Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Spurrier's finest season as coach comes by embracing what he hates

ORLANDO?This is killing him. Every snap, every run around and make something happen moment.

And this is why Steve Spurrier had his best season as a coach.

Better than all of those championship seasons at Florida; better than all those historic firsts at South Carolina.

This season was unlike any other because Steve Spurrier won despite himself.

A 30-13 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl merely underscored the magnitude: Somehow Spurrier cobbled together 11 wins in the toughest conference in the game?and did so without a legitimate quarterback.

And by running an offense that deep down, no matter what he proclaims, he can?t stand.

That was South Carolina using the run-oriented zone-read against Nebraska, rushing for 121 yards and putting away the Huskers in the fourth quarter without leaning on Spurrier?s beloved passing game. Want to know how you win a school-record 11 games?

You suck it up and realize what makes you sick can also lead to victories.

Earlier this week, Spurrier was asked about his new philosophy on offense; about how the guy who once turned the stoic, stodgy SEC sideways with his pass-happy system, has now decided to run the ball and play defense.

That?s right, the guy who redefined the passing game in college football now says a quarterback who can run and throw is the way to go. Hello, zone-read.

?It?s really the wave of the future,? Spurrier said. ?This kind of offense is possibly better than what we used to do.?

I?m gonna puke.

This is the guy who, as much as anyone, is responsible for the SEC?s development from a regional stronghold to the national king of college football. His offenses at Florida?his four straight SEC championships in the 1990s?forced the rest of the league to catch up or else.

Now he?s proclaiming an offense that consists of his quarterback scrambling and trying to make something happen, of handing off or running on zone read plays, is better than his system that ruled the game when he coached Florida.

I?m not buying it. In fact, I?m calling bull.

Because the Spurrier we all know and love is the one calling passes the first three plays on the first series of the game, and chucking it deep because good things can happen when you chuck it deep.

But when it didn?t work, when his quarterback kept misfiring and his defense kept getting the ball back, Spurrier did what he had to do. Which is to say, he ignored who he is and what he?s all about?and ran the ball.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-01-02/capital-one-bowl-steve-spurrier-finest-season-as-coach-beats-nebraska

big ten championship game

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