South Carolina Football: How Upset Loss Will Hurt Gamecocks' BCS Hopes

After starting the 2011 college football season with so many close shaves, No. 10 South Carolina finally slipped and cut itself, this time in the form of a 16-13 home loss to an unranked Auburn team in a rematch of the 2010 SEC Championship Game.

The contest came to a bizarre ending, with the clock hitting triple zeroes just as the Gamecocks picked up a first down to put themselves within range for a game-tying field goal. The loss drops the Gamecocks to 2-1 in SEC play and boosts Auburn's mark to 2-0.

Who's the Biggest Winner?

In a direct sense, Auburn has to be the biggest winner in this one. The win not only keeps the Tigers in the race for the SEC West title, but also boosts their overall resume, marking their second triumph over a ranked opponent this season.

Indirectly, but perhaps more importantly, South Carolina's loss comes with a big thumbs-up from No. 12 Florida. The Gators are competing with the Gamecocks for the SEC East championship, with 'SC's loss giving Florida some leeway to work within conference play. Thanks to Auburn, Florida now needn't worry about a loss to No. 3 Alabama in the Swamp necessarily ending their chase for a berth in the SEC Championship Game.

Does South Carolina Still Have a BCS Chance?

South Carolina's loss certainly won't break its shot at a BCS bowl outright. The Gamecocks are still firmly in the race for their second consecutive SEC East crown and the spot in the conference championship game that comes with it.

If they can get there and somehow pull out a win against either LSU or Alabama, the Gamecocks will find themselves in a BCS bowl. Otherwise, they can still go the route that Arkansas took last year by finishing second in their division, but putting together a strong enough resume to earn the conference's second BCS bid.

What it Means

Ultimately, though, this loss confirms a suspicion that has long hung over USC this season—that Steve Spurrier's squad just isn't that good.

The Gamecocks fell behind 24-14 at the half in their season-opener against East Carolina and escaped with three-point wins over Georgia and Navy. The Ol' Ball Coach can't expect his team to contend for an SEC title if it can't figure out a means of putting away supposedly lesser opponents, much less keeping up with the heavy hitters left on tap.

Biggest Thing to Fix

Spurrier needs to recalibrate his "Cock 'n' Fire" offense before the situation gets out of hand in Columbia. The struggles of quarterback Stephen Garcia continued on Saturday, as he completed only 9-of-22 for 160 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against Auburn. The embattled senior has now thrown more than twice as many picks (nine) as touchdowns (four) this season.

Clearly, South Carolina is in need of change, not necessarily in personnel, but rather in strategy. Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks' sensational sophomore running back, posted season lows in carries (17) and yards (66) against the Tigers. Lattimore must get more touches if 'SC is to have a successful run through the rest of its slate.

Pivotal Turnaround Game

If the Gamecocks are to take home another SEC East crown, they must have their house back in order no later than November 12th. Florida will be in town that day in a game that will likely determine who wins the division and moves on to the SEC Championship Game. 

Who They Play Next

South Carolina will have every opportunity to bounce back with a home game against Kentucky next Saturday. The Wildcats have looked like the whipping boys of the SEC thus far, suffering blowout losses to Florida and LSU. The Gamecocks should be excited to get in some potshots of their own at Williams-Brice Stadium.

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