCAAF

Should South Carolina really have celebrated their nail biting win over Jacksonville State?

By Clark Kinney

Last Saturday, the Gamecocks of South Carolina payed the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State a reported $1.3 million to come play them at Williams Brice Stadium. Now, normally when big SEC schools pay much smaller D1 schools to play them, they usually smoke them and send the home with a check, but Saturday was not the case.

It was a very close game and was tied 28-28 after 3 quarters. With around 2-3 minutes left in the game, Jacksonville State only down by 3 and was threatening to score. However, a bad decision from the Jax State quarterback led to a pick-six and sealed the win for South Carolina, 38-28.

In the press conference after the game, South Carolina head coach said, “we are going to celebrate the heck out of this game.” This statement by Beamer did not seem to excite many fans. The fans believe South Carolina did not play very well at all and could have lost the game to Jacksonville State who they believe South Carolina should have smoked. I do see where these fans are coming from but they just need to realize that South Carolina is simply not very good at football this year. I think Beamer did a good job on implying that no matter the opponent, we fought and found a way to win and that should be celebrated because celebrations do not happen that often this year and that is just the way it is and we are trying to do better. I also like the positivity from Beamer and I’m sure the players do too because I have played for positive and negative coaches and I always like the positive ones more and so do their players.

Don’t be a Tyler. 

by Jones DesChamps

For all who are unaware, there are some college football coaches around the country who answer phone calls from callers on various different radio stations. Dabo Swinney, the head ball coach for the Clemson Tigers, is one of those coaches. On Monday night, Coach Swinney hopped onto Clemson’s flagship radio station, “105.5 the Roar”, to answer any questions sent in by callers. After answering the light-hearted questions of many questions, Dabo received a unique call from an angry caller. 

This mysterious man was named Tyler, who states that he is from Spartanburg, SC. To say the least, he did not filter his concerns to his “favorite” team’s coach. During his four minute rant on the phone to Coach Swinney, Tyler asked many controversial questions and raised many eyebrows when talking over the coaching decisions that Mr. Swinney has made. During his harangue, he brought up the inappropriate subjects of why Coach Swinney was being paid 11.5 million dollars to have a 4-4 record, why he was too stubborn to change his coaching philosophy, and why his school’s relevancy has fallen off so drastically. This bandwagon fan claims to have followed the Tigers for years and wonders why Dabo has run his own team into the mud over the last 3 or 4 years. 

Dabo, who is a proven winner and joyful leader, responded in a way that is unusual for this mild-tempered coach. Mr. Swinney responded to Tyler in a firm tone throughout his extended answer. During his response, Coach Swinney pointed out the fact that his teams have achieved 12 straight 10 win seasons which only 3 other teams have surpassed in the last century and a half. Also, he pointed out that he built his program up from ground zero and led them to 2 national championships in the last 7 years, which Clemson had not done in the history of its existence. He wrapped his speech up by stating that he loves his university, but he hates the fact that the “expectations are above the appreciation” for what he has done for his school. This response not only silenced the caller but caused him to hang up the phone. By defending his own and his players, Dabo Swinney has caused much uproar among major news companies and social media pages. 

This begs the question: Were Coach Swinney’s remarks appropriate and correct? The simple answer is yes. As any good coach would do, he jumped to the defense of his personal strategy and his players. Would Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, or Deion Sanders respond the same way? Yes, so why is Dabo receiving so much criticism for his remarks? 

Should Caleb Williams finish playing this year at the University of Southern California?

By: Clark Kinney

Caleb Williams is a “generational talent” and will likely be one of the first picks of the 2024 NFL draft. Caleb Williams won the Heisman last year and was hoping to add himself to the short list of Heisman repeats this season. However, the last two weeks for Caleb have not been great. His team, the Trojans of the University of Southern California, lost their last two games, one to Notre Dame and the other to Utah. This takes the Trojans out of playoff contention. On top of that, Caleb has not played great. In his last two games, Caleb has only thrown for a combined one touchdown and only rushed for one touchdown while getting sacked 9 times. In the loss to Notre Dame, Caleb threw 3 interceptions. All these factors likely take him out of the Heisman race.

With that being said, why continue to play? Your team is not going to make the playoffs, you are not going to win the Heisman, and you could get hurt and never be able to play again for all you know. It is a valid question and probably one that has crossed his mind these past few days. I strongly believe that there are times to be selfish. There are times when you need to take care of yourself if you are in a bad state or you really need to get something done, but this is not one of those times. Caleb needs to finish his season with his teammates and coaches and not be selfish. He will make plenty of money at the end of the year no matter his decision now. Who knows? He could just go off like we’ve seen him do for the rest of the season and someone else get hurt and he win the Heisman again. I do not see that happening but it is possible. 

Overall, the thought of quitting only 8 games into the season just angers me. Like why would anyone ever think that? That would never cross my mind to just quit on my teammates and coaches who I’ve worked and fought with. If one of my teammates quit on me this far into the season, I would not be happy either. Caleb may be getting a little too big for his britches here. Don’t even get me started on the NFL ownership thing. Shake my head.

Who is the best team in the BIG 10?

By: Jones DesChamps

In a group of teams that finds itself immersed in chaos nearly every college football season, this season is nothing out of the ordinary for the BIG 10 conference.  Although this conference is filled with as much anarchy as ever, this season could be even more abnormal than usual. Nearly every season the debate ensues over “The Game”, which includes the star-studded match up between Michigan and Ohio State, but this season may shake out a little differently. Will one of these teams continue to rise to the top of the Big 10, or will one of the other newcomers take over this prestigious conference. 

To begin, it’s only right to talk about the tremendous success of the Buckeyes in the playoff era. These teams, led by Urban Meyer and Ryan Day, have produced nothing but wins. These Buckeyes, who have won the BIG 10 East 8 out of the last 9 seasons, certainly have to be the front-runner to win the conference. With a top 10 win against Notre Dame on the road this season, this explosive team looks to continue their success this season. Yes, this team’s rich history hints towards a conference championship this season, but the question at quarterback may be detrimental to this team’s final destination. 

Michigan, on the other hand, is the highest ranked team in the BIG 10. No, this team does not have an impressive win this season, but this Jim Harbaugh led team is experienced on both sides of the ball. JJ McCarthy, the Wolverine’s quarterback, is on pace to be a top quarterback in the country this season. Michigan has not lived up to the preseason hype given to them nearly every year throughout this decade, but last season’s Michigan team won the conference and produced their first playoff berth. The Wolverines lack of a true challenge this year may bite them in the rear when they are forced to play ranked teams later this year.  I believe this team is hungry to win, but may not have what it takes to take home a trophy. 

The last contender in the BIG 10, and maybe even the most talented team in this league is Penn State. Without sugar coating it, Penn State is the best team in their competitive conference. With an important game this weekend at the “Horseshoe”, this James Franklin led team looks to further their dominance this season. Drew Allar, one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, looks to guide the Nittany Lions out of Columbus with another W. The team in navy and white is highlighted by their stellar defense, as well. This well-rounded team will not only beat the top dogs in their league this season, but will reach the top of the mountain in the college football season, producing their first playoff berth. 

Why did Miami run the ball with 34 seconds left in the game when the opposing team had no timeouts?

By: Clark Kinney

If you haven’t already heard, Miami lost to Georgia Tech this past Saturday. It was an awful loss though, not because they played particularly bad, but rather because of an awful coaching decision made by the Miami staff that ultimately cost them the win. The undefeated Miami Hurricanes were winning and looking to improve to 5-0 on the season up 20-17 with 34 seconds left in the game, only needing to take a knee. However, the coaches decided to run the ball and the running back fumbled, giving Georgia Tech the ball with 26 seconds left and no timeouts. Four quick plays later, Georgia Tech scored and won the game. 

Miami had opted not to kneel the ball in every one of their first four games this year and they had won all four, but those games were not one score games like the Georgia Tech game. Miami’s head coach is Mario Cristobal, and he takes full ownership in the play call and loss. Perhaps the craziest part about all of this is that the exact same thing had happened to Coach Cristobal before. Coach Cristobal was the head coach at Oregon in 2018 when they were winning by 3 against Stanford with the ball, chose not to kneel to secure the win, ran a play, fumbled, Stanford tied the game, and then Oregon lost in overtime.

Why would you not just take a knee and secure the win? I simply do not know. Did they not have Victory Formation in the playbook? I don’t know either. What I do know is that Georgia Tech is not very good, and Miami will likely now not have a chance in making the College Football Playoff. On ESPN’s “First Take” earlier I heard one of the people say not only will they not have a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but that play call also cost the school millions of dollars because of the money that comes from winning and being a College Football Playoff contender.

 If I were Miami’s athletic director, I was seriously consider firing Coach Cristobal. I would, at least have him on a short leash and tell him if you lose 2-3 more you are done. He should be undefeated right know, and that is the only reason I would most likely not fire him immediately.

How good is DJ Uiagalelei?

by Clark Kinney

First of all, I am a Clemson fan and I may be a little bias. DJ Uiagalelei was the number one pro-style quarterback in his class coming out of high school, topping C.J. Stroud at number two who ended up being the number two overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He should be good right?

In his freshman year at Clemson he did not see much time on the field because we (Clemson) had Trevor Lawrence as a starter; however, when we traveled to Notre Dame for a huge matchup, Trevor Lawrence had Covid and could not play so Dabo gave DJ the start. The tigers lost this game in double overtime but DJ played well with 2 TDs and 439 yards passing. That was pretty much the extent of what we saw from DJ that year.

The next season rolled around and the next great Clemson starting quarterback was ready to go. Dabo was comparing him to Cam Newton with his running capabilities but even a better passer. We fell to Georgia first game of the year 10-3 and DJ had no touchdowns and a pick-six. The rest of the year was mediocre for the Tigers and especially for DJ but I still thought he would eventually be good. 

He started again the next year for Clemson in front of five-star Cade Klubnik but again just was not great but showed signs of being decent. I still thought he had some skill. My thoughts on his skill all changed when I went to the South Carolina vs. Clemson game last year. I had watched him play before in person but not as close as I did then because of where I was seated. I was right behind the Clemson bench where I could easily see all of our quarterbacks warming up. I am not kidding when I say this…he could not throw a spiral. It wasn’t just warmups either, it was the whole game. He would drop back to throw it to a receiver and just throw a duck like it was awful. Also, I am no expert but you would think since he was big he would run hard but no. He would try to juke out linebackers and then get tackled from behind . by a defensive linemen because he is slow and not quick at all. Dude you are not Johnny Manziel. You are 6’4’’ 250+ lbs., just use your size, lower your shoulder, and run them over. 

So, “How good is DJ Uiagalelei?” Not good. He cannot consistently throw a spiral or even use his size to his advantage. If he learns how to do those two things at Oregon State, he probably will be good but I don’t see that happening.

Can the Gamecocks turn it around?

By: Jones DesChamps

Will there ever be a point during this season that South Carolina will be over .500? 

Although South Carolina has continually obtained one of the most difficult schedules in college football over the last 3 seasons, South Carolina’s proven passing game and serviceable defense will guarantee their bowl eligibility this season. 

Carrying a 2-3 record into their bye week this week, South Carolina has impressed the nation with their explosive offense. Led by senior quarterback Spencer Rattler, this high powered offense has exploded in the passing game. Xavier Leggette, the star receiver for the Gamecocks, is currently 3rd in the conference in receiving yards and isn’t stopping anytime soon. Discovering a hidden gem in the running game, Dowell Loggains looks to Mario Anderson to light a fire in the ground attack. Not to be forgotten, Luke Doty, who was a highly regarded dual-threat quarterback in high school, has been used in different ways at tight end, as well. This flexible member of the offense has also provided a spark for the guys in garnet. 

Yes, this Carolina team has the weapons to win double digit games, but it all means nothing if they continue to play this arduous schedule… right? Wrong. There is good news for Gamecock fans. Coming off of their bye week, Carolina looks to host  a fraudulent Florida team who is 4-6 in their last 10 SEC games. Later in the season, they approach their easiest stretch of games  as they look to defeat Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M’s disappointing campaign. Following that, they play Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt, 2 notoriously bad football programs. They then host Kentucky and Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium, a hostile environment for back-to-back rivalry games. 

Clearly, South Carolina and Shane Beamer has a chance to change their losing culture cultivated over the last few seasons. The true question is this: will their difficult schedule wreak havoc on their record once again? I don’t think so. The Gamecocks have something to prove this season, and with their backs against the wall, they will start throwing knockout punches to unexpected teams.