http://espn.go.com/college-football...-puts-plan-place-south-carolina-gamecocks-sec
"How did the Gamecocks get here after seemingly being doomed to eternal mediocrity?
For starters, it's important to remember that they didn't get here overnight.
In Spurrier's first five seasons at South Carolina from 2005 to 2009, the Gamecocks won more than seven games only once (2006). And last season was the only time since he's been there that they didn't lose five or more games.
Spurrier has admitted that after the embarrassing 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl following the 2008 season, he wondered whether it just wasn't going to work.
"You sort of wonder, 'What am I doing here?'" Spurrier said.
What rejuvenated Spurrier was that next recruiting class. The Gamecocks were able to keep Stephon Gilmore and Alshon Jeffery at home, despite schools such as Alabama and USC coming into the Palmetto State and aggressively recruiting them.
The next year, South Carolina also kept Marcus Lattimore at home when he could have gone anywhere else in the country as the nation's top running back prospect.
And then last year, it was Jadeveon Clowney following suit and keeping the Palmetto pipeline churning. Clowney, one of the highest-rated prospects to come out of high school in several years, looked like an NFL player the day he walked onto campus."
I've got to believe if/when Kill gets us to a 7-5, 6-6, 8-5, 7-5 type level this would be what spawns that next step, top kids staying home.
Granted SC has much more local talent, but they haven't always been able to keep their state's top kids.
If everything is honest(a big if in the $EC), it's good to see SC kids leading their state's school towards a championship, whether that be national or SEC.
Who knows how MN football develops down the road, but if we are able to string together 2-3 years of top talent staying in state I think we'd finally see a program elevate itself past a "fringe bowl team" type and onto a sustained and stable winner with the potential to compete in every game.
"How did the Gamecocks get here after seemingly being doomed to eternal mediocrity?
For starters, it's important to remember that they didn't get here overnight.
In Spurrier's first five seasons at South Carolina from 2005 to 2009, the Gamecocks won more than seven games only once (2006). And last season was the only time since he's been there that they didn't lose five or more games.
Spurrier has admitted that after the embarrassing 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl following the 2008 season, he wondered whether it just wasn't going to work.
"You sort of wonder, 'What am I doing here?'" Spurrier said.
What rejuvenated Spurrier was that next recruiting class. The Gamecocks were able to keep Stephon Gilmore and Alshon Jeffery at home, despite schools such as Alabama and USC coming into the Palmetto State and aggressively recruiting them.
The next year, South Carolina also kept Marcus Lattimore at home when he could have gone anywhere else in the country as the nation's top running back prospect.
And then last year, it was Jadeveon Clowney following suit and keeping the Palmetto pipeline churning. Clowney, one of the highest-rated prospects to come out of high school in several years, looked like an NFL player the day he walked onto campus."
I've got to believe if/when Kill gets us to a 7-5, 6-6, 8-5, 7-5 type level this would be what spawns that next step, top kids staying home.
Granted SC has much more local talent, but they haven't always been able to keep their state's top kids.
If everything is honest(a big if in the $EC), it's good to see SC kids leading their state's school towards a championship, whether that be national or SEC.
Who knows how MN football develops down the road, but if we are able to string together 2-3 years of top talent staying in state I think we'd finally see a program elevate itself past a "fringe bowl team" type and onto a sustained and stable winner with the potential to compete in every game.