Spurrier's Last Shot?

Last week, the Coaches' Poll, which is part of the BCS formula, was released. In the poll sat six SEC teams: Alabama (1), Florida (3), LSU (16), Arkansas (19), Georgia (21), and Auburn (23). Noticeably absent is the one team I thought would finally get some respect this year: South Carolina Gamecocks.

Ever since he was hired in 2005, the question was never "if," but "when" would Steve Spurrier lead South Carolina to its first ever SEC Championship in football? Some laughed, some cried, and some drank cool-aid about him winning like the boys on College Gameday. However, his record at Duke and Florida told everyone that Steve Spurrier knew a thing or two about turning programs with few bright spots into consistent winners. After all, he averaged 10 wins a year at Florida. So why could he not use his magic at South Carolina?

Starting in the 2005 Season, Spurrier seemed to be on his way. His South Carolina team went 7-5 with big wins over Florida and Tennessee, along with a near victory over Georgia between the hedges. The Gamecocks finished second in the division behind Georgia and it appeared Spurrier was primed to take the Gamecocks to unprecedented heights.

While 2006 proved to be another above-average South Carolina year with a 8-5 record, 2007 really took off hot for the Gamecocks. A huge victory over Georgia in Athens and a 6-1 start propelled the Gamecocks to a #7 ranking in the country. Then, the bottom fell out. Huge losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson that season torpedoed the Gamecocks' ship. They lost their last 5 in a row and did not make a bowl game.

The last two years at South Carolina produced identical 7-6 records for Spurrier. For a man whose ego is higher than his winning percentage before his stop in Columbia, he can clearly feel his legacy tanking. However, Spurrier's Gamecocks, marred by inconsistent play, lack of depth, and major staff turnover, may finally be on the verge of breaking through. Of course, this may be by default.

Now, you might be asking, "what do you mean by 'default'?" The answer is simple. With 17 returning starters for the Gamecocks, they are primed to make a run at the Eastern crown. Furthermore, they are the ONLY team in the division to not have a new head coach and/or change in a major coordinator. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee have new defensive coordinators (Teryl Austin, Todd Grantham, and Justin Wilcox). Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee have new head coaches (Robbie Caldwell, Joker Phillips, and Derek Dooley).

Of course, Spurrier's problem is, well.....Spurrier. He can't stop criticizing his quarterback Steven Garcia. All due respect to Spurrier, Garcia has an impressive line from last year. He completed 55% of his passes. He threw for 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That is not bad considering he threw the ball 432 times. I personally saw Garcia light up Georgia last year (then again, who didn't the last 3 years). If Garcia can find Alshon Jeffery a lot, then South Carolina will be in good shape. Since most pumps are self-serve now, he should be free and able to play on Saturdays.

The problem South Carolina is going to have to overcome is depth and schedule. They may have the best 22 players out there. However, there is a big drop-off for them at 23 on down compared to Georgia and Florida in the East. That issue, combined with their schedule, is the reason I think they crawl to the finish line each year. Looking at their 2010 schedule, I don't see any relief. Four out of their last five games are against Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, and Clemson. Add in there Georgia, at Auburn, and Alabama, and they may lose 6 games again this year. Personally, given the fact they come off a bye before playing Alabama, I think they will win that game.

Regardless of what happens, I firmly believe it's do or die for Spurrier this year. This is his one shot at it. All the schools in the East are going through transition. By 2011, all bets are off. You can be sure Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky will be ready to take aim on the division by then and South Carolina will be left out.

Ahhh South Carolina. You could write a brochure about it titled "Where Old Coaches Go to Die."