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When people talk about the best coaches in college football, they often talk about Nick Saban. They often talk about Les Miles. They often talk about Urban Meyer.
But there's one guy they rarely mention, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. That guy is Steve Spurrier.
To some, it seems, Spurrier's current tenure at South Carolina is somehow lesser than his celebrated tenure at Florida, where he took his alma mater to heights unknown.
He won national titles and SEC titles and dominated the league like no man in recent history.
At Carolina, the titles have yet to arrive. But let's be honest: What this guy has done at Carolina--a program that languished in mediocrity for decades--is every bit as impressive, if not more so. Thanks to Spurrier's efforts, Carolina today is a legitimate Top 15 program--with Top 5 potential. He's built this program into something to be reckoned with, and that, I assure you, has been no small task.
We'll take a look at Spurrier's prospects for the season to come here, in our 2013 South Carolina football preview.
The Basics: Carolina returns six starters on offense and five on defense from a team that finished 11-2, including 6-2 in the SEC, in 2012. Returning to run the offense is Connor Shaw, an occasionally frustrating but still talented signalcaller who threw for 1,956 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Gone is the supremely talented but star-crossed Marcus Lattimore, who could have been one of the all-time greats had injuries not cut his career short, but returning to lead the defense is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the single best player in college football.
Not a bad guy to build around.
The Schedule:
Aug. 29 North Carolina (Thur.)?
Sept. 7 at Georgia?
Sept. 14 Vanderbilt?
Sept. 21 Bye Week?
Sept. 28 at UCF?
Oct. 5 Kentucky?
Oct. 12 at Arkansas?
Oct. 19 at Tennessee?
Oct. 26 at Missouri
Nov. 2 Mississippi State
Nov. 9 Bye Week?
Nov. 16 Florida?
Nov. 23 Coastal Carolina
Nov. 30 Clemson
Schedule Breakdown: it's not easy, that's for sure, but it's not impossible, either. The season gets serious from the very start, as the Gamecocks open with a potential tricky one against North Carolina, then hit the road to take on a very talented Georgia team and then return home to face much-improved Vandy. Things get easier in the middle of the season before a tough late November sees them take on Florida and Clemson. Fortunately, there's a classic SEC gimme game in the middle there, against Coastal Carolina, to make life easier. The good news? There's no 'Bama, no Texas A&M and no LSU.
The Season Will Be a Success If ...: They can hang with Georgia and Florida and make the SEC East battle a three-team race. To be fair, the Bulldogs and Gators look stronger on paper, and Spurrier has some serious rebuilding to do, especially on offense. But it would be a great sign for this program if it was able to hang in there with the big boys even in a "rebuilding year."
The Season Will Be a Failure If ...: They struggle right out of the gate, have two losses by the end of September and can't get back on track. North Carolina is hardly a powerhouse, but on a Thursday night, in the season opener, that's no gimme. And again, those back-to-back SEC tilts against Georgia and Vandy will not be easy, either. This team will be tested early. We'll know what they're made of by October.
Prediction: Though the return of Clowney will certainly help the defense hold its own against pretty much anybody, that offense has some issues. Shaw isn't exactly Johnny Manziel and there is a clear lack of playmakers. If Spurrier has had one failing at Carolina, it's been his inability to create an exciting, dynamic offense. That will do him in this season. The Gamecocks might win 10, but eight or nine is much more likely. Those first three games will be telling.
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