HOOVER, Ala. – The question was about the perceived advantage of the open date on South Carolina’s schedule before the Gamecocks’ Nov. 10 game against Arkansas. But South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier veered in a different direction with the answer.
“You think I make the schedule?” Spurrier said from the podium at SEC Media Days. “If I made the schedule, Georgia would be playing LSU, and we’d be playing Ole Miss.”
The schedule says otherwise, of course — South Carolina at LSU on Oct. 13 and Georgia vs. Ole Miss in Athens on Nov. 3.
Spurrier didn’t make more of the issue, quickly moving on by saying: “Not complaining about that other part I mentioned there.”
But he had made the point, not for the first time, that South Carolina’s cross-division schedule is more imposing than Georgia’s. Last month, at the SEC meetings in Destin, Fla., Spurrier proposed that such schedule inequities be remedied by counting only intra-division games in determining the SEC East and West champions. That proposal went nowhere.
Georgia this season draws SEC West opponents Ole Miss and Auburn (a combined 4-12 in league play last season), while South Carolina draws Arkansas and LSU (a combined 14-2 in the league last season). The Gamecocks have lost to Arkansas each of the past three seasons and five of the past six.
FULL AJC COVERAGE FROM DAY 1 OF SEC MEDIA DAYS:
368 comments Add your comment
GaStateBen
July 18th, 2012
10:28 am
Dawgs playing GSU south to help prepare for GT? That sounds like respect (fear) for that high school offense.
schmeckdawg
July 18th, 2012
10:28 am
Do you know what difference is between Spermier and a puupy? The puppy quits whining after about 4 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!
gainesvilleredelephantneck
July 18th, 2012
10:42 am
Is it just me, or does anyone else see a resemblance between spurrier and the turtleman? Live action!
MS Bully
July 18th, 2012
10:47 am
Georgia would be in the middle of the pack in the SEC West. They will win the SEC LEast.
gomdawg
July 18th, 2012
10:47 am
Spurrier, all he ever does is run his mouth, the BEST Team won the East last year GET OVER IT
Heavyweight
July 18th, 2012
10:51 am
Lets look at the heavyweights thr dawgs have/are playing in the past few years –sure to scare any team–Buffalo,Florida Atlantic,Idaho State,New Mexico State,Coastal Carolina,Central Michigan,Lousiana Lafayette, Lousiana Monroe, their football budgets ombined wouldn’t equal one year of UGA’s. Oh and always scedule the fearsome kentucky, and Vanderbilt ! that’s why UGA gets no respect
GTFan
July 18th, 2012
10:52 am
UGA has the easiest schedule in the SEC, that’s a fact! I wouldn’t want that schedule. And, I am so sick and tired of both UGA and GT acting like that our rivarly game is the biggest game of the whole darn season. WHO CARES!!!!
dtanner
July 18th, 2012
10:53 am
fat boy grantham’s D would’nt look so hot if they actually played somebody,see LSU game last year
PTC DAWG
July 18th, 2012
10:56 am
But what about the AU game? LOL
WhinyVisor
July 18th, 2012
10:56 am
Whaaaa!!! Darth Visor needs to worry about things he can control and quit whining about everyone and everything! The cranky old fart just needs to retire or go into politics!
John
July 18th, 2012
11:02 am
Spurrier should have said it is easier to win the National Championship than the SEC WEST. The East is an afterthought, and the reason South Carolina is relevant at all.
ACE
July 18th, 2012
11:02 am
I heard that Spurrier let St Richt try on his championship ring, so he could see how it felt to win something.
ACE
July 18th, 2012
11:04 am
@dtanner-Don’t point out the obvious. Dawgs fans don’t like that
DawgInMontgy
July 18th, 2012
11:17 am
who WOULDN’T rather have UGA’s schedule. Is this newsworthy?
DL
July 18th, 2012
11:18 am
SO tired of Spurrier complaining about, picking on, making fun of, etc….UGA. Obsessed much? Get over it already.
bham dawg
July 18th, 2012
11:18 am
@Heavyweight… you are telling me we schedule teams in our own division? no way man… Get a damn clue. 5 years ago the East was the division dominating. It’s all cyclical and it will swing back. Also, I am glad you included Louisiana Monroe bc the mighty tide got it handed to them in Ttown by this cupcake.
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
11:23 am
The ole ball coach is just stating the obvious. Why is everyone jumping on him? He’s done a great job at USC – certainly better than I expected. If he beats the Dawgs this year, and I think he will, I think he’ll win the east. I see UGA losing to Mizzou, USC and UF at least. Possibly AU as well.
ARdawg
July 18th, 2012
11:31 am
MS Bully is smoking crack
bham dawg
July 18th, 2012
11:32 am
GATiger… so you are saying we lose at least 3 games? Mizzou is in for a rude awakening especially if the rumblings about to “suspensions” are true.
ARdawg
July 18th, 2012
11:34 am
GATiger
Your wish list has nothing to do with reality. OBC has coached only slightly better than did Holtz. One embarrassing showing in the SEC title game hardly equates to a good job at SC. Idiot
Pitbull
July 18th, 2012
11:35 am
Old Miss – are you taking notes? Got your bulletin board ready?
Seteve Spurrier and South Carolina just dissed you.
globeflyer
July 18th, 2012
11:41 am
@Lowcountry Bulldawg……. you forgot the last part of your “quote”…….”and NC’s are much more frequent.”
Fats
July 18th, 2012
11:45 am
Spurrier is good at getting teams off their focus. He may win again against UGA this year if we listent to his” tricks”:)
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
11:48 am
bham dawg, I am saying that because I’m not impressed with your offensive line or your defense, especially considering the offenses you faced last year, including ours, which was slightly better than mediocre. Mizzou’s offense will be a challenge for the Dawgs, with or without Rambo. I think the Gators will be significantly improved, as will Auburn. As for USC, I don’t think that game will be close, especially if Lattimore is 100%
Spike 80DF
July 18th, 2012
11:52 am
Gators significantly improved? New QB and new OC but “significantly improved”……good luck.
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
11:54 am
ARdawg, I stated an opinion. No need to show your ass by resorting to name calling. Spurrier has had a tougher time recruiting at USC. The talent base is much smaller than in GA or FL. Given that, I think he’s got it going. That’s not idiotic.
Now, hoping my second year DC becomes my HC, or giving him a big raise after one marginally successful season – that’s idiotic.
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
11:57 am
Spike, Muschamp is a helluva young coach and a winner, in my opinion. That’s what I’m basing my expectation on.
bham dawg
July 18th, 2012
11:58 am
@GATiger… yea we never play USC close. Hard to be impressed with an offensive line you have never seen so I will hold off on my opinion of them until after a few games but i agree this is probably our weakest link right now. As for the defense… You must know nothing about football. We have argueably the best linebacking corp in the entire country. Espn just ranked that unit best of the SEC and if its the best in the conference it will be hard to find a better one outside the SEC. The defensive line is stacked and our starting secondary is scary. 45-7
GATA
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
12:07 pm
bham dawg, I know a fair amount about football, and I’m still not impressed with your defense, regardless of what ESPN might say. They also had your defense ranked 9th best in football last season, but that didn’t take into account the offensive competition. As for your secondary, I still have vivid memories of Alfred Blue sprinting past Boykin and Rambo, while neither of them even tried to bring him down.
If I were you I wouldn’t base my expectations too much on the geniuses at ESPN. Their research consists of little more than reading stats and viewing highlight reels.
ARdawg
July 18th, 2012
12:13 pm
GATiger
I’m not the one showing my ass here fell’a. That would be you making asinine pie in the sky statements. You come on a UGA blog shooting off predictions that are as lame as most of these GT trolls. OBC is still a pricht yet he continues to recruit. He gets the players, don’t think for a minute he doesn’t. FL and TN will be much improved as should be UGA. You barners have nothing in the offing. Maybe, perhaps you have an improved defense but, don’t count on it in BVG 1st year. He’s good, he’s not special. Why do you think he’s made a half dozen moves in the last 7-8 years. It isn’t success
bham dawg
July 18th, 2012
12:19 pm
GATiger… not basing anything on ESPN i can draw my own conclusions. Just giving you supporting evidence that the world wide leader in sports agrees with what im saying. If you want to talk about terrible defenses all you got to do is look at your team. Second to last in the SEC in defense last year.
dap01
July 18th, 2012
12:31 pm
This is one stupid article. Is this all that needs to be discussed? Did anyone ask CMR if he would rather have SC’s schedule 5 years ago when UGA’s schedule was the hardest in the nation? Was an article written about it?
Jim Harrick
July 18th, 2012
12:32 pm
1980 was a long long time ago. I understand the Hate for Spurrier 18 out of 21 has to get old.
bham dawg
July 18th, 2012
12:38 pm
@Jim Harrick… if you are gonna bring remarks like that at least get them right. Its 17-21 and considering spurrier left florida in ‘01 you’re just dumb.
Dawg Tired
July 18th, 2012
12:39 pm
Add this to the headline: “Spurrier would rather have UGA’s stadium” or “Spurrier would rather have UGA’s players” or “Spurrier would rather have UGA’s uniforms or “Spurrier would rather have UGA’s campus.” Need I go on?
Jim Harrick
July 18th, 2012
12:50 pm
Bham dog, yes he left in December 2001, I guess losing to Ron Zook to ruin an undefeated season makes you feel better. If Crowell had Terrance Edward’s hands those guns would have never made it into the car. Go watch highlights of the 1980 Sugar Bowl where the Bi Polar running back dominates, you’ll feel better….
Coaches’ sideline behavior a ‘point of emphasis’ for SEC officials | UGA sports blog
July 18th, 2012
12:55 pm
[...] South Carolina’s Spurrier prefers UGA’s schedule [...]
ct
July 18th, 2012
12:57 pm
you know what im tired of all u punk bama fans yall dont have nothing to do but sit on a cpu allday and talk like u on the field doing work do us all a favor and shut up if u going to root for your team do it but yall have to much time on ya hands in that state to be on the ajc smh lol yall are sore losers anyway the only school i know dat wen they lose wanna go and poison oak trees i wonder whats next because yall not goin to win this year
MT
July 18th, 2012
1:00 pm
17of 21 and the Gators still trail in the overall series 48-40-2.
Mississippi State: Ole Miss is one thing, rest of the West another | UGA sports blog
July 18th, 2012
1:14 pm
[...] South Carolina’s Spurrier prefers UGA’s schedule [...]
MT
July 18th, 2012
1:14 pm
2008 Georgia team played Alabama,LSU,Fla,Ariz. ST,Tenn,Auburn,USCe,GT
was ranked the toughest in the country that year.
Coach Franklin
July 18th, 2012
1:18 pm
Hey Steve, you should focus on your own schedule because we are ready to get your season off to a losing start.
Dawg '88
July 18th, 2012
2:10 pm
What does he gain out of this stupid argument? It will not change anything…if anything it looks as though he is making excuses for SCU’s impending
failure to win the East because of his schedule.
Hell….if he would just beaten Auburn last year (at home no less) then they win the East. The Dawgs trashed them 45-7 and yet his team lays an egg vs an
inferior team at home.
Plus, if he had been the genius everyone thinks he is then why
didn’t he let his more talented backup QB play instead of Garcia.
His inept decision to hitch his wagon to Garcia and the lack of being
prepared vs Auburn cost him the Division title…not the damn
schedule.
Plus, in ‘08, SOS wasn’t too concerned with UGA’s schedule when the Dawgs played both LSU and Alabama. Today he’s enamored with our
schedule. He can pound sand.
Whiny/childish Idiot!
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
2:13 pm
Gentlemen, the “tiger” in my screen name refers to LSU, not Auburn. Our defense was pretty fair last year and I expect it will be again this year. BTW, I have a daughter at UGA, so I have more than a passing interest in your team. I’ve watched UGA almost as much as LSU, and attended more games in Athens (2) last year than in BR (1). Next to LSU, the Dawgs are my favorite team. I just don’t get why the administration at UGA makes the decisions they make. The Dawg should be an elite program annually, and they haven’t been for some time.
Dawg '88
July 18th, 2012
2:14 pm
BTW…he also insulted Ole Miss here as well by saying:
““If I made the schedule, Georgia would be playing LSU, and we’d be playing Ole Miss.”
Everytime he speaks he insults someone and yet the fishwrapper reporters love him and fans of the team he coaches love him. Sad. Glad we have CMR so we can see what class is.
Joe Young
July 18th, 2012
2:37 pm
the bama fans are like roaches..never heard a word when LSU went into there back yard and beat them. why where they soooo quiet back then. and lets not talk about cupcakes on the schedule. cause baker saban has had alot of those lately
Dawg '88
July 18th, 2012
2:40 pm
GAtiger: Georgia hasn’t “been elite for some time”?
What does that mean?
Lets see the 10 years the following has happened:
Overall Record : 98-34 SEC Record: 55-25
5 SEC East Championships (3 2nd place finishes)
7 NY Day Bowls (3 BCS Games)
2 SEC Championships
6 Top 10 finishes (2 Top 3 Finishes and 4 Top 6 Finishes)
7 Ten Win Seasons
2-2 Record vs Les Miles at LSU including laying 52 points on the Tigers at LSU in 2008
2011 SEC EAST CHAMPIONS….Yeah its been awhile since Georgia did well in the SEC or Nationally.
But don’t let facts get in the way.
GATiger
July 18th, 2012
3:55 pm
OK, Dawg ‘88, so you see UGA as an elite program. Not going to argue. I just see more potential than the bunch currently running things can realize.
Charles
July 18th, 2012
5:05 pm
Guess Spurrier wont be whining next year when Alabama and LSU roll onto Georgias schedule
john
July 18th, 2012
5:26 pm
and zero national titles dog 88. all i see is bama this and bama that. bottom line is saban is dominating this conference and all u poons are way wayyyy wayyyyyy too jealous. sucks to suck. 14 and counting