NCAA Football News
4-Star WR Derek Kief Commits to Alabama Via YouTube Video
Derek Kief, a towering 4-star wideout from Cincinnati, committed to the University of Alabama via YouTube on Sunday:
The video was released on Kief's personal website, DerekKief.com, a comprehensive blog that follows the young prospect's life and career. He revealed his decision among a large contingent of family members by revealing an Alabama onesie on the infant (presumably a relative) he was holding in his hands.
A top-25 receiver, according to 247 Sports, Kief becomes the first wideout in what's shaping up to be another dominant class for the Crimson Tide. Just two days prior to Kief's announcement, they reeled in the nation's top pro-style quarterback, David Cornwell. Meanwhile, Alabama has had 5-star athlete Bo Scarbrough locked up since last September.
As 247 Sports writer Charles Power points out, the class also sports impressive regional variance:
In Kief, the Tide are getting a huge physical target—a slight deviation from the traditional Alabama wide receiver. He uses every bit of his 6'5'' frame on the field, and while he definitely needs to add some weight, Alabama's strength training program should be able to help in that department.
Kief's speed needs to be measured against top-flight competition, but he appears to be deceptively quick for a man his size. He may have trouble, at first, against physical man-up corners. However, if he can get to the second level, he can fly.
"I love everything about [Alabama]," Kief said Sunday, per ESPN. "I love the coaches, the offense, everything. They will develop me as a football player as well as a person."
Kief was named first-team all-district in Ohio in 2012, following a season where he caught a school record 65 passes for 907 yards and nine touchdowns.
Alabama beat out fellow finalists Kentucky and Ohio State for his services.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Curtis Samuel Highlights: Inside the Mind of a Freak Athlete
Curtis Samuel, a 4-star athlete, according to 247Sports, has the ability to play anywhere on the field. His speed, strength and elusiveness make him one of the top prospects in the country.
With multiple scholarships to choose from, Samuel has a tough decision to make but has plenty of support behind him.
Watch the video to see Samuel and his coaches talk about his decision process.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Kyle Allen: Scouting Report and Pro Player Comparison on 4-Star QB
Kyle Allen, a 4-star QB, according to 247Sports, is one of the elite 2014 pro-style prospects in the country. The Arizona native recently committed to coach Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies and will ultimately look to fill the giant shoes left by Heisman-winning QB Johnny Manziel.
CFB Lead Writers Adam Kramer and Michael Felder break down Allen's abilities as well as give their NFL pro-player comparison.
Watch the video to see who Allen compares to in the NFL.
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5 Most Controversial Calls of the BCS Era
Referees have one of the toughest jobs in college football. They do their job under intense pressure, and most of the time they make the right calls. Of course, no one seems to notice them when things are going right.
But when the refs make just one even minutely questionable call, fans never let them forget it.
After all, have Miami fans forgotten about the 2003 Fiesta Bowl?
So, what are the most controversial calls of the BCS era?
Nebraska Football's Leading Rusher in 2013: Ameer Abdullah or Taylor Martinez?
Ameer Abdullah and Taylor Martinez are the undisputed cornerstones of the Nebraska offense heading into 2013.
Taylor Martinez’s three years of starting experience and explosive athleticism will make him a terror for opposing defenses. And Ameer Abdullah proved in the wake of Rex Burkhead’s injury troubles last year that he is completely capable of undertaking the responsibilities of the Huskers’ starting back.
Although both players have the talent to lead Nebraska in rushing in 2013, it is Nebraska’s offensive scheme and depth chart that will make Abdullah the Huskers’ leading rusher this fall.
The offensive scheme over the past few seasons has evolved as Martinez has developed as a quarterback.
Upon arriving in Lincoln, his throwing motion was appalling. He did not have the strength to effectively throw to the sidelines. He did not have the accuracy to hit receivers on crossing routes. And he did not have the touch to drop long balls over the top. For all intents and purposes, Martinez was a sprinter playing quarterback.
However, after a few seasons of working with Bo Pelini and his staff and more than a couple tweaks to his technique, Martinez has developed into a sufficient passer. Even though he will still not draw any comparisons to Peyton Manning, his improvement in the passing game has been reflected in the Huskers’ play-calling.
During Martinez’s freshman year, he attempted 196 passes. In 2011, that number jumped to 288. And last season, it was 368.
Nebraska will always lean on Martinez to provide another threat in the run game; with his speed, it would be stupid not to. But with the huge strides he has made in his delivery, he will be increasingly called upon to air it out rather than accumulate carries on the ground.
In addition to Martinez’s decreased touches, the larger role Abdullah will assume on this fall’s depth chart will see him rise as Nebraska’s leading rusher.
A year ago, particularly when Burkhead was healthy, the Huskers enjoyed arguably the deepest stable of running backs in the nation. Burkhead was an NFL-caliber back. Abdullah was electrifying. Imani Cross was a wrecking ball in short-yardage situations. And Braylon Heard was likely the most talented third-string tailback in the country.
But now Burkhead has graduated. And Heard, who was supposed to help form the Huskers’ latest two-headed monster in the backfield, left the program.
The workload is now down to Abdullah, who proved last fall he could perform as the featured back, and Cross, who is relatively untested as an every-down player.
Last season, Abdullah received just over 50 percent of Nebraska's running back carries. Given the lack of experience remaining around him, expect that number to rise this fall.
This increase in his rushing attempts and the trend of greater emphasis on the passing game from Martinez will make Abdullah Nebraska’s leading rusher in 2013.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Power Ranking the Buckeyes' 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
Ohio State's road to its first national championship since 2002 and its first (non-vacated) Big Ten title since 2009 will bring different challenges every week, some easier than others. The Buckeyes, much like most other powerhouses in the game, will have "easy" games as well as big-time matchups with powerhouses.
In a 12-game schedule, there's an ebb and flow with how tough the games get, with the toughest usually being at the end of the season. But who presents the biggest challenges for the Buckeyes in 2013?
Here is a ranking of the Buckeyes' opponents from weakest to toughest on the schedule.
Power Ranking the Nebraska 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
Nebraska’s 2013 football schedule certainly looks to have its ups and downs. There are dates Nebraska fans will circle on the calendar as can’t-miss games and dates Nebraska fans will consider whether a weekend of yard work to build up brownie points with a spouse might be an option.
So, in the service of creating harmony amongst Bleacher Report readers and their families, here is a power ranking of Nebraska’s 2013 season, from the easiest game to the most challenging.
Note that, in deference to those who believe Nebraska fans are arrogant and entitled, there is no mention of a Big Ten title game or a bowl game on this list. You’re welcome.
Power Ranking the Hokies' 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
The Virginia Tech Hokies begin the 2013 season with a daunting task—playing defending national champion Alabama in the Georgia Dome.
However, after the season's first week, the Hokies have a schedule that should help them bounce back from their worst record in 20 years. The Hokies finished 2012 with a record of 7-6, and just by looking at the 2013 schedule, they should win eight games at the most.
Fortunately for the Hokies, after meeting Alabama, they host Western Carolina the following week in Blacksburg. The first conference opponent for the Hokies doesn't come until September 26 when they travel back to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.
Here is a power ranking of the Hokies' 2013 schedule from easiest to toughest.
Tim Tebow and the 14 Greatest Left-Handed CFB Quarterbacks of All Time
The majority of the human race uses their right hand as the dominant hand.
Depending on which study one reads, 70 to 95 percent of the earth's population is right-handed, not including notable exceptions such as President Obama, former presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush, as well as Jay Leno, Bill Walton, Jim Zorn and Tommy Lasorda.
In the game of college football, there have been some excellent quarterbacks that can boast the title "southpaw" or "lefty."
This list runs down the best left-handed signal callers in the history of the game.
Yes, Tim Tebow is on the list; it was unavoidable.
Power Ranking Notre Dame's 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
Notre Dame and tradition are synonymous.
Of the variety of the unique tenets within the program, perhaps none set the Irish apart from others as powerfully as their annually grueling schedule.
The 2013 slate awaiting head coach Brian Kelly and Co. is a continuance of that tradition. It is replete with harrowing challenges.
And with Notre Dame at the forefront of the BCS National Championship discussion, each of the Irish's opponents will carry with them the fire of acute motivation.
Which of those challengers poses the greatest threat to knock the Irish from the pedestal?
Power Ranking South Carolina's 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
As the countdown to the college football season marches on, it is time to take a look at the South Carolina Gamecocks' 2013 schedule and rank the games from easiest to toughest.
Road games, rankings, expectations of the opponent's season and the timing of games all factor into determining how difficult a game will be for South Carolina this season.
Head coach Steve Spurrier has high expectations for the team, and there are some tough opponents who will try their best to stop the Gamecocks' quest for an SEC title.
South Carolina has some easier nonconference games, though the SEC is the nation's best conference and the team's nonconference schedule also includes North Carolina and Clemson.
Here is a rankings list of South Carolina's 2013 schedule as ordered from easiest to toughest games.
Miami Football: 5 Reasons the Canes Will Benefit from New ACC Teams
The Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time in the 2013 season, and the Miami Hurricanes will benefit from this move for a few reasons.
Since the ACC added locations in Pennsylvania and New York, the conference has a larger impact along the East Coast of the U.S.
Conference realignment also caused a slight hiccup in Miami's 2013 schedule, which actually plays in their favor.
Miami already travels to one of the two new ACC schools this upcoming season, and that is a huge advantage for the future of the program. Read on to see how.
Notre Dame Football: Assessing 2013 Bowl Options for the Irish
Thanks to a 12-0 season that woke up the fading echoes surrounding the Notre Dame football program, there was little drama leading up to college football's version of "Selection Sunday" last Dec. 2. The Fighting Irish finished the season ranked No. 1 and played in their first BCS National Championship Game.
While a return trip to the sport's grandest stage (or one of the BCS's four other smaller "stages") cannot be ruled out, the Irish may face a less-than-ideal situation this fall when it comes to bowl possibilities.
After the Russell Athletic Bowl (Champs Sports Bowl at the time) used its once-every-four-years option to select Notre Dame in 2011, the Irish were left without any other tie-ins for 2012 and 2013. It never came to fruition in 2012, but it remains an issue heading into the upcoming season.
While ESPN outlined the possibility of Notre Dame being completely left out of the bowl picture, the permutations that must occur for that scenario to take place are slim at best. It would require not only for there to be 70 bowl-eligible teams, but for each of the 10 conferences to fill all of its tie-ins. Should any of the 10 conferences not meet its allotment, Notre Dame would be not only eligible to fill that open slot, but would almost certainly be the first choice of any bowl needing to go the at-large route.
The most likely conferences to not fill all of their tie-ins are the American (six slots for 10 teams), Big Ten (eight slots for 11 teams), Conference USA (six slots for 14 teams), Mountain West (six slots for 12 teams) and SEC (10 slots for 14 teams). Four additional slots will open up due to BCS at-large teams.
Sorting through some of the bowls that have the last selections in the conferences listed, it is evident that Notre Dame's most likely bowl destinations are less than appealing for both the team and its fans. How does the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl at stale Tropicana Field against SMU or Middle Tennessee sound? Does the Little Caesar's Bowl in chilly Detroit against Bowling Green move your meter? What about the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La., against N.C. State?
Despite the loss of Everett Golson, Tyler Eifert and Manti Te'o, Notre Dame is still a viable BCS bowl contender. If the Irish fall short of that goal, would there be any buzz around whatever third-tier bowl in which the Irish play? While the 2010 and 2011 seasons didn't go as many Irish fans had hoped, getting to renew rivalries with Miami (FL) and Florida State at least added some intrigue to the postseason matchups. The same can't be said of Bowling Green or Middle Tennessee, unless, of course, Irish fans still hold Bowling Green hiring Urban Meyer away from Notre Dame against it.
Ten wins should all but ensure a BCS bid for the Irish, but the schedule is rigorous once again with games against Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Arizona State, USC, BYU and Stanford. The difference between Miami and Detroit is as narrow as whether the Irish go 5-2 or 4-3 in those showcase games.
It's a dilemma Notre Dame has known about since that 2011 Champs Sports Bowl, but with tie-ins locked in through this season, there was really nothing it could have done except sit back and hope it could avoid the situation. It worked perfectly in 2012, but based on the happenings within the program in the first six months of the year, 2013 may not be so smooth.
Don't worry about stocking up on sunscreen for the holiday season quite yet. But Irish fans may want to have a hooded sweatshirt handy.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Power Ranking the Ducks' 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
The Oregon Ducks' 2013 schedule certainly doesn't rank alongside some of the toughest in the nation, but it isn't exactly the gauntlet that Louisville or Ohio State will face, either.
The Pac-12 Conference appears to be on the rise and thus, weekly blowouts may not be so familiar by the time the season concludes. No longer will teams like UCLA, Oregon State or even Arizona be considered surefire victories.
It's hard to gauge how the season will play out in terms of tough games and easy games given that we've yet to see anybody play, but as of now, some games certainly appear to be harder than others.
Take a look at the 2013 schedule. You don't need a major in analyzing data to take an educated stab at which teams will bookend the list.
But click ahead to find out how the rest of the Ducks' schedule will shake out as we power rank the slate from the easiest game to the toughest one.
Ohio State Football: Underclassmen Who Can Save the Buckeyes' Offensive Line
The Ohio State Buckeyes will likely be a preseason top-five team heading into the 2013 season.
They return their top playmakers on both sides of the ball. Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde, Ryan Shazier and Bradley Roby are all back to lead the Buckeyes.
But the success of Urban Meyer's second Ohio State team will be up to the offensive line—a line that returns four starters, three of which earned at least All-Conference honorable mention.
The key to the line will be the underclassmen. Not only will the Buckeyes need one underclassman to step up to be the right tackle, they will also need depth if they are going to compete for a Big Ten and national title.
The Returning Upperclassmen
The 2013 offensive line should be in good hands for the most part.
The four starters return from last year's line helped the Buckeyes finish undefeated and lead the Big Ten in scoring. Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Marcus Hall and Andrew Norwell are all entering their senior seasons in Columbus.
Beyond those four, Ohio State has only one lineman that has ever started a game, Antonio Underwood. However, due to an ACL injury, Underwood will miss the 2013 season, his third at Ohio State.
That leaves Meyer with a bunch of underclassmen jockeying for playing time.
The Front-Runner
Taylor Decker battled Reid Fragel for the starting spot last spring. But Fragel won out, started every game and played his way on to the All-Big Ten honorable mention list.
Decker was all set to go Notre Dame out of high school. However, he switched his verbal to play for Meyer and Ed Warinner. Warinner left Notre Dame to be Ohio State's offensive line coach.
Heading into his true sophomore season, Decker was the starter in spring practice and figures to be the right tackle when Ohio State takes on Buffalo.
Playing alongside four experienced seniors will make Decker's job easier. Miller has the ability to elude pass-rushers, something that could bail out a young offensive lineman like Decker.
The Main Challenger
Chase Farris was brought in by the previous coaching regime as a defensive lineman. When the new staff took over, they loved his athleticism and potential on the offensive side. He is now the sixth man in the rotation.
Farris' athleticism makes him able to play both inside and outside, which is valuable for the main backup.
Even if Farris doesn't earn a starting spot, he will give the Buckeyes something they didn't have last season: depth. Meyer was highly concerned about one of his linemen going down to injury last season because he wasn't confident in his reserves.
It's rare for a team to have the same five players start every game on the offensive line; it's almost unthinkable that it could happen two years in a row. Farris may have to step in and save the Buckeyes, much like Kenny Guiton did for the team in the Purdue game.
The 3rd Boren
Justin Boren made a name for himself by playing at both Michigan and Ohio State. The second son of former Michigan linebacker Mike Boren, Zach had a famous switch of his own when he left his fullback spot to be the Buckeyes' middle linebacker last season.
Now Ohio State has the third brother, Jacoby.
The sophomore appears to be the main backup on the interior of the line, especially center. He's not going to unseat Linsley, but Boren is always one play away from playing the one position that has to touch the ball every play.
Considering his last name is Boren, all Ohio State fans should feel pretty confident.
The Rest of the Gang
Patrick Elflein is probably the eighth lineman on the roster right now. He is an interior guy like Boren and could step in at guard or center if needed.
Kyle Dodson is likely to be the fourth tackle. Tommy Brown will be a redshirt sophomore, but doesn’t seem to figure into the coaches’ plans right now.
Evan Lisle and Timothy Gardner are coming in as members of the 2013 recruiting class. I would be surprised if Gardner didn't redshirt. However, Lisle could add depth and see time in mop-up duty, playing time that could prove valuable when the four 2013 seniors are gone heading into 2014.
What 2013 Will Bring
I’d be surprised if it is anyone but Decker at right tackle when the season gets underway. I just think he has the most ability out of any of the underclassmen at this point.
One of the keys for Ohio State’s success not only in 2013, but in the years to come, will be getting the other underclassmen ready to play. Depth on the offensive line is crucial. Without it I don’t see Ohio State having another perfect regular season.
The Buckeyes clearly have players with potential on the offensive line, but potential never blocked anyone. Ohio State needs Decker and company to save the offensive line.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Power Ranking the Wisconsin 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
You may notice the absence of some top teams from the Big Ten conference on the Wisconsin Badgers' schedule in 2013.
Sometimes, that's just how the chips fall. Wisconsin has the luxury of missing Michigan State, Michigan and Nebraska next season.
But with a "weak" conference slate comes a slightly tougher non-conference schedule. The Badgers will be challenged both at home and away from Madison by unfamiliar foes. And who knows? With a near-complete overhaul of the coaching staff, that could prove to be the biggest roadblock to glory for the Badgers.
There are several games Wisconsin will be expected to win with one arm tied behind its back, but the teams near the end of this list are most likely to knock off Bucky.
Power Ranking the Texas 2013 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest
The summer months have arrived, and that means college football is fast approaching.
And for the Texas Longhorns, they head into a 2013 season that could have special written all over it.
Helped along by a favorable schedule, the Longhorns have an opportunity to make a big statement this year, one that may finish with a conference title and a BCS appearance in the postseason.
But while we can talk all day about schedules and better teams on paper, at the end of the day, Texas will have to perform.
Nevertheless, a schedule that plays in favor rather than out is welcomed ammunition for a big-time splash.
Without further ado, let's power rank Texas' easiest to toughest games in 2013.
What You Need to Know About the Top Summer College Football Recruiting Camps
Summer camps can serve as a vital tool for both recruits and coaches. Recruits can come to a camp as unknown prospects, get a platform to showcase their talents and catch the attention of a program. Coaches get an opportunity to see recruits work out on their campus while also hosting them for unofficial visits.
As the summer approaches, several great camps will take place. Nike will have many of the nation's best recruits descend upon its headquarters for the summer's most prestigious event. The 18 quarterbacks who received a golden ticket invite to the Elite 11 will fight for camp MVP.
Several college head coaches have also scheduled camps many top recruits will attend.
What If Steve Spurrier and South Carolina Start 0-2 in 2013?
For any college football team, regardless of its ultimate aims in a given season, starting a campaign 0-2 is absolutely a “worst case scenario.”
But, given the current culture of soft early-season scheduling the fact of the matter is that most teams, especially those from big BCS conferences, are more likely to kick things off at 2-0 rather than 0-2.
For 2013 South Carolina is one of the rare teams that is the exception to this rule charging out of the gates with a home opener versus North Carolina followed by a road trip to Georgia in Week 2.
Though the Gamecocks won’t be featured in one of the blockbuster “kickoff classics” which are neutrally sited and highly publicized, their first two games are against squads which both have a realistic shot at vying for league titles in their respective conferences.
To put a finer point on things, South Carolina won’t be able to use its first game against the Tar Heels to “ramp up” to the rest of the season as it would if it were facing FCS Austin Peay like Tennessee will in Week 1 of the 2013 season.
Furthermore, the Cocks won’t have much time to regroup between surviving North Carolina (a squad that went 8-4 last season and returns 13 starters) and travelling to Georgia, where the SEC East could be decided before September is even properly underway.
In comparison, division mate Tennessee will welcome Western Kentucky to Knoxville in Week 2, suddenly making the achievement of reaching a 2-0 mark seem very relative indeed.
So, what happens if the Gamecocks flounder—shockingly—against the Tar Heels and then lay an egg against Georgia, a team that ought to be included in the AP preseason Top 10?
Indeed, what will be the fallout for Steve Spurrier and Co. if South Carolina starts the 2013 season 0-2?
Well, first it’s important to put the Gamecocks' upcoming campaign into perspective in terms of expectations.
This step is crucial because if a team is expected to barely achieve bowl eligibility, then a 0-2 start isn’t near as catastrophic as it would be if predictions pointed to the squad competing for any sort of title.
In the case of South Carolina in 2013, the Gamecocks have to be considered legitimate contenders in both the SEC East race and in the overall SEC picture, regardless of the fact that their sole league title in program history was a share of the 1969 ACC crown.
Though the Cocks may not be in the preseason top 10, it’s likely they’ll be found among the top 15 teams in the country.
So, it’s pretty clear that for a program like South Carolina in 2013 a 0-2 start would be devastating.
Next, it’s important to establish what the 0-2 mark would mean relative to the 10 remaining games left on the schedule.
In other words, 0-2 looks a lot less menacing when your slate is front-loaded with easier games to follow as opposed to a schedule that just continues to deliver solid punches.
If the Gamecocks were to drop the opener to North Carolina and then the Week 2 road trip to Georgia, what comes next is actually a string of seven games that are relatively “winnable.”
Yes, after the trip to Athens, Ga., South Carolina hosts Vanderbilt in Week 3, has a bye in Week 4, travels to UCF in Week 5, hosts Kentucky in Week 6, travels to Arkansas in Week 7, heads to Tennessee in Week 8, makes tracks to Missouri in Week 9 and then celebrates homecoming versus Mississippi State in Week 10.
Though the consecutive road games from Week 7 to Week 9 won’t necessarily be easy, these are all games that the Gamecocks ought to be favored in, at least from the safe confines of looking forward from before the season has even started.
After homecoming the Cocks have a bye in Week 11 and then host Florida in Week 12, FCS Coastal Carolina in Week 13 and then finish up with the traditional closer versus Clemson, a game which is favorably placed at home in Columbia.
Absent from the schedule altogether are Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M from the SEC West and games against Florida and Clemson are both at home.
So, from this angle a 0-2 start wouldn’t be as catastrophic as it may have been if the rest of the schedule would have been a notch more difficult.
This isn’t saying that South Carolina’s schedule isn’t tough; it’s just pointing out that it could be even worse.
Since we’ve established that 0-2 start would be devastating to South Carolina in terms of expectations but not catastrophic due to the remainder of its 2013 schedule, next it’s interesting to discuss the actual impact of a winless start.
Yes, how would the media spin the story of a 0-2 opening and what would it mean for Steve Spurrier and the future of the Gamecock program?
Even if South Carolina dropped its third game to Vanderbilt (not an impossible scenario) and lurched to a 0-3 start, it’s really hard to sell the idea that Steve Spurrier’s job would actually be in jeopardy.
Not only is Spurrier wildly well thought of and colorful, he’s literally made the Gamecocks a contender, no easy task in a stacked SEC.
To illustrate, before the Cocks 11-2 run in 2011 the only time in program history (since 1892) that South Carolina had ever hit double-digit wins was in 1984 when it went 10-2 under Joe Morrison.
Furthermore, before Spurrier led the program to a 9-5 finish in 2010 the only other nine-game win season came in 2001 under Lou Holtz.
Every other South Carolina team, in 121 years, finished with eight wins or less.
The same sort of comparative stats could be applied to recruiting where Spurrier has literally transformed the Gamecock program from a middle-of-the-pack unit to a top 25-ranked recruiter.
And, as we all well know, talent influx is directly tied to winning seasons in college football.
It seems realistic to assert that Spurrier’s name would only begin to grace the “hot seat” lists if the Gamecocks went on to miss bowl eligibility in 2013 (which is only happened once, in 2007, in the Spurrier era), or if the poor results carried over into 2014.
In terms of what a 0-2 start would mean to the program from a wider perspective, you’ve got to figure that there would be some sort of discussion of pulling DE Jadeveon Clowney from active duty to preserve his NFL draft ranking in the spring.
The other component of Clowney and a potential 0-2 start is the fact that it would likely zap him out of the Heisman race and end his bid to become the first defender to take home the prize since Michigan’s Charles Woodson did so in 1997.
But, at the end of the day it’s even more important to keep the impact of a 0-2 foray into the 2013 season in perspective from a timing approach.
Yes, if South Carolina loses its first two games this season it will only be 0-2 from the evening of Saturday, Sept. 7 through the morning of Saturday, Sept. 14 which is less than seven days.
Will there be a media circus?
Probably.
But, even if the whole world implodes for a full week if the Cocks beat Vandy in Week 3 then they are 1-2, and if they win at UCF in Week 4 then they are suddenly back at .500 with a 2-2 mark.
And, given who the Gamecocks return to the field in 2013 suddenly 0-2 could become 11-2, 10-3 or 9-4 in a heartbeat.
So, while 0-2 would be shocking and devastating, it certainly wouldn’t spell the end because with 10 games remaining to play, anything could happen.
To put the entire discussion into perspective its key to note that the last time South Carolina started a season 0-2 was in 1999 when the Gamecocks dropped games, ironically, to North Carolina State and Georgia to kick off the year.
But, this squad—under Lou Holtz in his first year at South Carolina—wound up going 0-11 and was outscored by a total margin of 278-87.
Even though stranger things have happened in college football, it seems pretty safe to say that the awful history of 14 years ago won’t repeat itself in Columbia, S.C. in 2013.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
SEC Football: Power Ranking the Best Uniforms in the SEC
Classic, vibrant color schemes make certain SEC schools present the best uniforms college football has to offer.
Uniforms that both pay respect to the school's tradition and try to modernize its design to appeal to student athletes are what it's all about.
The definition of a great uniform is one that appeals to both younger and older generations; they bring back fond memories to the older fans and bring a combination of swagger and spirit to the younger ones.
Look sharp, play sharp. Here's to power ranking the uniforms in the SEC.



