This season starts today, huh?

I assume darth will be rooting hard for the Commodores tonight.

Alabama 24
Michigan 8

Safety or two point conversion for UM?

South Carolina's not looking like the number 9 team. Doesn't this happen every year? them and/or Clemson.

Huskers

The latter in garbage time.

Historically nothing team in South Carolina, really big success for them even though they didn't make it to the SEC championship game last year. Lots of hype and quite a bit of off field strife this year. I don't think they looked fit (sort of fat and happy with themselves), and I don't think they looked mentally ready to play a very tough Vanderbilt squad this early. South Carolina is going to be a beast later on as they get right but yesterday was a lot more about what Vandy can do than what South Carolina can't do. Carolina looked bad last night. The poor secondary was exposed. Jordan Rodgers is going to get better too. I really think Conor Shaw's ability to run and Marcus Lattimore's superiority even coming off the injury is what got them the win, but they didn't cover and many people thought prior to the game that the number was too low. South Carolina is obviously better physically except in the secondary, but wheras Vanderbilt got up for the game South Carolina was looking ahead. College kids seem to be very succeptible to not taking an opponent seriously. Very few teams are able to keep the intensity up every week. SC couldn't even do it for the opener.

So close! That no call pissed me off, it was clear passing interference.



Kinda, but FSU and Notre Dame are the big over hyped teams year in and year out. FSU is "back" this year though so watch out.

Historically South Carolina isn't a top 20 team. Clemson normally gets a lot more hype than the Gamecocks, and has a knack for beating teams they should lose to, and losing against teams they should beat. Obviously, this makes being a fan frustrating as every year they have loads of potential / talent, but finish with mediocre results.

Clemson also tends to do better when under the radar. Like when they're not ranked (pre-season last year for example), they grab everyone's attention and start 8-0. Then, as soon as all eyes are on them, they blow it.

FSU has been "back" every year for the past 5 years. In pre-season polls anyway. Not so much once they start playing games.

True, but doesn't pre-season ranking help some teams? Like say Alabama loses one game, but are pre-season #1. Them at 11-1 will probably keep them in the top 10 (probably higher), than say an unranked pre-season team who finishes 12-0 (like a non SEC team).

I don't know if I'm saying it right but I've read that by starting high, it's easier to stay there with one loss. Heck, even a 10-2 Crimson Tide will be ranked higher than a team from a lesser conference who say started preseason at #25 and goes undefeated.

I don't think South Carolina is overrated, I think they played poorly, lacked the necessary emotion and did a few things extremely poorly. Thier secondary isn't very good. Thier offensive line isn't very good. Rodgers was able to evade thier excellent pass rush (turns out Melvin Ingram was pretty freaking special) Ace Sanders is short. Lattimore isn't completely healthy yet (and he still ran for 100 yards) Conor Shaw may be the best QB that has ever been in school there and he's tough as nails. He's not great at anything but he's good at everything and he's a coaches kid.

South Carolina is easily a top 10 team they just were outplayed by an emotional and underrated Vanderbilt team.

What South Carolina did last night is a coaches dream. Play like shit early but still win. The air in the hype bubble busts, coaches can get on them now, and the players will respond provided Conor Shaw is healthy anyway. After him I think everyone is drunk.

So, regarding the guy from Kent St., who was returning his own team's punt toward the wrong endzone. Why the hell did the other team tackle him? I know rules change, but would that not have been a safety? Or better if he dropped the ball in celebration and they recovered?

Maybe this should be in the ESPN thread, but why was everyone ripping on this guy? Rip on the guys from the other team who tackled him I say...

My Brother. Unfortunately, I've never liked Martinez. Unless he makes a huge jump, I see us middle of the pack again.

Yeah, you're right about that. It seems to have died off with Notre Dame as of late, thankfully.

24 points already in a quarter and a half...

SEC! SEC!

Good win by Clemson the other night. They, and the ACC really needed that.

I saw a lot of things that concerned me, but most of it I'm chalking up to first game jitters. There were a bunch of dropped passes, and I have the feeling had they not been dropped, we would have seen bigger separation in the final score.

The next two games are against FCS schools, so they should be good to work out some kinks. Then, in three weeks, it's FSU. The winner of this one likely goes to the ACC championship game representing the Atlantic division.

Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely love Andre Ellington?

So glad Boise State got beat in the first week.

In other news... Mizzou plays Georgia on Saturday. Pretty pumped about going.