Maybe it preceded a big corporate presentation or a final exam in college, but we’ve all been there.

You remember that time you slept two hours at most, chugged a pot of coffee or your favorite caffeinated beverage, powered through the performance and then experienced an unavoidable crash?

That’s South Carolina right now. After three consecutive 11-win seasons, the Gamecocks went from SEC title contenders pre-2014 to barely clawing into a bowl game.

RELATED: Best-case scenario — Spurrier feels rejuvenated after 10-win season

Now the team is left to wonder if all that success was the equivalent of a caffeine-induced mirage, temporarily coaxed by once-in-a-generation talents like Jadeveon Clowney and Connor Shaw descending upon Columbia, S.C. at the same time. And now that the crash has happened, will coach Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks recover, or will the program head straight for a long nap?

WHAT THE MAGAZINES ARE SAYING

ESPN: “Steve Spurrier insists he is re-energized, but the Head Ball Coach has his work cut out if he’s going to get South Carolina back to double-digit victories.”

Lindy’s Sports: “The defense has been rebuilt under new co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, but there doesn’t appear to be enough game-changers on the roster for the Gamecocks to mount a serious challenge in the East.”

The Sporting News: “In the hard-to-handicap SEC East, South Carolina looks like a mid-pack entry. Since the defense should be better, the Gamecocks will again win more than they lose, but not enough to propel them to the top of the division.”

Athlon Sports: “South Carolina opened spring practice with a sense of urgency that may have been lacking last season. … The Gamecocks will be breaking in a new quarterback and rebuilding a defense that lost its morale along with a lot of games last year.”

Phil Steele: “I am not ready to call for a return to the 11 win seasons of ’11-’13 but with a stronger defense they figure to be an under-the-radar team in 2015.”

BEST PLAYERS

  • WR Pharoh Cooper
  • OT Brandon Shell
  • RB David Williams
  • LB Skai Moore
  • LB Jonathan Walton
  • DE Marquavius Lewis

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • South Carolina averaged just one sack per SEC game in ’14 (per ESPN), just one more way to categorize the team’s futile efforts to generate a pass rush last season. All told, the team signed seven new defensive linemen to try to fix the problem.
  • Speaking of the defense, three times the Gamecocks blew a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter last season, as ESPN pointed out.
  • New co-coordinator Jon Hoke will institute a base 4-3 defense, temporarily discarding the 4-2-5 scheme. Against spread offenses, though, “Spur” turned safety T.J. Gurley will serve as the nickel back. Other position changes include “Spur” Jordan Diggs moving to safety and Bryson Allen-Williams returning to strong-side linebacker.
  • Only six offensive linemen were healthy enough to practice this spring, and none of them were true tackles. Brandon Shell (shoulder) and Mike Matulis (knee) both sat out while recovering from major surgery. With an inexperienced starting quarterback, it’s a good bet that opposing defenses will send a ton of pressure, so it’s important that South Carolina returns to health along the line.
  • Diminutive kicker Elliott Fry is exceedingly accurate inside of 40 yards (90.9 percent). But he’s made just 12-of-21 from longer than 40 yards in the last two years, according to Lindy’s Sports. (The magazine also mistakenly listed the 156-pound Fry as 198 pounds. The dude may not weigh 156 stuffing his pockets with lead.)

BIGGEST AGREEMENT

Here’s something on which everyone can agree: the team’s defense is bound to get much better in 2015.

Thanks to a little desperation on the part of Spurrier, who could decide to retire after any given season, the Gamecocks made a frantic effort to upgrade the defensive line and the secondary. Those positions should be loaded with capable transfers in the starting lineup.

Former Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and safety Isaiah Johnson (Kansas) and JUCO defensive end Marquavius Lewis could be the team’s best players at the first and third levels of the defense.

But I’m most excited about the linebackers. Jonathan Walton became a playmaker in the bowl game, and has the potential to be one of the SEC East’s most disruptive players. Skai Moore also is rangy and athletic and should lead the team in tackles again.

Speaking of tackles, surely this unit will do a better job of making them when they’re in position this fall, because last year’s efforts in the open field were ugly. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that this unit gets better at all three levels.

BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT

The magazines all are instantly discounting the Gamecocks as a contender in the SEC East, and as I’ve written before, I think that’s a mistake.

There’s no chance South Carolina should be favored to win, or even ranked in the top two in the division by anyone during the preseason. But beyond Georgia, the obvious pick, is there any East Division program that’s clearly better than the Gamecocks as of today?

Missouri lost half its starting defensive line in the last month, and has played two nailbiters with South Carolina in the last two seasons. Tennessee is an injury or two away from major trouble this fall due to a lack of depth. Florida’s list of minor-to-moderate concerns is so long that it’s naive to consider the Gators a contender this year.

Considering Spurrier owns coach Mark Richt and Georgia, and pulled off a huge upset against the Bulldogs last year, I can’t discount the HBC and his team in ’15.

If the surrounding players can do enough to support Pharoh Cooper, David Williams and Brandon Wilds on offense, and the defense performs as expected, South Carolina just needs a little luck in what should be a lot of close SEC East games.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Biggest Remaining Question: Whether it’s Connor Mitch or Lorenzo Nunez, how well will the quarterback perform?
Consensus Projection: 5th place, SEC East
Impact Newcomers: DE Marquavius Lewis, S Isaiah Johnson