Not much. The biggest wins that season were against Florida (which the Gamecocks hadn’t beaten since 1939) and at Tennessee. Those were much more important to the program. They were a sign that it was possible for Spurrier’s Gamecocks to beat the powerhouses of the SEC East. This undoubtedly helped recruiting in the talent- and program-heavy Southeast, which “The Boy” references in his original post on your great blog. However, a win in the Independence Bowl, which most SEC teams regard with disdain, would probably have done little for the Gamecocks.

Another thing to consider is the different trajectory the respective regimes were on—Pinkel was wearing out his welcome, while Spurrier had practically done the impossible (the Gamecocks were picked to win only 3 or 4 games in the 2005 preseason) in his first season. So a bowl loss for one coach would not be the same as a bowl loss for the other.

This would be the part of my comment where I say everything that USCKB has already said…solid comment, USCKB.

One more comment, then a postscript…I think you may have the wrong perception of the USC Gamecocks. Losses are nothing new for us, so whether it’s the 2006 loss vs. Auburn, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida or Tennessee….they were all bad. Or the five in a row to end out 2007. They all have an impact, no more measurable than the others. In fact, I’d say that the five losses last year had more of an impact. The losses kept USC out of a bowl, but they also led to the hiring of Ellis Johnson, who has vastly improved our defense.

PS—I’m from the South, but I spent several of my formative years living in St Louis (Lafayette HS, if you must ask the question), and I will definitely be pulling hard for MU vs KU. I was actually in the stands at Faurot Field for the 1997 Nebraska “kick ball” game. I had actually already jumped out onto the ground, just as that play went off…etc. etc. etc.

You have to remember, just being in a bowl at that point was an accomplishment — it was the first time since the 2002 Outback Bowl, and only the third since 1996 (I think; I don’t have the media guide in front of me). Spurrier was just starting, and it was a heck of a start; most of the “smart” people in the country were picking South Carolina to go 4-7 in 2005, not to play in December.

Honestly, I think the only speed bump for Spurrier so far has been the five-game losing streak last year — that hurt the Gamecocks with recruits, which is what Spurrier and the next coach need to take this program to the next level. (Consisent New Year’s Day bowls, a division title every few years, etc.) The talent deficit was huge when Holtz came, large when Spurrier came, and smaller but still big now.

It was a nice win for you all, and I will always shiver when I hear “Brad Smith.” But I don’t think the outcome of that game changed the program’s trajectory (to borrow Robert’s word) either — or would have, had the Gamecocks won.