Chuck Oliver: USC will be much better on defense
50 Opinions, Day 30: Between now and the season-opener against North Carolina on Sept. 3, we will ask 50 people: “What do you think about the Gamecocks in 2015?” We’re counting down the days until kickoff. Today’s panelist is Chuck Oliver, an Atlanta sports radio host:
“You’re not supposed to get better when you only go 6-6 (in the regular season) and you lose a record-setting quarterback like Dylan Thompson, but I don’t think that was a 6-6 team. You’ve got the Tennessee game, the Kentucky game, the Missouri game – that was not a 6-6 Gamecocks squad. Connor Mitch is going to be the starter, right? Connor Mitch is not going to have the same season statistically that Dylan Thompson had, but I don’t think he has to. I think they’re going to be better on defense, because you have to be better on defense. I like the running game. I think there are enough pieces back on offense. Pharoh Cooper, other than Dak Prescott, is the most indispensable player in the Southeastern Conference. How do you get better by losing your starting quarterback off a .500 team? You weren’t a .500 team. This could be an eight-win team, maybe a nine-win team with the right breaks.”