USC to face off against No. 18 Michigan Wolverines Jan. 1
Four years after getting routed in the Outback Bowl, the Gamecocks will return to Tampa, Fla. with a chance to redeem themselves against Michigan.
No. 11 South Carolina earned the bid after finishing the regular season 10-2 for the second straight year.
“At that time, 7-5 got us into the Outback Bowl, and we sort of stunk it up,” Spurrier said. “Hopefully we’re a different team. I really believe we’re a completely different team than we were four years ago.”
The Gamecocks have played in the Outback Bowl three times in their history, defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes in both 2001 and 2002.
In 2009, USC fell behind 31-0 after three quarters against Iowa before scoring a touchdown and a field goal in the final 15 minutes.
“We thought we were ready to play, and obviously I did a very poor job getting our team ready to play,” Spurrier said.
Since that loss, South Carolina has a combined record of 30-9. It was one of six Southeastern Conference teams that finished the season with at least 10 wins this year. First-year athletic director Ray Tanner said the strength of the conference made the bowl selection process much more complex.
“I’m not completely sure about everything that went into it and how some other schools feel,” Tanner said. “But I think it ended up very well for the Southeastern Conference.”
With its win in the SEC Championship on Saturday, No. 2 Alabama clinched a trip to the BCS National Championship, where it will face undefeated Notre Dame. Georgia, which dropped to No. 6 after its loss to the Crimson Tide, will play Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl.
No. 4 Florida earned an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl, while No. 10 Texas A&M will take on Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. No. 9 LSU will meet Clemson in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
Tanner said he’d had an eventful afternoon, spending time on the phone with “different people” in the SEC office to ensure the best bid possible for South Carolina.
He added that although there were rumors about the Gamecocks going to other bowls, including the Cotton Bowl and the Gator Bowl, there was never a point where they thought they were headed to another game.
“I wasn’t sure what was the correct protocol,” the first-time athletic director said. “Being the rookie, you can get away a little bit with not knowing the protocol.”
Tanner said that although the Gamecocks did not play well in their last Outback Bowl appearance, and ticket sales were not strong, the university did not have to make any special deals to secure a bid.
As Spurrier compared this year’s team with his 2009 squad, he said one major difference was the leadership of the seniors; he mentioned safety D.J. Swearinger, linebacker Shaq Wilson and center T.J. Johnson.
“Most of us are ready to get back to practice right now,” Wilson said.
Spurrier has led the Gamecocks to six bowl appearances, with a record of 2-4 in those games. He has never won an Outback Bowl in his career.
“A little bit selfishly, I’d like to be able to say I won an Outback Bowl,” Spurrier said. “This might be my last chance, I don’t know.”