The season's over. I'm still here, but got in from Columbia late. A review of the Saturday night disaster will be up by sometime tomorrow.
In the meantime, Garnet and Black Attack introduces the Tyrone Nix Firing Watch, which uses a rigorous scientific calculation of the possibility that Tyrone Nix will -- justifiably or not -- be let go in the offseason.
Again, I wish to make one thing clear: This is not an endorsement or criticism of the idea that Nix should be removed. It's the likelihood, near as I can tell, that he will be.
Explanation
Just listen to Steve Spurrier's comments on the last Clemson drive:
"We're not going to beat them two in a row, because we couldn't stop third-and-18," Spurrier said. "That's how close a game it was."
Or listen to Nix and Spurrier's differing takes on the defense's play Saturday:
Coach Steve Spurrier said the defense played its best Saturday. Nix said the team had plenty more to prove.
When the head coach and the defensive coordinator disagree on just how good the defense actually is, that's not a good sign for the DC.
That said, both of these comments could be seen as an attempt by Spurrier to protect Nix. This picture, taken just after the game-winning kick by the Tigers, tells the tale:
I don't think he was upset about Bucholz's kicking approach.
Finally, I talked to fans and one beat writer after the game. The consensus seemed to be that while the late-season collapse, or even the Clemson loss, couldn't be blamed on Nix, he was likely to be the fall guy.
Most of them though it was a question of "when," not "if."
Things change, though, and emotions cool. An announcement might be put off until after the bowl situation is known. Remember, the last DC to "part ways" with South Carolina in the Spurrier Era was conspicuously absent from the Gamecocks' bowl trip.