Our little blog is growing everyday thanks to our fantastic readers, and today, we’d like to welcome our newest full-time poster, Volstothewall. VTTW was a regular poster on the site, and he happens to have some connections, so we popped him in the inner sanctum. Let’s hope he doesn’t fall on his face like myself, the Ghost, often does. Here’s his virgin post …

Mississippi State @ South Carolina

Viewer Rating (1-5): 3 * Not a lot of offensive firepower in this one. But both teams are still in their division races. The Bulldogs don’t have much of a chance in the West because of the beatdown LSU handed them to kick off the year, but South Carolina is very much in the hunt with its biggest games still left on the schedule.

This should be a very physical football, hopefully not this not this physical if your South Carolina player.

What you should watch: I would watch for the ball to stay on the ground. The lack of a passing game from Miss State combined with the fact that SC has the second-best defensive backfield in the country doesn’t bode well for the Bullies establishing a passing game. The ‘Cocks only allowed 70 passing yards against a much better passing attack from LSU last week … Sounds like the Bulldogs and their one-dimensional offense would be easy to stop, but unfortunately, two of the best players that would be in charge of shutting them down, LB Jasper Brinkley and DT Nathan Pepper, were lost to season-ending knee injuries. Look for Mississippi State to have success running the football and continuing to struggle in the passing game.

I would also expect the same for the Gamecocks considering that Chris Smelley is getting only his second career start, and the Bulldogs’ secondary is probably the strength of the team.

Who you should watch: How ’bout the Ol’ Ball Coach? Not only to watch him toss the visor after new quarterback Smelley inevitably does something stupid, but also to see if he can get his offense rolling against a good MSU defense.

Smelley is making his second career start. The reason the switch was made, well, is because Blake Mitchell is not very good. However, there has to be some hope with Smelley, considering Spurrier is giving him the nod over a senior. Smelley was once tagged a future star for the Tide because he grew up in Tuscaloosa and was highly recruited out of high school. He possesses the skills to be a good SEC quarterback. We’ll see if he is able to run the Cock ‘N Fire offense (sounds uncomfortable) that Spurrier seems to think fits his quick release.

Smelley’s first start came when Blake Mitchell was suspended one game for being arrested.

Single-file line, now, ladies

MSU has the advantage that Michael Henig, who threw seven picks before he was sidelined with an injury, will not be playing in this game. Instead, they will be going with a quarterback-by-committee with freshman Wesley Carroll and Josh Riddell. In general, when a team plays two quarterbacks, it means they don’t have one. Notre Dame being the obvious exception to the rule, according to “offensive genius”Charlie Weis.

Who will win: I like South Carolina to win this one, but not by two touchdowns. The Gamecocks don’t have the offensive firepower to blow out this team. Take the Bulldogs in this one. This is going to be a low-scoring defensive football game, and if I had to bet on it, I would take the under.

Against the spread: I’m picking the score to be about 17-13, Cocks. With a score like this, I think the line is crazy and the money is sure. Gamblin’ men, take this one.

Volstothewall

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