re: My top 5 trap games (because I didn't agree with the AJC)

I wouldn't call any of these trap games. They are just big SEC games. A trap game is a game that you are expected to win easily. The lines on most of these games will be around 7(1 score). Don't think anyone will be overlooking these games.

Trap game would be like Troy State before a UF game or something, not a big SEC opponent

quote:

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Why is Garcia better than Smelley? What has he done besides nothing?

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None of our 2008 QB's were any good -- we led the nation in interceptions with 27. Smelley had one good game against Ole Miss and a great quarter against NC State. Garcia had a great quarter against Kentucky and a good half against LSU.

You assume that Garcia will never improve over 2008. You could be right, but it's not likely you are. To begin with, Garcia has all the physical tools -- he has a terrific arm and is very mobile (Smelly had an average arm and mobility). Whatever problems he had, it was not his physical ability.

Garcia had two problems -- one personal and one team related. Because of his off-field problems, he missed out on spring practice and was not allowed to come back to Columbia until fall practice started. As such, he got no coachign until the fall. He also missed out on summer conditioning, film study, and informal passing drills with the receivers. He was simply unprepared to play quarterback. You could see this in the LSU game. Garcia had a solid first half, but when LSU dialed up the pressure in the second half, Garcia folded. He could not make his reads, so if the first receiver was covered, he would either take off and run or get sacked.

The second problem for Garcia was the rest of the offensive team, most particularly the offensive line. Our former o-line coach, John Hunt, was completely incompetent. Spurrer should have fired him years ago, yet inexplicably kept him for 4 years -- 4 years of consistently bad evaluation, recruiting and coaching. With no protection and no run blocking, none of our QB's was ever able to develop. When they weren't throwing interceptions, they were getting sacked.

So, will any of this change in 2009? I think so. First off, we now have real QB coach in G.A. Mangus who is working very closely with Garcia (former QB coach David Reaves took his sorry arse off to Knoxville where he hopes to continue this level of QB development with Jonathon Crompton). By all reports, Garcia has been working hard. His mechanics are better and he knows the offense much better. In scrimmages so far, he has performed very well. Secondly, we have a new offensive line coach (Eric Wolford) who reportedly is making great strides with the o-line.

Point being, you cannot assume Ole Miss will be a lot better while USC stays the same or gets worse. It is more likely that Ole Miss will stay the same, while USC gets better. There are very obvious reasons why USC's offense was so bad last year -- and, considering how well USC has recruited, it was not a lack of talent. The new coaching will create improvements of nearly the same magnitude as Nutt's coaching improved Orgeron's players.

I won't predict the outcome, but I will say this game will be one of the most difficult Ole Miss plays all season.