It’s now officially the offseason in the SDS Mailbag. A couple of the questions this week were all-time great offseason mode questions, and we’ll get to those in a bit.

But, as we transition into the heart of basketball season (and look ahead to baseball season), there are still some lingering football thoughts on your mind.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the questions for this week’s Mailbag:

@JhypenM65:

Which sport is No. 4 in SEC fans’ minds after football, football recruiting and spring football?

Well, I think that depends on the school. I think it’s pretty safe to agree with you that all SEC fans love their football and everything that goes with it, but the next sport in line varies by where you look.

Schools like Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee obviously love men’s basketball, while schools like Tennessee, South Carolina and Mississippi State also love their women’s basketball squads. Then, there’s baseball, which Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, LSU and others root for passionately.

And, let’s not forget how great the SEC is in gymnastics. Eight SEC gymnastics teams are  in the top 25. That’s pretty solid.

Basically, it’s a great time to be an SEC fan, in general, unless you’re a Mizzou fan (sad face). But hey, at least my Tigers won a national championship in eSports in 2019!

@MCreech1971:

Does Will Muschamp get fired before the 2020 season is over?

The Gamecocks had a rough 2019 season, finishing 4-8. However, entering the season, many thought South Carolina had the toughest schedule in the country. No, South Carolina didn’t live up to expectations, but Muschamp was given a pass (his large buyout might have played a part in that, too).

This year, though, Muschamp will be on a much hotter seat. And, in bad news for the Gamecocks, the schedule doesn’t get much easier. I have a hard time finding more than 6 wins on this schedule.

And, in more bad news, the schedule is backloaded. I don’t think Muschamp could survive a 4-0 start only to finish 6-6. But their last 4 games this fall are vs. Georgia, at LSU, vs. Wofford and at Clemson. That looks like a 1-3 finish to the season.

Muschamp is going to need to pull off another big upset in one of those games (perhaps against Georgia, a team the Gamecocks beat in 2019?) to keep his job into 2021.

@MichaelJtr8:

With Mr. Peanut’s untimely death this week, which commercial mascot do you think is the next to go? I understand it’s a dark subject, but death is a part of life and by talking about it, we help to normalize it.

Well, I don’t know how “untimely” his death was, to be fair. He was 104 years old. (And, apparently, we’ll be able to watch his funeral during the 3d quarter of the Super Bowl? Bizarre.) That seems like a really great life for a wealthy legume.

As far as the next commercial mascot to die, how about the Geico Gecko? After some brief internet sleuthing, I discovered that the gecko first appeared in an ad in 1999. Average geckos live to be between 10 and 20 years old, and the Geico Gecko is now either 20 or 21 (cheers!) years of age. That makes him quite old.

Sticking with insurance mascots, The General seems pretty old, too, doesn’t he? I’m not so sure he has many years left before forced retirement.

@HReside:

I would welcome getting punched by Gritty. Which SEC mascot would you choose to beat you up and why?

In case you missed the story, Gritty, who is the Philadelphia Flyers beloved-but-strange mascot, allegedly punched a 13-year-old boy in the back in November. Bizarre story, but that’s Philly for you.

If I had to choose an SEC mascot to beat me up, I’d probably go with Reveille of Texas A&M. As someone who grew up with labs and has a very energetic corgi, getting trampled by dogs can certainly hurt, and they have sharp teeth and claws, but it’s just so adorable you can’t stay mad at them.

I mean, just look at this little killing machine I live with now:

So, yeah, if I was going to get beaten up by a mascot, I’d want it to be a dog like Reveille.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.