SEC Football Predictions 2011: Connor Shaw Gets the Start for South Carolina

South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier announced on his "Carolina Calls" radio show that Connor Shaw will get the start on Saturday night over Stephen Garcia. 

See the link here: http://www.wistv.com/story/15380176/report-spurrier-to-start-shaw-at-quarterback.

Spurrier has said all along that this competition for the starting role was the real thing and that Shaw has been better statistically in scrimmages, so he gets the nod. This decision answers the quarterback question for the game Saturday against East Carolina, but opens a whole series of "what if?" questions that could take hold quickly.

How will Garcia respond? Much has been made in the media, locally and nationally, about the trials and tribulations of Garcia. He has reportedly grown and matured significantly over the spring and summer, and has spoken recently that his relationships with the guys on the team and the support they showed for him was a huge reason he came back to the team.

He could have pulled a Russell Wilson, who graduated from North Carolina State with a year of eligibility remaining, and then was told by coach Tom O'Brien that he was not part of the Wolfpack's future plans. Wilson is now the starting quarterback at Wisconsin. 

How will teammates respond?  After going through the wars with Garcia last year and supporting Garcia via social media during his suspensions earlier this spring, will there be a feeling that that support was all for naught? The guess here is that there are enough high-character, team-first guys on this roster that this team will march forward and take care of business.

Most folks thought this quarterback competition was a lot of window dressing. The thinking was that if you brought Garcia back after a fifth suspension and he had met guidelines set by the university and the athletic department, then he was your proven warrior and he had to start.

The university, some said, was sacrificing its principles of responsibility and accountability by allowing Garcia to hang around just because he gave the Gamecocks their best chance for a big season. 

A season equal to last year will give Garcia most of the USC quarterback records. This team is talented enough that they ought to go out and open up a can and put it on some people big and early, then turn it over to Shaw and Co. and give them some quality game time, get the Gamecocks their "W" and really get the young guys ready for 2012.

Obviously, the Old Ball Coach knows a lot that we don't, which is why he gets the big bucks to be the expert in charge, and we have fun pretending to be the experts at the keyboard! Big difference!

This football program has big seasons here and there sprinkled throughout its history. The problem is they have never been able to maintain it.

Picture a scenario where Shaw suffers a serious injury that puts him out for an extended period.  Garcia takes you through your season, but are the Gamecocks then back to square one in developing a future quarterback next spring?

Spurrier has won before playing musical chairs at quarterback, and maybe we are going to see that again. For a football season in Columbia that has been anticipated like no other in the history of this program, a little extra spice has just been added to the mix.