UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

A year ago at this time, South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner was knee-deep in a long, pressure-packed coaching search with twists and turns he couldn’t possibly control. And when he finally wound up choosing Will Muschamp on Dec. 6 — 55 days after Steve Spurrier resigned abruptly in the middle of a disastrous 3-9 season — the decision was largely met with snickering from rival SEC fan bases and much of the national media. After pursuing a handful of others, including Houston’s Tom Herman and Georgia defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, some perceived Muschamp to be a panic move that was made because South Carolina didn’t want to deal with any more rejections. But this weekend, as South Carolina heads to Florida with a 5-4 record, a chance to get bowl eligible and an outside shot to win the SEC East, Tanner might be getting the last laugh. – Dan Wolken , USA TODAY Sports– Read More