FanHouse TommyBeecher

Equal time? Sure why not. Last week's Obama speech was historic, tonight's McCain speech should be much less historic, and less dramatic than what Americans witnessed last night with Sarah Palin. Regardless, we're not here to talk politics, but college football.

We're back again, as will be the case all year, for Thursday night college football lives blogs. Of some frustration, turnover-mad South Carolina is back to play upset-minded Vanderbilt. Last week saw us comparing Gamecock quarterback Tommy Beecher to Michael Henig. Out went the quick hook earlier this week and longtime disappointment Chris Smelley gets the start. Vanderbilt's attempting to build on its smashing of Miami of Ohio.

Join us at 8:30, chat software after the jump.

Good news for South Carolina: your 'Cocks are getting Smelley:

After an outstanding performance in relief last week, [Chris] Smelley will get the start Thursday night in the No. 24 Gamecocks' SEC opener at Vanderbilt, which defeated Smelley and South Carolina last year.

[Steve] Spurrier decided to go with Smelley for the SEC opener after [Tommy] Beecher couldn't practice Monday because he couldn't lift his non-throwing shoulder.

As the Good Doctor pointed out, Smelley's resume is as skid-marked, if not moreso, than Tommy Beecher's; Smelley took liberties with the proverbial pooch in the aforementioned Vandy loss last year, which blocked the 'Cocks' conference title aspirations.

But to be fair, this is a new year, and in this new year the Gamecock offense grundled ground to a halt for three quarters before Smelley roasted the place like a Dutch Oven. Directing three consecutive touchdown drives, Smelley turned a 13-0 stinker into a 34-0 steamer.

Steve Spurrier definitely knew the writing was smeared on the wall. Remember, this is the The Old Ball Coach, which means if there's one thing this coach knows, it's balls. Hopefully, TOBC can wash the taint of bad 'Cock play from this season before his gang gets banged up too hard.

And that's why Chris Smelley is your top Cock.

Steve Spurrier is well-known for his quarterbacks and how he relates to them. In a nutshell, he can be a tad... rough. You don't go play for the OBC if you're not ready for a constant barrage of, ah, 'constructive criticism' from both near and afar.

From Chris Low's SEC blog:

"If we had to play tomorrow, Tommy Beecher would be our quarterback," Spurrier said. "Tommy Beecher actually has played a little bit better in the spring than Chris Smelley and our other quarterbacks."

But in vintage Spurrier fashion, it wasn't exactly what you would call a ringing endorsement.

"Hopefully, someday we're going to have a quarterback here we can all really hang our hat on," said Spurrier, who made no mention of suspended redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia. "Tommy Beecher is going to get that opportunity first to see if he can be the quarterback of our team. He hasn't played a lot here. He has all the physical and mental abilities to do an excellent job as our quarterback here."

Sort of a win-lose scenario for Beecher: his coach isn't expecting much, nor is anyone else for that matter, so what's to lose? Go out there and play loose, dude. On the flip side, it does sound like Spurrier's keeping the QB seat warm for the more athletic -- and ostensibly more talented -- Stephen Garcia. Despite four separate transgressions in his freshman year at South Carolina, Garcia will be almost certainly be welcomed back by Spurrier and the Gamecocks sometime this season.

Usually spring is the season of unbridled (and in many cases, unrealistic) optimism for college football fans. Not so in Columbia, South Carolina.

An unspectacular recruiting season combined with disarray at the quarterback position (redshirt frosh Stephen Garcia was cited for underage drinking last month, his fourth offense in his short tenure at South Carolina) set the stage for the Gamecocks' spring scrimmage. After Spurrier's last spring game put fans to sleep (it was a low-scoring, 14-7 affair) the Ol' Ball Coach enacted new rules for '08: no pass rushing, no blitzing, and the defense was forced to play one of three base coverages.

Sounds like a recipe for an offensive extravaganza, right? Nope: QBs Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher combined for 8 interceptions versus the declawed 'Cock defense.

Add to this the fact that Spurrier has designated his son, Steve Spurrier Jr., as the new playcaller. And, yes, Junior was calling the plays. For both offenses.

Does Spurrier have one foot out the door already at South Carolina? If Spurrier fails to produce a competitive team in this, his fourth year in Columbia, you've just gotta wonder. The OBC is grooming his son for the head coaching job, hasn't been lighting it up on the recruiting trail, and has already been in public scrapes with the university over admissions issues. Gamecock fans are nervous about what ROI might come from their pricey head coach in his remaining time in the Palmetto State, and rightfully so.