South Carolina (-12.5) over NC St
Week one is always fun considering all the talk you hear verse what you see. The gamecocks are looking put the peices together this season and make a push. 6-6 is not what the boosters were thinking when the Ol Ball Coach came into town. Hell any guy that gets a free membership to Augusta should not be around the 500 mark. QB problems have been the issue over the past few seasons. I never like to play my money on a guy named SMELLEY but he looks to have the edge as the starter after Garcia was suspended in the off season. No Cory Boyd will be a little problem but they have a few guys that should step in and take the load. Mike Davis is the senior and should have the best understanding of the system but freshman Baker and Morris have talent and it will be hard not to give them some playing time. The best talent on SC is at WR and of that group Kenny McKinley is the best. The WR's all have speed but McKinley is the best catcher and should be the go to guy. The SC wide outs will have their hands full with the strong point of the NC St defense which is at defensive back Morgan and Gray. Where the gamecocks will make plays is in crossing routes vs zone coverage. ALL new linebackers for the pack will be hardpressed to watch playaction and get deep enough to cover the middle. That will be where drives are kept alive and ccould be the difference in the game. With IMO less that termendous D-line talent the four returning players for SC should be able to give Smelley enough time to pick those zone coverages apart while the RBs out of the backfield should be an option. NC St on offense has a good weapon at RB but they have nothing around him. The line is all new and they have huge questions at quarterback. Even though the pack returns last years starter Evans it looks like a different player might get the start. The young QB and no line means the SC defense can play run and attack the backfield. The SC defense has a lot of speed and talent The secondary was ALL SEC so they can cover the passing attack by themselves and that frees up Jasper Brinkley to do whatever he wants. The SC defense returns 10 starters and Brinkley who I think is the life blood of that unit and in his return they will be strong up the middle and even better in getting to the QB. New Defensive Co should be very aggressive and I just do not think NC will be able to move the ball against them. This is a home game for the gamecocks and they should be looking to establish so momentum for another backloaded sched. A lot of speed and new specialteams co should give the gamecocks field position to make drives count. 12.5 is a good bit of chalk but the wolfpack just do not have the ability to stay with what Spurrir wants to do on offense and I do not think they will be able to move the ball on offense with the holes they have.
Vandy (+3.5) over Miami OH
I like Vandy ML but I will take the points. The commadors have size and power and that should be enough to move the redhawks off the line and open holes for Jennings. That running game will depend on replacing the entire offensive line which will be hard but can be done within the SEC. Average size this season for that line is 6-3 300lbs and that line is up against 6-2 250 average of the redhawk d-line. Miami oh has relied on defense over the past year but in this game it will not be enough. The redhawk offense led by Raudabaugh has a returning left side o-line, speed at WR and a good TE. That will be enough for miami to move the ball and score points. This will be a ground and pound game and it will be back and forth. Neither team looks like they can dominate so that leaves me with two thoughts. One is the home field advantage that big a deal, IMO it is not. And the SEC is a better football conference and they have shown that over the past seasons. Even though Vandy is not a top team in the SEC they still should have the edge in talent and with that edge and a FG I will play with the only thing that impresses me.
Good luck to you all this season
Cheers
Irish
Week one is always fun considering all the talk you hear verse what you see. The gamecocks are looking put the peices together this season and make a push. 6-6 is not what the boosters were thinking when the Ol Ball Coach came into town. Hell any guy that gets a free membership to Augusta should not be around the 500 mark. QB problems have been the issue over the past few seasons. I never like to play my money on a guy named SMELLEY but he looks to have the edge as the starter after Garcia was suspended in the off season. No Cory Boyd will be a little problem but they have a few guys that should step in and take the load. Mike Davis is the senior and should have the best understanding of the system but freshman Baker and Morris have talent and it will be hard not to give them some playing time. The best talent on SC is at WR and of that group Kenny McKinley is the best. The WR's all have speed but McKinley is the best catcher and should be the go to guy. The SC wide outs will have their hands full with the strong point of the NC St defense which is at defensive back Morgan and Gray. Where the gamecocks will make plays is in crossing routes vs zone coverage. ALL new linebackers for the pack will be hardpressed to watch playaction and get deep enough to cover the middle. That will be where drives are kept alive and ccould be the difference in the game. With IMO less that termendous D-line talent the four returning players for SC should be able to give Smelley enough time to pick those zone coverages apart while the RBs out of the backfield should be an option. NC St on offense has a good weapon at RB but they have nothing around him. The line is all new and they have huge questions at quarterback. Even though the pack returns last years starter Evans it looks like a different player might get the start. The young QB and no line means the SC defense can play run and attack the backfield. The SC defense has a lot of speed and talent The secondary was ALL SEC so they can cover the passing attack by themselves and that frees up Jasper Brinkley to do whatever he wants. The SC defense returns 10 starters and Brinkley who I think is the life blood of that unit and in his return they will be strong up the middle and even better in getting to the QB. New Defensive Co should be very aggressive and I just do not think NC will be able to move the ball against them. This is a home game for the gamecocks and they should be looking to establish so momentum for another backloaded sched. A lot of speed and new specialteams co should give the gamecocks field position to make drives count. 12.5 is a good bit of chalk but the wolfpack just do not have the ability to stay with what Spurrir wants to do on offense and I do not think they will be able to move the ball on offense with the holes they have.
Vandy (+3.5) over Miami OH
I like Vandy ML but I will take the points. The commadors have size and power and that should be enough to move the redhawks off the line and open holes for Jennings. That running game will depend on replacing the entire offensive line which will be hard but can be done within the SEC. Average size this season for that line is 6-3 300lbs and that line is up against 6-2 250 average of the redhawk d-line. Miami oh has relied on defense over the past year but in this game it will not be enough. The redhawk offense led by Raudabaugh has a returning left side o-line, speed at WR and a good TE. That will be enough for miami to move the ball and score points. This will be a ground and pound game and it will be back and forth. Neither team looks like they can dominate so that leaves me with two thoughts. One is the home field advantage that big a deal, IMO it is not. And the SEC is a better football conference and they have shown that over the past seasons. Even though Vandy is not a top team in the SEC they still should have the edge in talent and with that edge and a FG I will play with the only thing that impresses me.
Good luck to you all this season
Cheers
Irish
