It turns out that there is an on-campus Chick-Fil-A at Clemson. And linebacker Cassanova McKinzy now says he would have chosen Auburn over Clemson even if he has seen it. But McKinzy certainly caused a media and internet meltdown over his comments when talking about his decision to choose Auburn over Clemson, how when he visited the Clemson campus, there was no Chick-fil-A in sight, and that just wasn't acceptable.

The following GIF of Auburn coach Gene Chizik's enticing McKinzy made my day: 
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n588/Jkm4au/Ammo/Chiz-Fil-A.gif

 
By Doug Jolley

Chad Gilbert from "Outkick the Coverage" sums up where the SEC programs are in his column http://outkickthecoverage.com/sec-recruiting-christmas-gifts-abound.php, but he obviously doesn't cover South Carolina recruiting. He states, "attracting another defensive prospect may be difficult this late in the game." The key recruits still on the Gamecocks board are almost all on the defensive side of the ball - 5 star defensive end Jonathan Bullard, Elijah Shumate, the #5 safety in the country by scout.com, 4 star defensive end Tyriq McCord, safety Chaz Elder, and safety Jordan Diggs. Running back Mike Davis is the key recruit still uncommitted on the offensive side of the ball. 

By Doug Jolley

I got a message right after Kyle had his spinal surgery in Charlotte yesterday, and everything went great. I got the ok today to share some info with you. The surgeons in Charlotte that operated on him do a lot of work with NFL players as well. They removed a part of one of his disks that was touching a nerve and causing the problems he was having. Happy to report that the big news is he can feel his foot again today, which he has been unable to do since the injury occurred. The shooting pain up his leg that was a constant issue is also gone. He didn’t lose much blood during the procedure, which is a good thing since he is still on blood thinners because of the clot issue he had in his leg, and only had to spend a couple hours in recovery. He’s back home and resting now.

He really hopes to be able to come back to South Carolina for a sixth year. No telling when the NCAA will get back with that decision. 

By Ronda Templeton

Well, another November has arrived and, by all indications, USC’s Chicken Curse has come home to roost.

Agree or disagree, but that damn curse is real. It worked its voodoo Saturday in Arkansas. When Carolina’s Connor Shaw hit the turf, concussed, after being sacked in the fourth quarter, it was clear that evil was afoot.

You can argue that the Gamecocks are simply unlucky when it comes to football, but there’s something peculiar going on. USC has great players, renowned coaches, outstanding facilities and loyal fans, but something wicked this way comes. And it usually comes in November.

Curses are peculiar things, and they’re rampant in sports. Mickey Bradley, co-author of “Haunted Baseball,” opined that bad juju is real – at least, after a fashion.

“Curses are as powerful as people’s belief in them,” he wrote, adding that curses can become self-fulfilling prophecies if players believe in their destiny-changing power.

It’s easy to attribute busted plays, dropped passes and injuries to bad luck. Why not take it one step further and blame them on a curse? It’s hard to argue with USC’s years of disappointment, one trip to the SEC championship notwithstanding. (And, let’s face it, the curse was at play last December in Atlanta. How else to explain Cam Newton’s Hail Mary pass on the last play of the first half? A play that was freakishly deflected into the air and into the hands of Auburn receiver Darvin Adams?)

Let’s look on the bright side of this curse thing – if, that is, curses have a bright side: Gamecocks fans are united in misery. The Chicken Curse is part of their identity, just as the Curse of the Billy Goat is woven into the fabric of Chicago Cubs fans.

Carolina supporters love the Gamecocks, and the loss to Arkansas (and accompanying control of USC’s destiny in the SEC East) was disappointing. But, really, wasn’t it expected? Was anyone shocked, or truly surprised?

What would USC fans do if their long national nightmare actually ended in an SEC championship or, heaven forfend, a national championship? After the celebrations ended, they’d have to restart the misery meter at zero. It takes fortitude to be a Gamecock, and there’s a certain honor in keeping the faith despite decades of bad mojo.

At the end of the day, Charlie Brown is not destined to kick that football or to win the heart of his red-haired girl. And the Gamecocks? If curses are real, now is another winter of their character-building discontent.

 
By Jordan Grove


The aftershocks are still being felt throughout the South following the collision between the two college football Colossus’ in Tuscaloosa Saturday night.

Two of the top three defenses in the country engaged in a war of attrition for close to 3 ½ hours with neither side’s offense able to get within the red zone during regulation.

LSU finally emerged victorious following a Drew Alleman field goal in overtime after being helped out by a little voodoo that the Bayou Bengals brought to the heart of Alabama.

In this decade the Tigers have won close games that were decided by missed field goals and extra points.

There were the three inexplicable missed extra points by Oregon State kicker Alexis Serna that helped LSU secure a win in their season opener in 2004.

Then there was Auburn kicker John Vaughn missing five field goals in 2005 which helped LSU pull out an overtime thriller in Baton Rouge.

What LSU did Saturday night in Tuscaloosa was call upon Alabama’s kicking woes of the past to help them get a win – specifically the kicking struggles that occurred on September 23, 2006.

It was on that date that Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin missed three field goals and an extra point which led to the Crimson Tide losing to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The spirit of Leigh Tiffin during that game in Fayatteville made its way down to T-Town and infected Alabama kickers Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster who went 2/6 in field goal attempts.

LSU’s defense was stout all night which made Alabama rely on its kicking game to try to get points. The first drive by the Crimson Tide was stopped on the LSU 27 where Alabama missed its first field goal of the night – a 44 yard attempt by Cade Foster.

On Alabama’s second drive they managed to get down to the LSU 33 where they settled again for a long field goal which was another miss. This time Foster whiffed on a 50 yard field goal.

3rd drive and same results except this time Alabama was stopped on the LSU 31 and had a Jeremy Shelley 49 yard attempt blocked by Eric Reid.

The Crimson Tide’s fourth drive proved to be their first successful one when it came to getting points on the board. Shelley nailed a 34 yard attempt to break the 0-0 stalemate.

After LSU kicker Drew Alleman tied the game 3-3, LSU got the ball and quickly gave it away following a Jarrett Lee interception. The Tigers defense held strong limiting Alabama to only six yards on three plays where the Crimson Tide settled for another field goal. This time it was Cade Foster nailing a 46 yarder, which is Alabama’s longest made attempt of the year.

That would be Alabama’s last points of the game at right around the halfway mark through the 3rd quarter. They wouldn’t even get close to scoring again until overtime.

It was after regulation that Alabama’s offense lost its rhythm and moved backwards. The drive in overtime started on the LSU 25. Following an incomplete pass, a penalty for illegal substitution, and another incomplete pass Alabama had to get to LSU 15 for a first down.

Tide QB A.J. McCarron stepped back to pass and was sacked by LSU DE Sam Montgomery for a loss of 5 setting up a 50 yard field goal. It was another miss by Cade Foster.

Once LSU had the ball it was all over. They moved down to the Crimson Tide 8 yard line before settling on a field goal that would end what was billed as the Game of the Century.

For all the hype, build-up, and anticipation for this Tussle in Tuscaloosa it fell short of its billing. It was the second lowest scoring game in match-ups of #1 vs. #2 behind only a tie between Army and Notre Dame in 1946.

The game lacked the type of excitement that Oklahoma State and Kansas State provided the same night. Neither team, LSU or Alabama, could move the ball on the other, which is a credit as to how dominant both defenses are. It was like watching the Baltimore Ravens defense from 2000 – flat out domination when they were on the field.

Both offenses’ longest drives came in the first half. For LSU it was a 74 yard drive right before halftime. Alabama’s longest was 79 yards. Both drives for each team resulted in made field goals.

Excitement was decidedly lacking. Some could even say the game was boring. Agonizingly, nerve-racking, edge-of-your-seat boring. The end of each quarter gave fans for both schools the chance to exhale. For LSU fans, the end of the game allowed them a chance to completely decompress.

The players for both sides went through a war. The fans too. It would make Vince Lombardi proud that LSU’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that they hold dear, was that they worked their heart out in a good cause and were able to lie exhausted on the field of battle – victorious. Possibly with the little help of some magic brought from Death Valley.