Gamecock Man is a passionate, knowledgeable, and level-headed South Carolina fan who is warmly received as a commenter here at O&B Hue. He’s also a contributor to the most excellent Garnet and Black Attack, which as usual, is so much better than our humble blog that it’s depressing to think about. His opinion of Yours Truly can be found in the right sidebar under “What Dey Say”. Despite his misgivings about Gator Nation’s mental state — okay, my mental state — he has agreed to share some thoughts on the upcoming game between Florida and USCe. (In prototypical blog spit-swap style, we agreed to do the same. Our thoughts appear here.) Here we go…

Greetings, and welcome. Let’s get started. Explain how South Carolina can lose early to Vandy and Georgia (both losses by a single TD) and then go on to win six of seven games, including a road victory over the same Ole Miss team that beat Florida in the Swamp.

Why do you have to bring that up? Man, would I love to have that one back. 8-2 would be really sweet right now!

First of all, we committed a number of uncharacteristic errors in that game. We’ve been pretty solid on special teams this year, but we allowed the Dores to recover a punt that bounced off one of our return blockers leg as well as block a field goal. Those mistakes led to points for Vandy and missed opportunities for us and pretty much cost us the game. It wasn’t like Vandy blew us off the field; we outgained them by around 100 yards and generally looked like the better team for most of the game. In the end, though, Vandy came up with some huge plays when they needed them and we didn’t. Not having Kenny McKinley to help us move the ball late in the game may have hurt.
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Thanks to Andy and Joel from Pigskin Podcast for having me on the air for their Tuesday broadcast. Subjects include Tebow’s repeat Heisman hopes, Spurrier, Alabama and the SEC CG, and Urban Meyer. You can probably guess what I had to say about Spur-Dog, but hey, feel free to listen for yourself — maybe I’ll surprise you (nope). They call my name at about 12:15 into the broadcast. Also, be sure to check out Pigskin Podcast’s website here.

Steve Spurrier. No figure in has meant more to Florida Gator Football.

First, as a Heisman trophy winning quarterback in sixties; and then upon his return to the University as head coach. Spurrier, who led the Gators to six SEC titles and their first National Championship in 1996. Spurrier, the Golden Son. Spurrier, the legend.

Spurrier, head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

To some Florida fans, it’s still unthinkable. Spurrier returns to the Swamp — but on the visitor’s sideline. Trying to beat the Florida Gators.

In various interviews and press conferences, the Ol’ Ball Coach has tried to send a message to the Gator Nation. He would like us to believe that the Georgia Bulldogs are the enemy. That beating Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles is more important. That this matchup with South Carolina is just another game, not a rivalry.

But now, Steve Spurrier (with or without a visor) and his South Carolina Gamecocks are the enemy. And the best way to beat your enemy is to understand him. In order to get more familiar with Florida’s newest rival, who will run onto Florida Field this Saturday, Swampster spoke with Brandon, who runs Cock & Fire. Cock & Fire is a smartly-written and well-designed blog which covers the Gamecocks and SEC football. The purpose? A “frank exchange of views,” in the form of dual interviews. The following represents a cross-section of the O&B Hue staff’s questions.

On to the interview:

O&B Hue: In Steve Spurrier’s first season in Columbia, the Gamecocks achieved some remarkable results. Is there still a buzz about the program, or are the fans losing patience (as witnessed by people leaving at halftime during a nationally televised showdown with Arkansas)?

Cock & Fire: I think it’s somewhere in between. I don’t think people have lost patience yet. I think most SEC schools have two schools of thought — homers and realists. South Carolina also has two schools of thought, but it tends to be split between realists and pessimists. I think the pessimists are about ready to say, “Here we go again,” but most fans are willing to give Spurrier another year or two. Those who actually follow football realize that a lot of the games we won last year where due to lucky bounces, and the luck has kind of evened out this year — unlucky bounces helped do USC in both against Arkansas and Tennessee. (more…)

Confession time: I’m jealous of David and Swamp Ball. Not the kind of jealous where you stalk a girl and then beat up her boyfriend when he’s in the john, necessarily, but still: what a great Florida blog. Tons of readers and support. Great and original news. And totally Gator. He also has the coolest logo ever devised for a UF sports blog: an alligator snapping his jaws in attempt to ensare and, one assumes, gulp down a football or basketball which appears to have been thrown his way. The gator’s backdrop is a murky, dank swamp, something straight out of a horror movie, which looks like it’d be quite threatening to any non-scaly visitors. You look at it and say, “Well, g’damn, wish I’d thought of that idea. An alligator jawin’ a ball, that’s slique.” Then you look at your orange and blue-hued sunglasses and think, “That’s kinda weak by comparo.”

Luckily, David seems to like Orange and Blue Hue and has come up with the great idea that we ought to have a little “roundtable blog” in which we exchange questions and answers to what we each, no doubt, think are cleverly devised and worded questions. O&B Hue enthusiastically agreed. The results - catastrophic, glorious, or both - follow.

O&B Hue: Hello, David. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I’ll jump right into it. Tebow vs. Leak. Barring injury to Leak, will Tebow start a game for UF this season?

Swamp Ball: In time, Tim Tebow will be the man for the Florida Gators. Just like the Six Million Dollar Man, we know that Tebow will be better, stronger, and faster than Chris Leak. At the end of last season, I honestly did not know if Leak would be back for his senior season after the word was Tebow would be signing with Florida. It just seemed that Urban’s bread and butter known as the “Spread Option” was not a fit for a drop back passer in Chris Leak. But, that would not be the case as Leak surprised many by coming back for his senior season.

It appears as if Urban is of the mindset that he’ll modify the offense around Chris Leak’s strengths. Leak will have a chance to finish out his career as the starter while going after the Gators QB record books. Leak had a drop off last year, but seemed to improve as the year finished out. The goal is a SEC crown and anything short of that will be a disappointment. Leak’s other role is to mentor Tebow so that he will be ready physically and mentally to be the Gator starting QB after the season. In what I have heard so far about Tebow, he is physically gifted and has a strong and confident head on his shoulders. I am not sure what Leak will provide Tebow in that regard. However, as they were both highly recruited QBs, there is a similar path there. (more…)