Ripe muscadines are falling. Leaves are drifting from river birch trees, squirrels are chewing up pinecones, and roosters have been crowing all over the place. That can mean only one thing: it's the second week in September and time for the South Carolina/Georgia game. Gamecock fans have talked trash all summer about how badly they are going to beat Georgia over here in that poultry processing plant they call a stadium.

Well, they're not crowing now that Vanderbilt has beaten them 24 to 17, and none other than Lincolnton's Brandon Barden helped beat them. Brandon caught a 31-yard touchdown in the third quarter at the 10:14 mark tying the game 10-10 and Vandy built its lead from there.

Up until the Vandy game, the roosters were crowing over here big time. Gamecocks like to talk about passing Georgia in the SEC East division. Now they are barely clinging to the fifth rung in the SEC East ladder and will probably be on life support before the season ends. But that won't stop them from crowing when they beat that powerhouse Wofford next week. I have never seen a fan base more delusional than these people. If you listen to the sports talk shows, you'd think the next national champion is South Carolina. And it's that way every year. They talk big and they talk a lot. Here's a scenario I go through every year before the South Carolina game.

Gamecock Fan: "We're going to kick your Dogs good."

Tom: "Well, we'll see. We'll show up. I guarantee you that."

Gamecock Fan: "Dude, we've got Spurrier. Y'all don't stand a chance."

Tom: "I'll look you up after the game."

Gamecock Fan: "Nah, you'll be too embarrassed after we clobber you."

Tom: "Tell you what. Let's put $50 on the game."

Desperate Gamecock Fan: "How many points you giving me?"

And that's how it goes.

I was stuck in traffic the other day and in the lane next to me was a Hang-Dog Daddy on a Moped. You know the type. Scrawny arms, tattoos, nasty hair, a five-day stubble, and a cigarette dangling from his lip. He wore a tattered, greasy grey Tshirt that said, "You're damn right I'm a Gamecock." Yep. You sure are buddy.

A little history lesson is in order here for Mr. Moped and other Gamecock fans and I know Lincoln County has some. Georgia and South Carolina began playing each other in 1894. Georgia won 40 to 0 setting the tone for what would be a series dominated by Georgia with 44 wins, 14 losses, and two ties. Georgia has had two 10-game winning streaks. South Carolina has never won more than two straight games. Georgia has won seven of the last 10 games but that doesn't stop Gamecock fans from bragging that they have caught up with Georgia. Yeah, right.

Of course, some Gamecock fans will admit that they admire Georgia and its accomplishments. Georgia generally wins more bowl games in four years than South Carolina has in 115 seasons (just three bowl victories, two over the Ohio State "Blackeyes"). The Gamecocks hold a 522-524-44 record. That's right, they are under .500 all time. The school's only conference championship came in the 1969 season when it posted a 6-0 record and won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in Paul Dietzel's fourth year as the head chicken. Now the ultimate head chicken is in town, Steve Spurrier.

One thing is for certain. It's a whole lot easier to like Steve Spurrier as a Gamecock than a Gator. Living in the same city with Steven Orr Spurrier is interesting. He's a likeable guy these days. The swagger is gone. Steve Superior is in hiding. Darth Visor is nowhere to be found. On the loss to Vanderbilt he said the same thing he said in 1997 when Georgia routed his Gators: "We just got beat by a better team."

Talk is swirling around that maybe the Old Ball coach will leave if this season goes south. USC fans say the game is passing him by. South Carolina: the graveyard of coaches is alive and well. Just ask "Loose Bolts" aka Lou Holtz, who closely resembles Grandma Clampett. Heck, for all I know she was his mother.

I was talking football with a Gamecock friend over here a while back, discussing how the season for our teams might go. He stopped in the middle of describing what he knew would be a disappointing season and a far away look swept over him. "Tom," he said, "you need to thank God you were born on the right side of the Savannah River."

Amen to that. Go Dawgs! Let's push the series record to 45-14-2.

Email Tom with feedback and ideas for new columns. tompol @earthlink.net