The Gamecocks Roundtable continues as we approach the kickoff of what could be a very special year for USC football.
For this roundtable, LOHD got one of the newest Gamecocks sports blogs to join in on the discussion. Please welcome Katie of Cocky Country. She is part of the Aerys Sports Network which is a bunch of great sports blogs written from the perspective of the female sports fan.
Do check out her blog when not reading ours of course.
Here is our Q&A with her and do check out the other roundtables at the end of this one –
1. What is the one area that you view as a weakness for the USC football team in 2011?
Special Teams. I know Spurrier said he thinks they’ll get it together this year, but they weren’t so hot last year, so they need a good deal of improvement. I’ll also be interested to see how the kicking/punting goes.
2. As a Gamecock fan, what are your expectations for Jadeveon Clowney in his first year?
I think Jadeveon will obviously be an important asset to the team. At the same time, there will be a bunch of other guys on the field, so he’ll have to gel with everyone else coem game time. I’m expecting him to prove that he was the #1 recruit in the country for a reason, but I’m expecting him to make some mistakes along the way, too. It’ll be a learning experience.
3. Lots of talk about Stephen Garcia in the off-season, is he a concern for you? Why or Why not?
Yeah, he’s a little bit of a concern. From all reports, he’s gotten his act together and committed to behaving himself, but I’m not 100% sold on that yet. As for on the field, we’ve seen flashes of greatness, and I hope he can really channel that into a solid final year. He’s been decent in scrimmages and he’s got the tools and the team to put together an impressive season. I think if he can manage to make good decisions and stay focused, he won’t be a huge concern as the season goes on. So, right now, is he a concern? Yes, somewhat. Will he be a concern in November? I hope not.
4. Speculation is Texas A&M will join the SEC at some point, who do you think should be the 14th member of the SEC in the SEC East?
I think either North Carolina would be a good candidate, although I haven’t heard anyone else mention them. They’d be my choice if the SEC decides it doesn’t want to take anyone from a state that’s already got an SEC school. If that’s not an issue, I’d say Florida State. They’ve put together good seasons recently in all three major sports, and I think they’d be a good addition who could compete with the caliber of the other SEC teams.
5. Go on the record, what is your prediction for USC football in 2011 (wins and losses).
A perfect season! Just kidding. Right now I’m thinking 9-3 or 10-2, because I’m always afraid we’ll lose at least one out-of-conference game we’re “supposed to” win. If we beat Georgia in week 2, I think we’re 10-2, and we’re 9-3 if we don’t. I’d guess we’ll have at least two SEC losses, especially if someone important is injured. I think we win the SEC East again, and maybe even the SEC title, but I don’t know that I see us going to the National Championship. I think/hope we finish the season ranked in the Top 5 nationally.
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Thanks to Cocky Country for working with us on this roundtable. Do check out our other roundtable discussions with the Gamecocks blogging family as we begin to get ready for kickoff –
