If you didn’t watch the Papajohns.com Bowl (is that “dot com” really necessary, guys?) yesterday, you missed one of the best catches you’ll ever see. Here ’tis:
Meanwhile, our SEC brethren Gamecocks crapped the bed – again. It’s getting to the point where I no longer get a cheap thrill out of hearing the OBC say stuff like this:
“The first thing I want to do, and hopefully half the team does, is apologize to about 30,000 Gamecocks that came down here to see a football game, and we couldn’t put one on,” Spurrier said.
“I thought we were ready to play. I thought we practiced pretty well. But obviously our offense was very sad, our defense not as good as it’s been most of the time. We thoroughly got beat by a better team, a better-disciplined team.”
Although I have to admit this quote had me doing a quick double take.
Senior offensive lineman Garrett Anderson thought the Gamecocks overlooked UConn (8-5), which tied for fourth in the supposedly inferior Big East.
“I think we didn’t take it as serious as we were supposed to,” Anderson said. “I think a lot of guys thought that since we were in the SEC and they’re in the Big East that we should have won. That we were supposed to win. And we didn’t have to earn the game.”
Guess they were wrong about that, hunh…
Get The Picture 
It is kinda nice to see Spurrier humbled. I can’t wait to see it happen to Corch Meyers.
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When you have an opportunity to increase your University’s bowl wins-something that has only been done 4 times in 100 years, you shouldn’t overlook anyone. They embarassed themselves and the conference, which is particularly disappointing following the well played game against Clemson.
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From this perspective (living in South Carolina), Spurrier hasn’t been half as arrogant for a few years. He’s actually been almost pleasant. All us unaligned foreigners take note that it’s only 66 miles from Columbia to Augusta on I-20, and Augusta National is right off the Washington Rd. exit. We kinda figure he’s enjoying himself.
South Carolina isn’t the first SEC team to overlook a Big East bowl opponent.
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“South Carolina isn’t the first SEC team to overlook a Big East bowl opponent.”
Touche. But not necessarily in the same fashion nor for the length of the entire game.
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I hasten to add that Stevie can still get a zinger in every now and then, and (to quote the Senator) if anyone can figure out how to be an asshole at his own funeral, it’ll be Spurrier.
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Fantastic catch, but I have one observation regarding the clip. If one of our receivers had reacted like their receiver did, how many “excessive celebration” flags would we have seen?
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I’ve watched most of the SEC bowl games and my overall feeling is that SEC has greatly under-performed in the bowls, especially offensively (with the exception of UF). Besides the SC game, Ole Miss beat OSU in a game that featured 13 turnovers- yikes. Arkansas “beat” ECU in OT without ever converting a 3rd down– double yikes. Auburn won in OT after trying desperately to give that game away… at least 3 times near the end of the game.
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I think what you are realizing is that the SEC just was not very good this year. Bama and Florida were very good, but outside of them, it was total mediocrity. LSU was 107th in the nation in offense. 107th. We were, statistically, pretty terrible. It is really a miracle that CMR coaxed 8 wins out of UGA this year.
I think people are going to be shocked by the Bama/Texas game. Texas has played better offenses throughout the season than Bama, and has better defensive stats. Texas has a better QB.
I am not sure any of the conferences could make the argument as being the “best” this year. Maybe the Mountain West? They seem to play a very good and varied brand of ball, and appear to have an incredible squadron of coaches.
I thought that the Pac 10 was the best conference going into the bowls, but they have been more underwhelming than the SEC.
Until the NFL gets their collective bargaining deal straightened out, we will continue to see a mass exodus of underclassmen leaving from the BCS schools, allowing teams like Boise and TCU to continue to rise up and have great TEAMS every year.
UF could lose EIGHT underclassmen in a couple of weeks. That is staggering. I think that may be why CUM faked the whole retirement thing, it was just a sympathy ploy to get Haden/Pouncey’s/Demps/Black, etc to come back, but that is for another conversation.
Right now, the SEC is mediocre.
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I think Joe is right about it being a down year for the SEC and for most of the conferences in general.
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I agree about the down year for the SEC overall (how many 7-5 teams were there?) but the play was just plain bad. Dropped passes all over the place, turnovers, poor tackling, serious lack of focus with most of the teams (e.g. LSU dropped at least 3 easy picks against PSU) The Chavis-coached LSU D looked like one of ours focus wise…
Perhaps it was the weather (other teams looked sloppy too) (though OSU and Ole Miss were in a dome) or maybe lack of focus is a cause/effect of a “down year.” Here’s hoping 2010 will at least be a up year for UGA!
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I noticed something interesting during the moments leading up to the game. Espn ran a graphic with both schools’ all-time records, South Carolina would have gotten to an even .500 record if they had won. Maybe The State would have run a full-page ad congratulating them for that!
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“I think we didn’t take it as serious as we were supposed to,” Anderson said. “I think a lot of guys thought that since we were in the SEC and they’re in the Big East that we should have won. That we were supposed to win. And we didn’t have to earn the game.”
Hmm…we sorta did the same thing in the 2006 Sugar Bowl against WVU. However, Carolina has no business not taking everyone they play seriously with that wonderful pedigree they have.
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I shut on Spurrier years ago.
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kinda like UGA vs West Virginia?
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Almost exactly like that, except that Wvu went 11-1 that year, had 5 starters on offense currently playing in the NFL and won the game by having to fake a punt with 2:00 remaining.
Other than all those things, Scu’s performance was identical to UGA’s.
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More appropriately, kinda like BC in the 2001 Music City Bowl.
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At this point he is beyond humbled. I do not see why he continues to think that if he comes back with a few new assistants and players this next year will be better. I played for this guy and all of the douchebaggery he pounded into everyone has now come full circle. It is heartbreaking to watch and I hope he stops before it gets real ugly. He turns 65 in the spring and he needs to retire while he has some dignity left.
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If you look at the history of South Carolina football you will see that many excellent coaches tried and failed there. Remember Paul Dietzel, who won a national championship at LSU? Lou Holtz won one at Notre Dame. Spurrier, of course, won one at FLA. The state of South Carolina does not have enough quality HS players to support both Clemson and South Carolina teams. The only guy to have success there was Joe Morrison and that was only for a short time while they were independent and could schedule lots of patsies. The University of South Carolina is not able to compete for top quality recruits (If you had the choice between FLA, FSU, Bama, UGA and there would you go there?). Plus, they play in the SEC East. Any number of good teams ( Boston College, Miami or Ohio State, for example) could play the South Carolina schedule and they wouldn’t do much better. Spurrier is just the most recent failure in a long line. The place is a graveyard. You’re right, Al. He should retire before he becomes a joke like Dietzel did.
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They’d never do it, but the Dread Pirate Leach would make a helluva splash in Columbia.
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What makes you think they wouldn’t do it? I think they would hire Adolf Hitler as HC , Stalin as OC and Benito Mussolini as DC if the could win an SEC East title and play in the SEC Championship game.
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Ali says “I played for this guy”
but Ali can you do as good an imitation of him as bates does?
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How come no one but David Paschall has brought up the fact that Spurrier earned himself an additional $50K for presiding over that? I don’t think easier money was ever earned.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jan/03/college-bowl-seasons-winners-and-losers/
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South Carolina’s stadium is in a industrial area, and players must cross a busy 4 lane road to get to the practice field. Not what would turn recruits heads either.
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