The South Carolina Gamecocks held practice today as they prepare for the clash with Michigan at the Outback Bowl. One bit of news from the team today was that D.L. Moore has been suspended for the bowl match-up due to a violation of team rules.

This ends his career at USC as he was a senior. This past season he played in all twelve games and had eight catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Going into this season, there was high hopes for Moore who had 32 catches for over 300 yards and four scores. For what ever reason, this young man could never live up to the expectations on-the-field. Maybe due to Alshon Jeffery last year or lack of his ability to serparate from opposing corners. This news today of the suspension is a disappointing end to a disappointing career at USC. Hopefully, the next chapter for Moore will be a great one.

Back on February 2, 2010 when Marcus Lattimore committed to the University of South Carolina we all knew he was going to be good football player. However, most of us never expected him to make such a impact on the program and its' fan base.  Most fans expected the top high school running back to come in and play three years and move on to the NFL.  Well that time has come, and it will be a topic of discussion for months to come on how this affects him and the school.  Over the past two seasons, we have seen our star running back endure season ending injuries that may or may not have tainted his NFL career yet weighed into the decision.  

As a fan of the Gamecocks, you never want to see a player leave but in the case of Lattimore, I think it is the right decision.

Most experts don't think Marcus will be fully healed and ready to play in 2013, so why not go ahead and move on the NFL where he can rehab his knee and learn a NFL offense. Oh and be paid for it.  

Lattimore is the true team player and he knows the talent behind him at USC. He knows this will allow younger players such as Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds to get an opportunity to be the starting running back in 2013 without having to move back in the depth chart in 2014 when he would have returned at USC.  

For South Carolina fans, we knew that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was the best at his position in the nation. Now it is official as it was announced the Rock Hill native won the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award, becoming the first sophomore in the 11-year history of the award to earn the honor.

The numbers speak for themselves as he set the single-season schools records for sacks (13) and tackles for loss (21.5), while he also set a single-game school record for sacks with 4.5 against Clemson.

Watch this video speaking of Clemson:

Again he is deserving of the award and he is the best defensive end in college football. USC fans are lucky to have him on the team and also looking to watch him mature the last two seasons into a superstar. Enjoy, as we have one more season to witness the havoc he creates at Williams-Brice.

Today the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees approved a two-year contract extension for Coach Steve Spurrier. He's now under contract until the 2017 season. This was the right move by USC leadership.

By doing so, it erases doubts being fed by opposing recruiters as college football season heats up. It awards Coach Spurrier for his continued success while showing faith in the direction of the program. Let's be honest, Spurrier does not need the money (hence no raise today) but it does provide a sense of stability for the Gamecocks - both in the eyes of fans and the media.

Steve Spurrier will coach at USC as long as it remains fun and he is healthy. Today's action does away with any recruiting doubts and it was the right move by the University.

The Appalachian State football program is courting Shawn Elliott, offensive line coach and run game coordinator for South Carolina, to be their next head coach.

The first reaction in reading this news as it was first reported by TheBigSpur.com is ...."oh god, no." However, as I step back and think about Mr. Elliott and what he is all about, I begin to see how it is a perfect fit and I am happy for him.

Elliott got his degree from App. State, begin his coaching career in Boone, N.C., and helped the Mountaineers win three championships. I could see how if asked to take over as head coach he would say yes. And who could blame him.

If it does happen, I feel it would be a excellent hire by ASU. Elliott is a first-class coach that brings passion to the profession. Yes, he will be missed it he goes as he has made a difference at USC. But things like this happen to good coaches as talent is hard to ignore and when Spurrier builds a winning program, other schools take notice. If the Gamecocks are able to retain Elliott, we should rejoice as it would be a major step for the 2013 season both on and off the field.

Trust Spurrier to do the right thing. I am sure he will make it a tough decision for Elliott. Worst case and ASU snatches him up then I am sure Spurrier will find a quality replacement. Trust Spurrier. 

Stay tuned for news on which direction Elliott goes.....

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team concluded the 2012 regular season ranked No. 10 in the BCS and got a invite to the Outback Bowl. USC will represent the SEC and take their 10-2 record to sunny Florida to clash with Michigan.

The New Year's Day game will be played at 1 p.m. Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

It will be the Gamecocks' fourth trip to the Outback Bowl since the 2000 season. This will be a good game against a good squad from the Big Ten as Coach Brady Hoke's Michigan team finished the season 8-4, going 6-2 in the Big Ten. This trip to Tampa will prove worthy as it is likely to be sunny and will feature a showdown on the field. Look for USC to be favored by look for Michigan to not roll over as both team would love to capture a win. 

The announcement of Rutgers and Maryland to the B1G has set off the next round of conference realignment.  The ACC has moved to replace Maryland with Louisville, and the Big East has decided to add Tulane and East Carolina.  There will certainly be more conference realignment, especially if Maryland is able to negotiate its exit fee down.  What does it all mean for South Carolina, and what should Gamecocks be rooting for?

First, South Carolina isn't going anywhere.  Everyone pretty much knows that.  All of the SEC is staying together.  The conference is so bound together that the exit fee for a member school leaving is $0.00.  There are no hostages in Mike Slive's group.

So, if South Carolina isn't going anywhere, should I care about realignment?  Yes, you should.  Just because no one is leaving the SEC doesn't mean the SEC is staying the same.  The conference could move to add teams if things get out of hand.

For the first time in recent memory, South Carolina has defeated Clemson four seasons in a row.  In all four games, the Gamecocks won by double digits and got stronger as the game went on.

This year's narrative was all about Clemson's (allegedly) prolific offense against South Carolina's battle tested defense.  Early it looked like Clemson's offense might put up some points, but that spark proved to be ephemeral.  South Carolina's defensive scheme was solid, and it limited the Tigers' success all night.  The early points they scored were mostly the result of poor tackling and missed tackles.  When that stopped, Clemson's offensive productivity stopped.

The Clemson offense was surprisingly unproductive.  Where were the trick plays they ran against Florida State?  Where was the effort to get players to the edge with the jet sweep or hitch passes to receivers?  Was the game plan really to run Tajh Boyd in between the tackles?  That's a strange strategy to employ with a player that doesn't like to be hit.

It seemed like Clemson's offense was too arrogant for its own good.  They seemed to think they could run their base offense and be successful.  That was foolhardy.  They seemed to think that they would be able to run in between the tackles.  That was puzzling.  They seemed to think Tajh Boyd's running attack would be effective enough for the Gamecocks to bring safety help to the line.  That wasn't ever a possibility.  They seemed to think they could block Jadeveon Clowney one on one.  That was crazy and dumb.  Clemson's inability to accurately evaluate their offense, its strengths and weaknesses in comparison to South Carolina's defense was the number one reason they scored a mere 17 points.

This sums up the last thought before kickoff of South Carolina at Clemson...

Do read our preview of the game, our concerns for South Carolina, watch our little Clemson jab and view our position by position breakdown. So what is your prediction of the game score?

Now watch this video:

The second oldest rivalry in college football will commence once again on Saturday as the South Carolina Gamecocks will clash with the Clemson Tigers. At stake is a quality bowl game for each team but most important is the bragging rights.

The Gamecocks have won the last three games against Clemson, their first three-game winning streak against the Tigers since 1968-70. South Carolina has only won four in a row once, from 1951-54.

By now, you have read our preview of the game, our concerns for South Carolina, watched our little Clemson jab and now here is a position by position breakdown concerning who has the edge: