When looking to bet on football or other sports, please remember it can take anywhere from a couple days to a week or long to get your sports betting account funded. Be patient and plan ahead!

NFL Week 1: Sept 9 – 13
Thu, Sep 09
MIN @ NO 8:30 PM

Sun, Sep 12
CLE @ TB 1:00 PM
MIA @ BUF 1:00 PM
CIN @ NE 1:00 PM
IND @ HOU 1:00 PM
DEN @ JAC 1:00 PM
ATL @ PIT 1:00 PM
OAK @ TEN 1:00 PM
CAR @ NYG 1:00 PM
DET @ CHI 1:00 PM
ARI @ STL 4:15 PM
GB @ PHI 4:15 PM
SF @ SEA 4:15 PM
DAL @ WAS 8:20 PM

Mon, Sep 13
BAL @ NYJ 7:00 PM
SD @ KC 10:15 PM

I’ve always liked the Gamecocks.  Maybe it’s their mascot, maybe it’s the t-shirts that just say “Cocks,” or maybe its their perennial enigmatic status in college football.  USC (yes, I will always call them USC over their Southern Cal counterparts.  Plus, only one is postseason eligible this year.  Ha) has consistently had the coaching, the facilities, and alumni support, and the athletes (including a far more than average number of NFL picks) to field great teams, yet never have been able to.  It’s always “next year” and that year never seems to come.  Their last (and only) 10 win season came in 1984.  They’re consistently about .500, always coming close to greatness but always dropping the ball in the second half of the season or losing a few games they shouldn’t even when they win games they also shouldn’t.  They’ve been known to reach high rankings only to falter.  Steve Spurrier has been at the helm for 5 years, and has put together a string of mediocre barely-bowl eligible seasons.  By no means a disgrace, but also now what they Gamecock faithful had in mind when he rolled into town.  But, depsite the mediocrity, his 35 wins are the best in any 5 year span in their history.  And before him it was Lou Holtz and others who just couldn’t get the Cocks over the hump despite having all the tools in place.

This year looks to be no different.  Once again, the tools are there, and it’s up to Spurrier and the Gamecocks to make something of it.  I think the ‘ole ball coach will leave quietly if they can’t get their crap together in 2010.

To start, they have a veteran quarterback behind center in Stephen Garcia.  Garcia is a screw-up off the field, getting arrested twice in his first month or so ever being on campus as a freshman, but he’s a gunslinger who loves to throw and fits well into Spurriers cock ‘n fire (or fun ‘n gun or whatever) offense.  This year, he’s also throwing to a talented group of receivers and has a star recruit running back in Marcus Lattimore who should breakout to be a game changer.  On defense their secondary is one of the tops in the country with senior Chris Culliver and sophmore Stephon Gilmore and defensive end Cliff Matthews is a beast who’s name you should know before too long.  Their only glaring weakness is the offensive line, which allowed 39 sacks in ’08 and 37 in ’09.  Without protection, Spurriers offense and Garcia’s arm are rendered useless.  But they’ve brought in a new O-line coach and have 4 returning starters, so we’ll see if they can improve.

As I said, I like the Cocks, and if there was a year to be “next year” for them, its this one.  Florida is finally sort-of rebuilding and Tennessee and Georgia are up in the air, so there’s never been a better time for South Carolina to make a statement in their conference.  There schedules no piece of cake, with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, and Clemson among others, but this is SEC football and the Cocks have managed to steal games before, now they just need to make sure they win all the games they’re supposed to.

I’m not sure what to predict.  On paper, I think a 10 win season isn’t totally out of the cards, but then I’ve said that before and been burned by these guys.  The pieces are in place, the alumni are as faithful and excited as ever, and it’s time for Spurrier to get over the hump or get out.  I think realistically they win 9 games, but the season will tell us if they can finally get to the top or if the enigma will continue.  I just think its about time they get another banner for Williams Brice Stadium besides the 1969 ACC Championship.

And so I will bite on the Yanks -1.5 at plus money (for now, at least), and if I get burned, I won’t be calling the wambulance.

When looking to bet on football or other sports, please remember it can take anywhere from a couple days to a week or long to get your sports betting account funded. Be patient and plan ahead!

NFL Week 1: Sept 9 – 13
Thu, Sep 09
MIN @ NO 8:30 PM

Sun, Sep 12
CLE @ TB 1:00 PM
MIA @ BUF 1:00 PM
CIN @ NE 1:00 PM
IND @ HOU 1:00 PM
DEN @ JAC 1:00 PM
ATL @ PIT 1:00 PM
OAK @ TEN 1:00 PM
CAR @ NYG 1:00 PM
DET @ CHI 1:00 PM
ARI @ STL 4:15 PM
GB @ PHI 4:15 PM
SF @ SEA 4:15 PM
DAL @ WAS 8:20 PM

Mon, Sep 13
BAL @ NYJ 7:00 PM
SD @ KC 10:15 PM

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