In my college days, as today, there existed something called Madden Football. In today's Madden Football (it's a video game, for those of you over 35), you can see drops of perspiration on the players' faces and count the holes in the mesh of their jerseys. Back in my day, the graphics were still (gasp!) pixilated. Nevertheless, this was a great video game then, just as it is now. Part of the appeal was that, besides offering a really great football game simulation, Madden offered enthusiasts the chance to run a franchise, including everything from signing and trading players to the team uniforms.

It was fascinating to watch friends and their addiction to this game. For me, the off-season stuff was great, but the games themselves were where the real fun lay. Not so for others! I actually knew people who simulated entire seasons (including the playoffs) just so they could get back to the front-office stuff! Bizarre.

Now, to the point: it's impossible to deny the importance of running a football program all year long. In the NFL, this means drafting, marketing, mini-camp and a host of other functions. It's the same in college football, with recruiting being somewhat analogous to the draft and free agent signings. No program can ever have long-term success without executing all year, and modern fandom has become a yearlong dedication in its own right.

On a message board the other day, someone suggested that a college coach should alter his play calling in games in order to positively impact recruiting. Talk about the tail feathers wagging the rooster! For my money, what happens between the lines on Saturdays in the fall will always be paramount. Six weeks from today, the real season begins for the Gamecocks, and not a moment too soon in this writer's estimation.

So, what's in store for the 2006 Carolina squad? I've got some notions. For the remainder of this week's space, I want to examine the aspects of the Gamecock offense on a 1-5 scale. Now, I know I'm going to ruffle some plumage with my ratings, so let me try to diffuse that by saying that a "3" on this scale represents the "average" team in the SEC. Considering that the average SEC team typically goes about 7-5 (4-4) with a bowl bid, that's not half bad. OK, here we go!

Offensive Line - 2.0 - This might be a little generous, especially given Carolina's apparent lack of depth at the position where it's most needed. But with another year of coaching and a better sense of cohesiveness, this year's line could turn out to be better than last year's, which would rated about a 1.5 on the scale. If the Gamecocks are really lucky, Chris White, James Thompson, Thomas Coleman, Jamon Meredith and Gurminder Thind will play well and stay healthy, giving a couple of kids in the incoming class a chance for some spot-seasoning without the pressure of starting.

Wide Receiver - 4.0 - Here is where people will start getting mad. "Aren't you forgetting about Sidney Rice?" they'll say. "He's got to be a '5' on your silly little scale!" Granted. I think he and Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech are the two best receivers in college football. But Carolina will need more than one receiver to be effective this year. Kenny McKinley has shown flashes of what could become a great receiver. If Syvelle Newton is healthy, he's a proven quantity. Jared Cook and Mike West could be exciting, and sliding Cory Boyd out into the slot could make this the premier receiving corps in the SEC. The key word in that last sentence, though, is could. Aside from Rice, the group is full of question marks. Will McKinley progress into a viable second option? Will Newton be fully healed? How will Boyd adjust to a "slash" role after a year off? And what ever will become of Whiteside? Ask me again in October, and this rating may be higher; for now, let's call it solidly "above average."

Running Back - 3.0 - Again, some of you will be thinking this is too low. And again, I'll respond that it might be. But as good as Mike Davis was at the end of last year, he was only average for an SEC starter. If he has worked as hard as some are saying, he could move well beyond that. As for the aforementioned Boyd, we know what he can do in the backfield. Steve Spurrier must have a lot of good dreams about an improved Davis and a returned Boyd lining up in the backfield together. But what if one of them goes down? As with the offensive line, depth is a concern. Compared to what the SEC typically sees, the Gamecocks' entire stable of backs can hardly be said to be anything other than "average," though the starters may be near the top of the conference yardage stats before the year is over.

Quarterback - 4.0 - JaMarcus Russell, Chris Leak and Brandon Cox will grab the preseason headlines, but don't be surprised if it's Blake Mitchell who leads the conference in passing. The one thing that might hold Carolina back is the lack of an experienced option behind Mitchell (remember the Auburn game?), but his most impressive characteristic last season was his durability, despite getting drilled time and again by defensive linemen. He was certainly above average last year, and if he improves at all, he should lead the offense to a productive season.

Overall, I'll give the Gamecocks a preseason 3.5 on offense. It's reasonable to expect them to be in the top third in yardage and scoring this year, and they could be really good if they stay healthy and the line finds consistency. The question then becomes whether the defense will be able to give the offense a chance. We'll look at that next week.

I said months ago that it would be a mistake for Renaldo Balkman to make the jump to the NBA before his senior year. I have been proven 100 percent wrong in that assessment. It would seem that the "bad advice" Balkman got turned out not to be so bad after all. Based on his first-round status and his performance in drills to date, there seems little doubt that Balkman will make the Knicks. I've said that the single most important criterion that validates the decision to leave school early is making a professional roster. By that standard, Renaldo Balkman absolutely made the right choice, and good luck to him.