SEC Media Days 2014: South Carolina Gamecocks

There is a different vibe in the media ballroom at SEC Media Days this morning.  Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks hit this room like an out-of-control chicken truck crashing into a wine bar.  With his rakish grin and complete lack of filter The Ol' Ballcoach offers the gathered media a desperately needed opportunity to laugh.

Spurrier was hit early and often with the question of closing out a season.  For three consecutive seasons the Gamecocks have won 11 games and yet failed to reach the SEC championship game.  But don't worry everyone, because he is concentrating on a much more important game:

If you ask our fans at South Carolina, I can assure you a majority would say, We would rather beat Clemson than win the SEC.  That is how big it is to them, that one game.

Yes, South Carolina fans will agree that the State Championship Game is definitely better than the SEC Championship game.  They also prefer Pepsi products, The Monkees, and USDA Grade B beef.

The highlight of the press conference came when SBNation's own Steven Godfrey asked  Spurrier his opinion on their new "rival" Texas A&M and the creation of the Bonham Trophy.

I'm actually from Tennessee.  I always was taught the hero of the Alamo was Davy Crockett, so this was a new one on me. It's a good story, I'm sure Bonham did some good things.  I always thought Davy Crockett was the hero of the Alamo, he and those 33 Tennessee guys that came in there and got killed, so forth.

As a child of the Great State Of Texas I was required to take mandatory state history classes.  As a product of that same educational system I have no recollection of the facts of the Alamo, so his story checks out.

The coach and his players were all asked about the upcoming game against Texas A&M that will launch the SEC Network on August 28th.  Spurrier took the opportunity to express his feelings on the nature of marriage and divorce.

I think it's a shame that Texas and Texas A&M don't play each other, though.  I don't mind saying that.  Two schools that have been playing for over a hundred years, just because one of them joins another conference, get mad at each other, We're not playing you anymore, we're not playing you anymore.  So I don't know.  I think it is sad.

This guy gets it.

Dylan Thompson, the only quarterback to beat UCF last year, had this to say:

Auburn's going to be a great game, they're a great team, but that's a long way off and right now we're just thinking about the Aggies on August 28th.

A&M is a great team. They have a great Head Coach in Kevin Sumlin. They're going to be a challenge. That's what we're focused on right now.

J.T. Surratt is the only returning starter for a very young South Carolina defensive line.  I asked him how they were preparing to face one of the top offensive lines in the country when Texas A&M comes to town.

We're getting ourselves in shape.  We know that it's a fast paced team and we know it's going to be a fight.  We're putting nothing past them knowing it's going to be a good game. We're really focusing on getting in shape and being ready for them mentally and physically.

South Carolina will pose an interesting season opener for A&M as a consistently strong team with some question marks, specifically on defense.  Expect a high scoring affair followed by the greatest post game conference ever.

Good luck to the Gamecocks in all games played in September or later.  Gig 'em Davy Crockett.