Five Things South Carolina Must Address Before Sept. 2nd

Steve Spurrier just watched Ray Tanner and the South Carolina baseball team win the university's first national championship in a major sport.  The fire has been lit, and the chicken curse is dead. 

The stars are truly aligning for Spurrier's team. It has great players returning, an influx of great new talent, and the whole "chicken curse" thing is gone.  The University of South Carolina CAN in fact win a national championship.

However, there are five very important questions that must be taken care of before kickoff, and these are not easy fixes.  If these areas get addressed, you could definitely see South Carolina bringing home its second national championship.

Here are those questions (in no particular order).

1.  What will South Carolina's running back rotation look like?

Most teams would kill to have the issue that South Carolina has. There are four running backs on the team that could make a huge impact in the fall. 

Marcus Lattimore, the highly ranked and regarded freshman, could be the best of the bunch, but that remains to be seen.  He is a strong runner, and has been compared to Ronnie Brown of the Miami Dolphins in style (hopefully minus the injury history). 

Does he redshirt, or will he feature prominently in the running game this year?

Who knows? Spurrier has a lot to think about regarding this guy.

Kenny Miles is a workmanlike back, and Spurrier really likes the guy. While he lacks elite speed or power, he is a tough runner who runs hard on plays and seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder.  As the starter last year, he comes into the season listed at the top of the depth chart.

Jarvis Giles is a speedster, but fell into the doghouse last year with his bouncy style.  According to recent reports, Giles has added weight to his frame and figured out how to hit the holes with authority. 

Giles is a fan favorite, with his blond-tipped dreads and breakaway speed. He is definitely in the three-horse race for starting running back, and could come away with it.

Bryce Sherman is another fan favorite, but he is not in the running for the starting position. However, Spurrier will find ways to get him the ball. 

He has truly elite speed, and will be a featured special teams player in the fall.  During the spring game he was easily the most outstanding back, rushing for over seven yards per carry. His speed makes him dangerous, but his size makes him a liability. 

The way the team handles this rotation could go a long way to determining how successful the offense is this year. 

4.  How will Shawn Elliot's zone blocking scheme improve the line play?

It will not matter who is throwing or running the ball if the offensive line does not improve.  This has been an Achilles' heel for the program for the last three years. 

Coach Elliot is bringing a zone blocking scheme to South Carolina that he had great success with at Appalachian State.  At the small school, 11 of his offense linemen earned All-American status.  No one will ever forget the success that team had against Michigan, which is probably the biggest upset of all time. 

Elliot's scheme had a lot to do with that programs success. 

The scheme is very similar to the one the Denver Broncos used under Mike Shannahan... you know... the one that produced like 47 1,000 yard rushers, including the team's water boy. 

If the offensive lineman can grasp this fairly easy scheme and improve their strength over the summer, South Carolina's blocking woes may be over.

3.  How will the special teams kick coverage improve?

Last year, the kick coverage for South Carolina was poison. 

It was awful, and one only needs to point to the Georgia game as an example.  South Carolina walks away with a victory if the special teams didn't implode numerous times.

The team tried everything, including placing their best players on the special unit.  It was still bad.

The coaches must figure out a way to coach these boys up or it will be another year of short field position for the opposition and free touchdowns given to fast returners.

2.  Can the defense maintain it's intensity without the likes of Eric Norwood and Clifton Geathers?

South Carolina's defense has lost some great players to the NFL over the past decade—  Johnathan Joseph, Dunta Robinson, Captain Munnerlyn, Jasper Brinkley, Ko Simpson, Casper Brinkley, and Fred Bennett to name a handful.

Now you can add the name of the most popular and productive player to ever play for South Carolina's defense. 

Eric Norwood.

Combined with the hot and cold running Clifton Geathers, the pass rush seems to be a little weaker.

Cliff Matthews has to step into his role as a early All-American candidate. He has the speed and strength to make a great deal of noise during the season. 

But Norwood's leadership will be missed. Shaq Wilson has emerged as a vocal leader, and some of the new recruits show promise as well, especially junior college transfer Toquavius Gilchrist.

1.  Can Stephen Garcia finally get his act together?

He has been spotted off and on in Five Points (Columbia's party area) and has been noted to look "puffy" and a bit on the overweight side.  If these reports are true, South Carolina can look forward to another mediocre year.

Garcia has the opportunity of a lifetime. He has the chance to lead a highly-talented squad in the SEC to unprecedented heights. 

Stephen, put down the adult beverages and get into the film room! South Carolina fans have been waiting their entire lives for this much talent to be assembled on one team. 

Even in the spring's annual Garnett and Black game, he looked overweight and slow.

If he can't get it together, than Conner Shaw, the coaches' pet, will be right behind him, working extremely hard to get his opportunity.  He wants it badly, which is way more than can be said about the hard-partying Garcia.

This is easily the most important aspect of the season. 

Come on, Garcia. Gamecock nation is watching you.