Upon further review – like we predicted in January – it was a bad decision then and it looks even worse now after Sunday’s results at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Sanders dropped several passes during individual drills and recorded a 4.53 electronic 40 — slower than most of us expected. The majority of receivers were in the 4.4 range with a few breaking the 4.3 threshold including Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope. Texas speedster Marquise Goodwin took top honors with a jaw-dropping 4.27.

Of the 35 wideouts that participated in the 40, Sanders’ average time of (4.5) ranked 31st.  Only Duke’s Conner Vernon, Missouri’s T.J. Moe, Syracuse’s Alec Lemon and Brandon Kaufman from Eastern Washington were slower.

Size has always been the issue with Sanders who was the smallest receiver in Indy (5-foot-7, 173 pounds) but his skill set hasn’t come into question — when compared to other draftable wideouts — until now. Can he excel in the slot ala Wes Welker at the next level? Is he strong enough to separate in coverage against proven defensive backs? Is he strictly a special-teamer?

Sanders’ best attribute is his quickness. He doesn’t have top-end speed or elite-level hands but is shifty with big-play potential in space. He’ll help a franchise as a situational player in the return game but his size and overall effectiveness as a wide receiver raises questions for general managers. Sunday’s performance in front of many coaches and scouts didn’t help his stock.

South Carolina’s Pro Day is March 27 at Williams-Brice. Sanders needs a spectacular showing just to move into the fourth round range with so many talented pass-catchers in this year’s draft. A fifth or sixth round selection seems more likely at this point.

Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Three games into his freshman jayvee season at Lumberton High School, the 14-year-old hovered over others in the huddle and caught the eye of several coaches in the area, becoming “the next big thing” to hit Robeson County. By the end of the Pirates’ eight-game slate that year, North had 30 touchdowns and averaged more than 150 yards rushing per contest, plowing over defenders with a lanky frame and out-running others with great speed.

The game plan? Get out of Marquez’s way.

The following fall, Lumberton coach Mike Brill had his next star — scheduled to take snaps in a modified Wing-T. Brill, who just finished his 30th season as a high school football coach, has plenty of experience in the scouting department and knew after a 48-yard burst in the first quarter of the opener that North wouldn’t be at Lumberton for long. Nearly a decade earlier at nearby South Robeson, Brill coached current Baltimore Ravens fullback and three-time Pro Bowler Vonta Leach. With similar poise and ability, North was a future gem that was too big for his current surroundings.

North transferred that winter to pick up more of the spotlight, suiting up at several positions in football-rich Charlotte at Mallard Creek High. With his 22-touchdown, 1,600-yard sophomore campaign at Lumberton as an option quarterback a distant memory, the buzz really began on North when he was unleashed in the spread. No longer the focus under center, North excelled in the passing game with a knack for making the first defender miss and out-muscling defensive backs with a 215-pound frame.

His highlight film quickly made its way around the country and created much intrigue. Several big-time programs kept in touch on a regular basis while Urban Meyer gave the honor roll student a phone call shortly after arriving at Ohio State. That’s how big the former junior varsity quarterback had gotten.

On Wednesday night, North’s prep career came to a close after he ended a two-team race and instantly became one of the cornerstones of Butch Jones’ inaugural 2013 signing class at Tennessee after committing to the Vols over North Carolina. North’s decision pushed the Vols to 25th overall in 247Sports’ latest team recruiting rankings and ignited a bevy of cheers from Volunteer fans via social media. North is the fifth four-star to pick Tennessee and joins three other wide receivers who should challenge for playing time as true freshmen.

As someone who has seen North up close and spoken several times with the goal-oriented standout, the SEC, specifically Tennessee, is getting a can’t-miss player. Think Cobi Hamilton’s strength with Cordarrelle Patterson’s speed. In Jones’ attack, North will shine.

Photo Credit: Jim Brown-US PRESSWIRE

Steve Spurrier and the rest of the South Carolina Gamecocks received some unfortunate news Tuesday night on Twitter when a key veteran component in the return game and on offense decided he’d fulfilled his football duties at the collegiate level one year early.

After previously revealing on Instagram that he’d stay for his senior season, SEC co-special teams player of the year Ace Sanders confirmed plans to forgo his final year of eligibility in favor of the NFL Draft.

The tweet was met with expected congratulatory replies from teammates — including several current Gamecock wide receivers — but the general consensus was that of shock from fans and the media.

Most of us fully expected Sanders back following his standout junior campaign providing himself with another crack at improving on a draft stock that continues to climb.

On one hand, I commend Sanders for following his dream of playing in the NFL after a breakout 11-game stretch.

As for the other?

It’s an awfully high risk to take for an undersized receiver whose had a single 100-yard outing in 40 career games with most of his production coming on special teams. While his stock at this time has never been higher after a career-high nine-touchdown season, one more year at South Carolina wouldn’t hurt, especially considering the upcoming draft being heavy on talented pass-catchers.

Another year as “the guy” on offense for a Top 10 team would only improve his chances of sneaking into the second round. With the return of two capable quarterbacks and the focus no longer on Marcus Lattimore in the running game, Sanders’ opportunities on offense would expand and his numbers would likely go up.

Just look at what he did in his first season as South Carolina’s chief target.

Sanders came out of his shell to lead all Gamecocks in catches and touchdowns — doubling his previous two-year contributions — without playing in the shadow of Alshon Jeffery.

While receivers have never been the focal point of Spurrier’s run-heavy attack that has directly led to 31 wins over the last three seasons, oftentimes Sanders would evaporate on the field as a freshman and sophomore behind Jeffery.

Used primarily in the slot during his first two seasons as the second option, Sanders was South Carolina’s short-yardage screen guy before budding into an elite wideout when given the chance on the outside. But is one year of quality film on a short receiver enough for NFL scouts? Is a late-round pick worth the risk?

Sanders’ ceiling — as far as wide receivers go — would be mirroring the career of Wes Welker, Tom Brady’s go-to option in New England. Sanders is one inch shorter at 5-foot-8, but doesn’t seem to have near the strength to create separation and come down with the football on 50-50 plays.

He could improve on that with one more season in Columbia and in the same breath, become a more polished route runner with better technique.

We haven’t even discussed the element of Sanders’ game that scouts seem to most enjoy, his ability to make people miss in space with the ball in his hands. For the most part, NFL franchises are now willing to take chances on return-only guys, albeit late in the draft. The Panthers picked up Joe Adams from the Arkansas in the fourth round last season, a productive college wideout who had a bigger upside than Sanders. The result? A couple early muffs and bench splinters.

Sanders will need to develop his game as a receiver to excel at the next level and another year on offense for the Gamecocks would achieve that. His three-touchdown finale in the Outback Bowl against Michigan was supposed to be the appetizer for what was expected to be an All-SEC caliber senior season.

Scintillating punt returns against Missouri and Georgia early in the season were bonus points for an improving skill set. At season’s end, Sanders was the top punt returner in the SEC, averaging 14.5 yards per return, with seven returns of 27 yards or more. He had nearly perfected the special teams portion of his game and was becoming a pretty darn good receiver to boot.

But he pulled the plug too fast.

Sanders has until Friday to withdraw his name as long as he doesn’t hire an agent, but it sounds like the final decision has already been made.

Photo Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

After sitting through a difficult-to-stomach winless season in the SEC, the 30-year-old sports writer fought valiantly to stay neutral from a reporting aspect, though his personal ties wouldn’t allow him to waver away from Jordan-Hare. He believed the future was bright under new head coach Gus Malzahn and Auburn would transform quickly into an SEC West contender in 2013.

Unfortunately, following his untimely death on Christmas Day inside his parents’ home, Rushing must watch next season from a perch high above his usual spot along press row. First reported by WarBlogle.com, Rushing’s celebration of life last week included hymns and the university’s alma mater. Pallbearers donned Auburn sideline apparel and signature visors. The funeral ended with a touching ode to a Toomer’s Corner tradition on the Plains — rolling a tree. Family and friends toilet-papered a tree on Rushing’s behalf, a ritual he loved taking part in after a big win.

“I know it sounds cliche, but he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” said Barrett Sallee, Bleacher Report’s lead SEC writer in an interview with Saturday Down South prior to Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl. Sallee has known Rushing for more than a decade. “I’d catch him at several SEC stadiums across the southeast and every time we’d speak, it was genuine. He was an all-around great guy.”

Rushing graduated from Auburn in 2005 with a degree in journalism and throughout his undergraduate career, established friendships with several sports information and media members inside the War Eagles’ media relations office. His hospitality has been felt throughout the SEC and beyond. At the time of his death, Rushing worked as a staff writer for The City Wire, a newspaper in Fort Smith, AR.

“I have never met a bigger Auburn fan in my life than Chris Rushing – and this is coming from a guy that graduated from Alabama,” said Todd Anderson, a longtime colleague and the current Media Relations Director at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. “The thing is, he never let my ties to ‘the enemy’ affect our friendship. He always put others before himself. Always. He was one of the most generous people I have ever come in contact with.”

Anderson attended graduate school at Mississippi State while working in MSU’s media relations office and crossed paths with Rushing routinely during his time in Starkville. Rushing always offered a helping hand according to Anderson and despite being usually swamped with credential requests and game preparation, had a smile that rarely ceased.

Rushing was infatuated with writing — along with the Tigers.

“Chris got me a job as an ACC columnist for Collegiate Sports Matchups (CSM) a couple years ago,” Anderson said. “Although he was not the founder of the website, I have never seen somebody put more passion into something succeeding than he did. When the website eventually folded, Chris would always text me and want to start a website just to keep writing about college football. He loved the game, but especially loved the Southeastern Conference.”

Auburn’s unbeaten run to a national title in 2010 that featured a scintillating season from Heisman winner Cam Newton had to be Rushing’s shining achievement as a fan says Anderson. An onslaught of status updates from Rushing’s Facebook page ensued soon after Newton put the finishing touches on the Tigers’ close win in the desert.

“I still remember how excited he was and I still remember following his trip to Arizona through Facebook photos,” Anderson said. “He lived for Auburn football and just seeing them play in the national championship was one of the biggest highlights of his life. When the Tigers beat Oregon to take home the trophy, I am sure there was nobody on this Earth more elated than Chris.”

Rushing’s death was felt almost instantaneously on Twitter as several followers and daily readers expressed their condolences through status updates to @rushicw.  Sallee says he’ll miss the weekend run-ins and long hours with Rushing — especially at multi-game days at the SEC basketball tournament — and various pre-game events for a variety of sports in different SEC cities.

“He just always seemed to be around, willing to help,” Sallee said.

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Nursing a one-point lead with eight minutes remaining, the Wolverines lined up at the stoplight and proceeded to hit the gas on green. The Big Ten’s Buick, Michigan tailback Vincent Smith, barely made the intersection before he was squashed by a Cadillac Escalade that ran a red. Smith dropped to the turf after meeting Jadeveon Clowney, a mountain of steel who moonlights as the nation’s fiercest pass-rusher and devourer of ball-carriers.

Clowney should’ve been ticketed for indecent exposure, a helmet-to-helmet impact crunch that jarred the football loose and ignited the South Carolina sideline. With Smith sprawled on his back without a lid, Clowney palmed the pigskin to regain possession. Quiet for three quarters and sandwiched by a better-than-expected Michigan offensive line, one of the SEC’s top defenders had enough and broke the rules.

“It sounded like two cars hitting, I promise you. Hardest hit I’ve ever seen in my career,” USC defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said.

Instead of easing to a halt, Clowney gunned it, pedal to Michigan’s backfield. The physical assault was a near instantaneous trend on Twitter and quickly became fodder for bad Sportscenter jokes. It also catapulted Clowney’s mean streak to an entirely different level, one scouts have been salivating to see. The future NFL lottery pick made a name for himself nationally, a shining moment frozen in time at Raymond James Stadium.

College football fans — especially those in the Southeast — knew of him before, but witnessed Clowney’s brutality first-hand in Tampa. It’ll take a few days, weeks maybe, to clean up the wreckage left in No. 7′s wake, just in time for his spring game walk-through.

As a Wolverine supporter said after surveying the scene and heading to the dealership for a new ride: “He’s a bad man.”

And he’s back for another season this fall.

Gulp.

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC’s Co-Special Teamer of the Year used the regular season – the 10th-ranked Gamecocks’ second straight 10-win campaign — to set up the main course, a smorgasbord of pass-catching and return skills in the bowl finale.

His MVP performance in Tuesday’s Outback Bowl was a coming out party of sorts, a tasty three-touchdown afternoon inside Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium highlighted by a nifty 63-yard punt return for a score and a crucial fourth down reception on the game’s final drive in front of family, friends and some 25,000 Gamecock fans.

Inside the final two minutes of South Carolina’s exciting 33-28 victory, Sanders snared a 6-yard catch with a well-timed dive, caught a pass for eight yards to midfield and gave the Gamecocks a first down in Michigan territory with 28 ticks remaining.

Sanders limped off the field before Bruce Ellington’s 32-yard go-ahead score to a loud ovation from the hometown crowd. It seemed fitting that the 5-foot-8 motivator on offense was singled out with his own moment to shine after finishing with a career-high nine catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Sanders’ acrobatic 31-yard score in the back of the end zone with eight minutes to play came just after Jadeveon Clowney made the hit heard ‘round the world on Michigan running back Vincent Smith and recovered a fumble. Clowney violently knocked off Smith’s helmet and the palmed the football to regain possession after the Wolverines had converted a fake punt for a disputed first down the previous play.

Sanders jumped in the air on the Gamecock sideline after the Hendrick Award winner’s hit stick and fastened his chinstrap for another go. Head coach Steve Spurrier went for a quick strike with the momentum and Connor Shaw hit Sanders between defenders.

Gamecock quarterbacks Shaw and Dylan Thompson combined to throw for 341 yards and four touchdowns and each threw passes on the final drive. Spurrier said it was the first time in his coaching career a pair of quarterbacks led his football team down the field to win a game.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever given two quarterbacks a game ball, but today I said: ‘Hey, we’ve got to give them to both you guys,’” Spurrier said.

“Both those young men are just so super team-oriented. There’s no jealousy, nothing. … Those guys are just really, really good teammates. Wonderful team players,” the coach added. “We tried to tell Connor: ‘It’s your game.’ And it was his game, but Dylan was going to play. He understood that. It worked beautifully as it turned out.”

While the Shaw-Thompson battle under center will be an interesting one this spring, Sanders and Clowney have elevated themselves into the preseason Heisman conversation with the country’s top defensive end being a front-runner.

Michigan did a heck of a job bottling up South Carolina’s single-season sack record holder most of the contest but couldn’t keep the beast contained for four quarters. The Wolverines neutralized the Gamecocks’ front four enough to rush for 141 yards, but Michigan’s secondary struggled throughout against Spurrier’s dual passers.

Michigan’s Denard Robinson, a Deerfield, Fla. native, set an NCAA record for career rushing yards for a QB with a 100-yard outing, but it wasn’t enough. Robinson’s 4,495 yards is 15 more than West Virginia’s Pat White.

South Carolina’s second consecutive New Year’s Day bowl victory locks up another 11-win season and effectively re-introduced Sanders to the college football world as an elite playmaker.

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He’s keen on big plays and keeping defenders off balance with a hurry-up attack that stacks up against other elite offenses in terms of talent. There’s a glaring problem with Morris’ stat-happy unit however and Clemson’s defense often suffers the same fate. Being physical is a major weakness and toughness is exactly what will be tested in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve in the Chick-Fil-Bowl against LSU.

Fierce, powerful defensive lines have been Clemson’s Krypronite.

Quarterback Tajh Boyd puts up eye-popping numbers in the passing game against less-than-stellar front fours on a consistent basis, spreading the ball to Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Ellington. But he, along with the rest of Clemson’s playmakers, have been average against SEC competition. Back when Auburn had a pulse in the season-opening kickoff game in Atlanta, Gene Chizik’s squad frustrated Boyd on numerous occasions and limited the All-ACC passer to a touchdown (he now has a conference-leading 34 TD passes) and a pick.

Boyd had trouble escaping pressure from the ends, especially Corey Lemonier, and finished with 58 yards rushing on 19 carries. Ellington provided all the Tigers needed though with a season-high 228-yard performance on the ground. Clemson rushed for 320 yards against Auburn, but that’s not happening against LSU, a team built on stopping the run with Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery filling up holes.

Les Miles’ staff won’t have to look far to devise a way to shut down what the orange Tigers do best. A simple call to Steve Spurrier could be in order. LSU can use four years worth of blueprints from South Carolina defensive coordinators Ellis Johnson and Lorenzo Ward to nullify the uptempo pace. The Gamecocks rarely blitzed during their fourth straight win over Clemson in November, but still put consistent pressure on Boyd.

Without rhythm, spread offenses usually falter and Clemson’s attack is no different.

Boyd was picked off twice and threw for 183 yards against the Gamecocks. He averaged 1.6 yards per carry and was sacked 4.5 times by Jadeveon Clowney. Last season in Columbia, S.C., Boyd was harassed throughout the night and sputtered to a career-worst 11-for-29, 83-yard outing.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers would like to erase anything that’s left of last year’s bowl game, a 70-33 BCS debacle in Miami against West Virginia. Clemson’s ACC Championship season was nearly forgotten after the record-setting embarrassment. LSU doesn’t have the offense to put up Mountaineer numbers, but unless Clemson gets it going early, the game could get ugly quick.

Will Clemson move the football with success against LSU?

Photo Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The Southeastern Conference continues to dominate college football.

Beginning with an LSU win over Clemson on New Year’s Eve and an Alabama beatdown in Miami, it’s certainly feasible that the SEC lands six schools in the AP Poll’s final Top 10 at season’s end, the most ever for a league that has won six straight national championships. With a little help from Wisconsin in the Rose, it could happen.

Looking at end-of-season Top 10 locks, go ahead and throw Notre Dame and Ohio State in the safe pile. The Irish are No. 1, currently unbeaten, and would only fall a spot or two with a loss to Alabama. Ohio State is not postseason eligible, so Urban Meyer will enjoy an unblemished campaign in Year 1 with three wins over ranked teams. Oregon, ranked No. 5 with one loss, won’t fall out of the Top 10 with a loss to Kansas State, but a Wildcat win would effectively keep Bill Snyder’s team within striking distance of the Top 5.

Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Kansas State stay in the Top 10 regardless of what happens in the BCS. This leaves six spots for the SEC. Stanford, currently eighth, would need to lose in Pasadena to the 7-5 Badgers to slip to No. 11 or No. 12.

Florida, Georgia and LSU are all favored as higher-ranked teams. They’re in barring upsets. It gets a little tricky for Texas A&M and South Carolina, representing the West and East Divisions at No. 10 and 11 respectively. The Aggies and Gamecocks must beat ranked opponents in the Cotton and Outback Bowls to move up and Johnny Manziel could the Heisman haze clouding his vision. With victories, each school would be 11-2 fighting with an 11-2 Kansas State (if the Wildcats lose to Oregon in the Fiesta) for a Top 10 bid.

In a simple breakdown, here’s how it needs to shake out to see six SEC teams in the final Top 10 of the AP Poll:

• No. 2 Alabama over No. 1 Notre Dame for the BCS title (‘Bama goes to No. 1, Notre Dame finishes third behind Ohio State)
• No. 4 Florida beats No. 22 Louisville in the Sugar Bowl (Gators stay put or move up to No. 3)
• No. 5 Oregon takes care of No. 7 Kansas State by 2+ TDs (Should be convincing enough to knock Wildcats out of Top 10)
• No. 6 Georgia handles No. 23 Nebraska (Bulldogs a lock with a win)
• Wisconsin upsets No. 8 Stanford (A BCS setback to a five-loss team would be unforgiving for Badgers)
• No. 9 LSU stomps No. 14 Clemson (Defense-first mentality should keep LSU in Top 10 in Atlanta)
• No. 10 Texas A&M over No. 12 Oklahoma (Aggies need to outscore Sooners in this exciting matchup)
• No. 11 South Carolina beats No. 19 Michigan (An SC win — its fifth straight — creates logjam of 11-2 teams)

It comes as no surprise that five of the six SEC teams that could finish in the Top 10 with wins are also ranked in 247sports’ Top 10 incoming recruiting classes. Keeping up in the SEC starts with the players and Alabama, LSU and Florida are consistently dominant on National Signing Day. A bit of a surprise is Texas A&M’s projection at No. 7 for 2013 incoming freshman, a hefty 34-member class headlined by ATH Ricky Seals-Jones, WR Derrick Griffin and DT Justin Manning. Nick Saban is used to hand-picking who he wants from the five-star crop along with LSU’s Les Miles, especially on defense.

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Johnny Football’s a household name at this point, arguably college football’s most recognizable player post-Alabama. But remember the quarterback battle during August in College Station? Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin and then-offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury presented equal opportunity to four underclassmen passers hoping to win the job and pressure opposing defenses in their first SEC season. Sophomores Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel were interchangeable in the pass-happy spread along with freshmen Matt Davis and Johnny Manziel.

Conference homers and southern football enthusiasts across the board underestimated the Aggies’ strength in Year 1 and in no way envisioned a redshirt frosh from Kerrville, Texas securing the spot in the shotgun and the Heisman Trophy.

It was relatively easy for Manziel in September carving up SMU, South Carolina State and Arkansas after an opening loss to Florida. His six-touchdown performance at Louisiana Tech was the coming out party before several Heisman ‘moments’ at Bryant-Denny. Manziel’s a marked man after bringing home the bronze hardware heading into the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 4. against Big XII rival Oklahoma, a program in need of an impact victory.

The Sooners’ lack of success on the big stage since winning the national title in 2000 under Bob Stoops is well-documented. Prior to 2010′s Fiesta Bowl win over UConn, Oklahoma had lost five consecutive meaningful bowl games played on Jan. 1 or later. Two were BCS losses after a Sooner won the Heisman (Jason White, 2003; Sam Bradford, 2008).

Oklahoma senior QB Landry Jones has thrown 122 career touchdown passes but the Sooners’ defense has taken a step back in recent seasons. Oklahoma ranks 43rd in scoring defense (24.2 PPG) and 44th in total defense (378.5 YPG). Texas A&M’s numbers on that side of the ball are similar, but few games for the Aggies have come down to the defense needing stops.

Both programs, seeking win No. 11, want to win the Cotton Bowl but Oklahoma needs to win. Texas A&M is still getting used to the Top 10 ranking and national notoriety. Before Sumlin’s arrival, the Aggies won 25 games out of 50 in four seasons under Mike Sherman. A&M’s last 11-win season came in 1998 and since 1990, the Aggies have lost 12-of-15 bowl games. Manziel could very well put together a five-touchdown, 400-plus yard outing against the defenseless Sooners, but Oklahoma understands the complexities involved with major bowl games while the Aggies, a relative up-and-comer, do not.

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Ten wins during the 1984 “Black Magic” season under Joe Morrison was as good as it got other than an ACC Championship 15 years prior. In 2010, under the direction of fab freshman Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina won its first-ever SEC East crown but couldn’t crack double-digit wins with losses to Auburn and Florida State in the final two games.

The futile postseason past seemed to reverse course in Orlando at the Capital One Bowl last January. Head coach Steve Spurrier danced a jig following his post-game Gatorade bath against Nebraska and grabbed a mic to thank fans who made the trip and witnessed history. The players received special rings commemorating the record-setting performance and the campaign was etched in Gamecock lore as one of the best season in the program’s 119-year lifespan.

It’s difficult to recreate that sense of worth experienced in Orlando and unless you’re from the Palmetto State — or consider BCS games as the only bowls that ‘matter’ — you might not feel the impact of what’s happening again.

Call it garnet and black deja vu.

Central Florida has been home to three of the Gamecocks’ five all-time bowl wins and could host another monumental victory on Jan. 1 should South Carolina beat Michigan in the Outback. A win would likely lock the Gamecocks into next season’s preseason Top 10 and would slide the program into a final 10 spot in this year’s AP poll for the second straight season.

For his efforts in transforming the Gamecocks from non-factor to force in the SEC East, Spurrier recently signed a two-year contract extension through 2017. Four straight wins over Clemson — by some fans’ estimation Spurrier’s greatest feat — certainly sped up the agreement. As someone succinctly greeted me after practice, “these are the golden years of South Carolina football.”

The historically-mediocre and inconsistent program has been on the rise since Lattimore signed the dotted line has produced a school-record 30 wins over that three-year span. Back-to-back Top 10 losses to Florida and LSU in October this fall ultimately deflated what some thought could be a BCS year, but another 11-win season ending with a win in Tampa would be one of high merit and keeps the Gamecocks in the forefront of the SEC’s elite heading into next fall.

This year’s senior class is the most successful in school history and will go out with a bang says safety DJ Swearinger. Several key components of the 2010 East Division Champion team are playing their final games including center TJ Johnson, tailback Kenny Miles and defensive end Devin Taylor. Junior quarterback Connor Shaw is back and will start after re-aggravating a shoulder in the home finale against Wofford. Dylan Thompson (910 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT), Shaw’s replacement against Clemson, carved up the Tigers in Death Valley and should also play in the first half.

For those that thought it couldn’t get any better than 2011 for the Gamecocks, it has. Another New Year’s Day bowl victory and final spot in the polls alongside the nation’s elite brings “why not us” to another level for next season.

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