Posted on 07/28/2007 4:04:12 PM PDT by GOP_Raider
HOOVER, Ala. -- South Carolina's Steve Spurrier returned to the SEC rather quietly the past two seasons, largely avoiding the barbs and inflammatory comments that made him one of college football's most colorful coaches during a dozen years at Florida.
But as Spurrier prepares to begin his third season with the Gamecocks, he seems much more confident and, yes, even cocky.
"We've raised our goals this year," Spurrier said Wednesday, speaking at SEC media days here. "We're going to try to win the conference. We feel like we've really increased our talent level at South Carolina. We've added a lot of players that we think are at a pretty close level with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Obviously, you need to be at their level to win the conference. We feel like our talent level is good enough now that we should say, 'Hey, let's go try to win our conference championship.'"
Spurrier must like his team's talent because history suggests the Gamecocks face an uphill battle in winning the SEC. The Gamecocks have never finished better than 5-3 in SEC play and have lost nearly two-thirds of their conference games since joining the league before the 1992 season. In fact, South Carolina has only one conference title in more than 100 years of football -- the 1969 ACC title.
Spurrier is more than aware of South Carolina's mediocre past.
"We won our fourth bowl game in school history this year, by the way," Spurrier said. "The history there is not all that super-duper. ... What we need to do is understand that the object of a football season is to try to win your conference championship. I really believe that."
Sure puts a rebuilding year into a lot of perspective.
Another loser who couldn’t cut it in the NFL.
That would be a Heisman Trophy, SEC Conference winning, National Champion Loser.
Also, a Rich loser who can golf and do what he wants.
Look forward to the College Season. Go Gators.
>>Another loser who couldn’t cut it in the NFL.<<
Its a different skill set - recruiting is such a huge deal in the NCAA and those skills don’t help in the NFL.
Love the Ole Ball Coach. As a UF alum he gave us some great years, and brought pride back to the Gator Nation after the scandal and shame of the 1980’s. Most true Gators hold SOS in high esteem and enjoy playing the Gamecocks each year with any animosity.
“They were everywhere, all I saw was Orange and Blue” Troy Smith, OSU after the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
At Georgia Tech we’ve had some good coaches that have left us Bobby Ross, Bobby Cremins and we wish them well even though I don’t think they have ever been as appreciated as when they were here.
Bill Curry left us for Alabama and he told the story of how it didn’t work. He said when he arrived the sherrif came over and said to call if he could ever help.
Then Curry lost the Auburn game and somebody threw a brick though his plate glass window. So he called the sheriff but the sheriff said “Yeah, well you really shouldn’t have lost to Auburn.”
Go Cocks!!!!
Actualy buckeyes owe a debt of graditude to South Carolina. If SC had not beaten OSU in 2001 (2000 season) Outback Bowl Cooper might not have been fired and Tressel might not have been hired and we might not of won 2002 national championship.
The Ole Ball Coach...you either love him or hate him. I look up to him after what he did at Duke, who struggles to win any game. Best of luck to him and the Gamecocks!
Spurrier is a great coach. I am not sure the NFL is much about coaches. Most NFL coaches that cannot cut it get rehired. Norv Turner and Wade Phillips hung around and with the coaching talent being so thin got jobs with two teams which have the talent to make the playoffs maybe farther. Joe Gibbs was a great coach the first time around, his second tour of duty does not look as good. John Gruden's star has fallen a lot. I do not believe Eric Mangini is a Hall of Hame coach, but all he has to do is repeat last year, for a few years and he might be. I loved to root against Spurrier when he was at Florida because he was at a school that had an opportunity to compete for NCAA championship every year, and I loved his body language when they were losing. But since he went to South Carolina, I have rooted for him. If I am going to root against one of these so called "losers" it will Saban at Alabama. His coaching travels reflect the kind of unmitigated arrogance most often attributed to Spurrier.
GO GATORS!!!!!!
Love him or hate him. Bottom line - The SEC missed him when he was gone.
Only 35 days until SEC season starts!
Go Vols!
The Old Ball Coach really stunk up the place when he was head coach of the Redskins.
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call him a “loser”. It’s a completely different dynamic trying to convince 17 and 18 year old kids to play and—in a theoretical sense—go to your university than it is to have some guy you just signed as a draft pick or free agent sign on the dotted line with some dope like Drew Rosenhaus being a general horse’s posterior the whole time.
Which would you rather deal with on a daily basis, an 18 year old’s mother or an avaricious lawyer called an “agent”?
Doesn’t matter who I’d rather deal with. I (detest with extreme loathing) Spurrier.
[edited for family reading]
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