USC takes on top-ranked Alabama in pivotal conference showdown
He gets that it is about the opponent in this one.
"We're part of the Alabama show this week, but that's OK," Spurrier said.
The reason tomorrow's clash between the No. 19 Gamecocks and the defending national champion and No. 1 Alabama will be broadcast to a national audience on CBS and featured on "College GameDay" is because the defending national champions are involved.
"Alabama is the national team now," Spurrier said. "The TV guys that get first choice, they follow them around now."
If USC was hosting one of the 118 other teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the hoopla wouldn't be hitting Columbia. But, Alabama is the show rolling into town, so accordingly, the attention follows. While the vast majority of it will be focused on Alabama, don't expect Spurrier and his team to be disappointed or to perceive slights and take offense. They understand no matter how partial or insignificant some may see their role in the "show," they are nonetheless still part of the show.
Besides, as long as you are part of the show, you've got a shot to steal the show.
For USC to do that, it will have to accomplish something never before done: defeat a top-ranked team. It is an achievement USC has grasped at, but has yet to reach.
"The opportunity's there," Spurrier said. "I think it's been there before, and we haven't quite done it."
Carolina is 0-4 in its history against No. 1 teams. The most recent, and possibly most painful, instance came last fall at home against defending national champion Florida.
Having cut an early 10-point deficit to three, USC was driving deep into UF territory and faced a 3rd-and-3 from the Gator 21-yard line to start the fourth quarter, trailing 17-14.
Well within kicker Spencer Lanning's range, USC could have played for the field goal and tied the game at 17. But, the Gamecocks had all the momentum, and there seemed to be an air of inevitability in the ballpark that USC would find the end zone and take a 21-17 lead.
Spurrier opted to go for the latter approach. Stephen Garcia dropped back to pass and looked towards his first option, Jason Barnes on the right side. Barnes wasn't open, so the then-redshirt sophomore moved across the field and checked down to Moe Brown on the left.
Brown wasn't looking though. Garcia's pass hit Brown and was deflected into the air, where it was snatched by Florida's Justin Trattou. The defensive end rumbled 53 yards the other way, with Gamecocks frantically chasing after him, getting to the USC 25-yard line.
Moments later, UF quarterback Tim Tebow would plunge over the goal line to put the game on ice, 24-14. The shot at the historic upset had evaporated in seconds.
"We try not to give a team anything, but for some reason here, Carolina in these past couple of years, it seems like we've just given teams points," Lanning said. "These big teams, you can't give them any crack of daylight, because they're just going to take it and use it against you."
This time around, USC is determined to not give the Tide much, if anything, to build an attack on. There is no reason to, because it's already hard enough to beat Alabama when things are going well.
"They look to be the best team in the nation. Whether we can beat them or not, it will be a difficult task," Spurrier said. "We'd have to get a bunch of breaks, this, that and the other. But sometimes that happens in football."
To become the first team to pull off a regular season upset of the nation's top-ranked squad since No. 6 Texas Tech stunned No. 1 Texas 39-33 on Michael Crabtree's famed sideline catch and touchdown run as time expired on Nov. 1, 2008, Carolina will have to find a way to stop a team that has won 19 consecutive games overall, nine in a row on the road or a neutral site and 18 straight in regular season league play.
"I guess what's most impressive is that they have won so many games. They have some close games now and then, and they've managed to pull all those out," Spurrier said. "I know the Auburn game at the end of last year was close for a while and they pulled that out, and obviously the Arkansas game this year. Arkansas had a chance; they were in position. Alabama got a couple of turnovers in the fourth quarter, ran the ball well to win that game.
"They haven't really just steamrolled everyone; they've had the ability to win their close games throughout this entire stretch. As you know Tennessee was kicking a field goal to try and win it last year and they blocked it. They've done whatever was necessary to win the game."
The Gamecocks know they face a tremendous challenge against the Tide. It's a challenge they take on with vigor though, because the potential reward is a program-defining win.
"Coach Spurrier said we've got a chance to make history," cornerback Stephon Gilmore said. "They're the No. 1 ranked team in the country, so we've got to be ready for a fight."
As it pursues history, the Gamecocks have the benefit if having seen two sets of peers conquer their own in recent memory. It was only several weeks ago that the baseball Gamecocks were the ensemble cast for the Arizona State show, and mere months since the Carolina men's basketball team served as understudies for the Kentucky show.
En route to its historic College World Series championship this summer in Omaha, Neb., the baseball team ran into the No. 1 Sun Devils in the first of four elimination games the Gamecocks survived, winning 11-4.
Prior to that, back in January the undefeated No. 1 Kentucky basketball team traveled to Colonial Life Arena the toast of the nation and received a pregame phone call from President Obama several hours before tipoff. The leader of the free world asked the 19-0 Wildcats who they had next. UK responded that they were about to play USC that night. Obama told them they'd have no problems getting to 20-0.
Those same Wildcats left Columbia by climbing through a mass of humanity on the hardwood jumping in unison to overplayed techno music with a 68-62 loss in hand.
"Everyone wants to see No. 1 – that's something about No. 1," Spurrier said. "I think that's what made our basketball victory over Kentucky so special. If they had been No. 2, it wouldn't have been that big a deal."
The dual wins in the same calendar year by the two teams haven't gone unnoticed to the football players, either. In fact, they'd like to make it a trifecta.
"We would like to do the same thing," defensive back D.J. Swearinger said. "That would be a big accomplishment for us to do that too."
Added senior linebacker Dion LeCorn: "Everyone's doing it, so we know there's a chance we can do it."
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Chris Culliver likely hasn't had the start to his senior season he envisioned. Unable to play in the season opener due to eligibility issues, Culliver has struggled since returning to the lineup and picked up two personal foul penalties against Auburn, leading to defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward to announce with one more 15-yarder, Culliver will be forced to the bench.
Earlier this week, Culliver apologized to his teammates for the penalties. That wasn't the only time he spoke to the squad though. The Garner, N.C., native also called a team meeting to ensure that USC has its head in the right place going forward against the Tide.
"He just got the guys together and let them know that we can beat this team," defensive end Cliff Matthews said. "The only thing stopping us from beating them is ourselves."
Carolina's odds this weekend are long. Even the Gamecocks would admit that. But USC isn't going to be caught dwelling on negatives, for it has a chance, and that's all it wants.
"Anytime you do have a chance and upset a No. 1 team in the nation, that's sort of a history-maker right there," Spurrier said.
The Gamecocks hope the fifth time will be the charm and, at long last, they'll finally get to make said history.