There are many revenge plotlines for 2006 being talked about across the country.
Oklahoma wants to put Texas back in their place.
Florida State wants blood against the Gators after the beat down in the Swamp.
Notre Dame wants to prove that the Michigan State game was every bit the fluke it now looks to have been.
OU wants to shut up that GOOOOO RAAIIIIIIIDDDERRRSSSS guy.
And Michigan would like tOSU fans to spell Lloyd with fewer Ls
But theres one revenge game that has slipped under the radar.
Kenny Irons vs. South Carolina in Columbia
The story: Irons was a modestly recruited running back several years ago that chose the Gamecocks. Stories vary, but rumors of poor conditioning, a bad attitude and minor injuries held back his initial progress at Columbia. The following year Holtz recruited alpha 5 star recruit Demetrius Summers, and all but gave him the starting job over Irons and the parade of other unproductive backs hanging around Dead Cockroach Stadium predictably pouted. In a huff, Irons transferred to Auburn to play along side his brother David. I was so unimpressed with Irons as a Gamecock that I once called the slow, out of shape and plodding Irons, "the Nell Carter of running backs."
Last year (much to my dismay), Kenny exploded on the scene late in the season to become the dominant running back in the SEC, and he proved Lou Holtz and me wrong.
However, despite Auburns 48-7 thrashing of South Carolina in Jordan-Hare, Kenny didnt get his full measure of revenge against his former employer team. In fact, he only carried the ball 11 times for 27 yards. As of that Oct. 1st contest, he had not yet emerged as the SECs Uber Back. On Sept. 28th, he will return to Columbia to face a South Carolina defense that ranked 11th in the SEC and 85th nationally against the run in 2005. A defense that has virtually no hope of stopping him.
The thrashing will be Biblical. Im expecting Irons run for 723 yards (give or take) in front of a nationally televised primetime audience. Itll look like something out of Tecmo Bowl. Prepare yourselves Gamecock Fans. Its going to be fugly. Paul Westerdawg