Corso, Fowler, Pollack say USC could be in for big season
ESPN’s College GameDay analysts met with the media on Friday afternoon to talk about South Carolina taking on Georgia in the highest-ranked meeting of the teams.
Lee Corso:
— “I promised (USC coach Steve Spurrier) that if he won the SEC, I’d crawl across the field on my hands and knees and kiss his ring. Man, when they played in the title game two years ago, boy was I pulling for Auburn. He’s got a good chance (to win the SEC Championship) this year. He’s got the best chance he’s ever had here. I don’t think the SEC West is that strong and I think he’s got a strong team, too.”
Chris Fowler:
— “I think these are the best of times for this program. In terms of the top end and the consistency, I mean I think [Spurrier] has done better here than most people expected ... I think what most of us thought was possible here has been exceeded in the last few years. This year’s a big step, and I think this game’s a big step.”
— “I think [Spurrier] gets a kick out of having his program in the national spotlight. He always got a kick out of it when we made our frequent visits to Gainesville. He makes a big deal when GameDay is here.”
— “The East is there to be won and the pieces are in place. You’ve got to keep (tailback Marcus) Lattimore healthy, (quarterback Connor) Shaw looks like he’s come up a notch and you’ve got a defense stocked with NFL talent, so it’s just a matter of stepping up and winning games. It’s going to come down to a couple of plays because we know how thin the margin of error is in the SEC.”
David Pollack:
— “I think Connor (Shaw) is a really good run quarterback, but I still think he has a lot to prove through the air.”
— “I think it’s interesting to look at the evolution of Spurrier’s offense from the ‘Fun N’ Gun’ to the ‘Ground N’ Pound.’”
— On USC defensive end Jadeveon Clowney: “It’s hard to put freaks in a category, and I mean that in a positive way — just genetic freaks that come in and are that big so early and can run like that. You see him pick No. 7 and I think it gives you a good indication about these guys who think they’re receivers and can move like receivers. I don’t know about comparison, but just natural strength and extreme suddenness, there’s not a lot of times when you look at a guy and say, ‘That guy’s is a first-rounder.’ But then, there’s not many times when you go, ‘That guy’s a No. 1 overall pick.’ That’s the kind of talent he has.”