More silly stuff--least far as I see it:
The ESPN Gameday crew are previewing the early games, and the way they intro'd ours against the 'Cocks was with a shot of SS walkin' onto the filed during warm-ups and saying over it, "Is this the last time we'll see Steve Spurrier leading a Gamecock squad onto the field? There are a lot of stories circulating that he might be coming back here, return to Florida after this season...". Then moved on to the usual stuff, shots of Treon warming up, all of 'em talkin' bout how he "could have a BIG game against this defense", how "the Gators are just playing with more CONFIDENCE around him", and so on, the usual stuff... But I just gotta say it again: I just don't see ANY way SS comes back to us as a COACH...Now, there HAS been talk lately that he may step aside as Head Coach of the Gamecocks, and (not to violate a promise to my friend inside the Gator program, hint hint, but) I HAVE mentioned the possibility and various discussions of J. Foley's eventual replacement, HOWEVER that happens ("eventually" or otherwise, won't get into all THAT here), but friends, no matter HOW much some may LONG for that "repeat of history" (a somewhat imperfect one, again in my view, for all kinds of reasons), I just see no way that happens--mainly from everything SS himself has had to say about it, along with all the reports of those close to him then, meanwhile, and even pretty recently.
OK, back over on SEC Network, game is ON, and they are talking about Muschamp "staying the course,", how they are "peaking at the right time", "still vying for the SEC East title", and that it "all turned with Muschamp's making the change at quarterback". I just don't know where to start picking apart all that, and meanwhile SC is moving the ball on their 1st drive here, a 30-yd pass here to get into Gator territory--and once again we are starting slow, even on defense. Been the pattern. Umpire makes our best "stop" on a pass-play so far. Wide OPEWN on 3rd and long, and we are bout to be scored on again to start things. Muschamp NEVER seems to have his own damn defense "ready to play" when they start: We win the toss, defer, then give up the long drive. Yeah, we are "PEAKING". And wearing the defense...There it is, another wide-open play, this one the run untouched 20 yds to the endzone.
Place is QUIET. Cold there. Cold here in S. TX too. Clod where YOU are? Yeah. Like an icicle thru' the heart.
No matter HOW much I try to prepare for it, rationalize how maybe there might be all these "good" things, well, maybe not good but "necessary" things about a Gator-loss, the actual event just SUCKS, always hurts no matter the circumstances. When the game is on, I just want a Gator win more than anything else--will turn back to all that other stuff if/when this one gets away from us. Don't know how much of a stinkarama I can stomach first hand here, though. Let's see how they respond...but if we can't at least control the ball here for awhile, move it down the field and let our D rest, get back in this thing (they DO get stronger--before they finally wear OUT from being out there TOO much)...but no, 3-and-out.
First buig moment coming: Either WE get it back FAST, somehow, pick, fumble, 3-and-out for them, or this one could get away from us early. It's easy to forget how BAD this team has played at times, how we've managed to lose games we shoulda won and lose BIG games we were in despite our best "efforts" to give 'em away. Last coupla weeks we had "little to lose", played loose and hence played relatively well, at least for parts of 'em. Now, you can SEE it: We're tight again. Bad signs all around.