SEC Football Preview: Is this finally the year for South Carolina?

story by Chris Rushing, College Sports Matchups (CSM is a content partner with The City Wire)

Every season since Steve Spurrier’s arrival in Columbia, Gamecock fans have clamored for championships and the mediocrity streak finally coming to an end.

Very simply, every year has been “the year” that USC escalates to the top of the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division. In all honesty, there are many favorable factors that point to this being true for 2010.

Florida is restructuring its identity without Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes and a bevy of others from the top-ranked recruiting class of 2006. Georgia slipped a couple of pegs in 2009 and will once again be breaking in a brand-new quarterback. There is change at the top of the food chain in Lexington and Nashville.

Spurrier can finally enter a season with a seasoned vet (Stephen Garcia) as his signal-caller and has stocked the cupboards well with four- and five-star talent at the skill positions throughout his first five seasons at Carolina. The defense has never been a weak link at any time during the Ol’ Ball Coach’s USC tenure, and the special teams unit returns both the placekicker and punter.

As the freshness of the school’s first major national championship in college baseball wore off, Gamecock fans could return their focus to the upcoming football campaign with great favor and excitement. Then, “Agentgate” broke and Weslye Saunders’ name was associated with the party of all parties this spring in Miami.

Late last week, the plot thickened with Saunders and his run-ins with the NCAA as it was reported that he and two other teammates (Jariel King and Travian Robinson) were staying at one of Columbia’s elite hotels for the past few months, with the lowest reported extended stay cost averaging almost $1,700 monthly. USC football players who live off-campus receive a monthly stipend of $500 so it’s a curiosity factor for the NCAA and its investigators to explore for the procuring of the remaining balances for the three football players involved.

So much for staying out of the papers for the wrong reasons.

OFFENSE
The good news, though, is that five-star tailback signee Marcus Lattimore appears ready to live up to his billing during his freshman campaign. He will not be asked to go about the running game alone, with Kenny Miles returning after a freshman campaign that saw him collect 626 yards and a 5.4 average per carry. However, Lattimore is the star of the backfield and will be looked to by the masses to be the savior USC has sought for much of the past century.

Garcia has been erratic, to say the least, during his first two seasons at Carolina. He hasn’t exactly elicited glowing remarks from Darth Visor during camp, but the general consensus around the USC program is that he is finally coming into his own after two tries in executing the offense.

Three players return that earned starting nods on the offensive line, although T.J. Johnson has been asked to take his starting experience inside to center after being the team’s first option at right guard in 2009. Terrance Campbell started two contests a year ago at left guard but has moved to the other side to compensate for Johnson’s move. Kyle Nunn moves from left tackle to right tackle to make way for two former junior college transfers on the blindside.

Alshon Jeffrey was a star as a freshman and is the crown jewel in a highly respected wide receiver corps. Jeffrey had 763 yards and six scoring grabs in his first season at USC. Tori Gurley and D.L. Moore are two big targets for Garcia, and, if Saunders is ruled ineligible, team captain Patrick DiMarco will move into the starting role as the team’s primary tight end with ease.

DEFENSE
In 2009, Eric Norwood was the star of the USC defense and was one of the SEC’s best at all defensive positions. He has taken his talents to the National Football League, but many are expecting this defense to be the best yet for Spurrier since his first season in 2005.

Where Norwood was the key cog in 2009, many feel as though defensive end Cliff Matthews is the star of the 2010 unit. If it is not Matthews, my pick would be safety Akeem Auguste. It just seemed that, after watching game after game on television, Auguste’s name was pronounced almost as often as Norwood’s by the commentators.

Stephon Gilmore is one of the most talented players Spurrier has ever signed, and he will get another chance to shine at corner to help make up what could be the SEC’s top secondary. Chris Culliver will be the opposite starting corner from Gilmore, and DeVonte Holloman will be the squad’s first option at strong safety.

If the defensive backs are causing fits for opposing quarterbacks, then the rest of the defense will reap benefits with quick linebackers working behind a strong defensive line. The main question, though, is how much will the Gamecocks miss Norwood, Darian Stewart, Nathan Pepper and Clifton Geathers early on?

SCHEDULE
There’s no such thing as an easy schedule in the SEC, and road trips to Auburn, Florida and Clemson makes for a collective murderer’s row given the Gamecocks struggles at all three venues over the years. The last time Carolina visited Vanderbilt, it left losers in front of a nationally televised audience via ESPN’s Thursday night contest in September, 2008.

On the flip side, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas all come to Williams-Brice this fall to give USC season ticket holders an excellent product from September-November.

As always, the most important of all these important contests is the Sept. 11 matchup with Georgia. It is always key for both schools to get an essential two-game lead in the standings on the other in the annual early September tilt.

So, is this the year? We’ll know soon with the Gamecocks pairing with the Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi in college football’s main debut on Thursday night primetime, Sept. 2.

• QUICK LOOK: University of South Carolina 2010
Starters Returning: 8 Offense, 7 Defense, 2 Specialist – 17
Key to the Team: Stephen Garcia, QB
Most likely to breakout: Patrick DiMarco, TE
Most important game: vs. Georgia, Sept. 11