I have made a conscious effort (well, it wasn’t really that hard) to avoid reading other people’s thoughts about the 24-14 loss to Florida on Saturday night for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to sober up. And second, I wanted to see how I felt after a day or two of taking it all in.

First, the good. I thought Stephen Garcia, when he wasn’t bouncing passes off a comatose Moe Brown, played the most gutsy game of his career, fighting through crazy pressure and not letting his own mistakes get him down. As a passer, he still has a long way to go — poor fade routes, bullets on short passes requiring touch, etc. — but he’s not that far off, and confidence can fix a lot of those problems as he continues to grow.

I also thought Alshon Jeffrey, Jason Barnes and Tori Gurley played great games — in fact, I think this group of receivers might turn out to be the best in school history. And how can anyone forget Weslye Saunders’ performance? I think it was the best by a USC tight end in the Steve Spurrier era by far.

The defense was unbelievably good. For as many times as the offense handed them a pile of crap to deal with relating to field position, for as many times as they were hung out to dry and by rights should have folded against the No. 1 team in America the defense came through again and again (and can USC not find anyone on campus who can kick the ball off and reach the end zone? Seriously, try the women’s soccer team, try anything. And when he kicks off and it goes out of bounds and gives the opponent a start on the 40, USC might as well have a woman back there).

But for all that good, there still was bad to deal with. Another game in which USC scores just 14 points (though to be fair, that’s more than the Gators were allowing). Another wickedly awful performance by an offensive line that still doesn’t know who its best players are — but more on them in my column for this week.

All told, we learned that there is one gaping hole on this team that is the direct reason the Gamecocks haven’t won — or scored — more this season: the offensive line. And it is because of that offensive line that USC likely won’t win this coming Saturday night against a hot team that score in bushels and features a wicked defensive front. For three years, alert USC fans have been screaming for offensive line improvement, and Spurrier only last year finally listened, letting go of line coach John Hunt. But it was two years too late, as Hunt’s pathetic recruiting of the position has been the No. 1 reason USC has been mediocre during a period when it has had great defenses to support it. And the worst part is that I’m not sure it’s going to be that much better next year, again because of recruiting.

I think line coach Eric Wolford has done a tremendous job recruiting so far, taking the approach of over-recruiting for the position rather than under-recruiting and hoping a couple of big names were enough. They weren’t, and because it takes a lineman at least one year, if not three, to become SEC-caliber is why I fear for next year as well.

I don’t think Clemson will score 38 points. I do think they’ll score 28, though, and whether USC can effectively more than double its recent scoring output of its last five games (a miserable 12.6 points per game) just to tie that 28 is a question that Spurrier and his staff have two weeks to try and answer.

How about that offense eh? Facing the league’s worst defense in Arkansas, USC scored once on a big play, once on a short-field after a questionable fake punt call and generally did little else the whole game but bumble about.

The result is that now the Gamecocks are 98^th in the nation in scoring offense, managing 21.3 points a contest through 10 games. In SEC play, through seven games the Gamecocks are averaging 18.5 points per contest. It’s even worse in the past month. With only one of the previous four opponents having a winning record overall or in conference (Alabama), USC’s total has plummeted to just 12.3 points a game.

And while much is made about the Gamecocks being No. 2 in the SEC in passing offense, in terms of passing touchdowns, USC ranks seventh in the league. And remember how, back at the beginning of the year, much ado also was made about USC’s new commitment to the run? If you believed that, then you’re a sucker, because the Gamecocks are 91^st in the country rushing the ball — and dead last, again, in the SEC at 3.8 yards per carry and 121.6 yards per game.

Among the other areas USC is at the bottom of the conference: turnovers gained (No. 11 out of 12); kickoff returns (No. 11); passes intercepted (tied for last with Georgia); scoring offense (No. 11); turnover margin (No. 9); and sacks allowed (No. 100 in the country, No. 11 in the SEC). 

With the exception of passing offense and passing defense (both No. 2total defense) and total defense (No. 4), for the rest of the conference categories, USC is solidly in the bottom half of the SEC, taking the No. 8 spot in total offense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, net punting, punt returns and passing efficiency.

But you and I don’t need an excel spreadsheet to see that the product on the field is predictably regressing as it does every year. With three people essentially having input over play-calling (Spurrier Jr. first and foremost, with Spurrier and offensive line coach Eric Woolford chiming in), the team has no identity other than get down early most games and throw the hell out of the ball trying to get back in the game.

That might work with a better quarterback than Stephen Garcia. But it doesn’t with the offense as it is comprised now, because while cutting down in his turnovers, Garcia has shown a wildly inaccurate arm. For two or three throws he looks superb, then he’ll just as quickly take three steps backward and do something stupid (interception, fumble, missed snap, taking a sack, etc.).

Facing off against the nation’s No. 1 team on Saturday and facing a team two weeks later in Clemson that might just win the ACC, now is not the time to bungle on offense, but once again, that’s exactly what Spurrier and Spurrier Jr. are accomplishing. If that’s good enough for you this far into the season and his tenure, then so be it. For me — and a lot more people who try to watch this team every week — it isn’t, and if USC fails to win another game, hard questions need to be put to the man who likes to call himself the HBC.

The University of South Carolina is the best team in the nation — and has been for some time under Steve Spurrier — when it comes to giving the game away in the first quarter. Clemson, Florida, Iowa, Tennesee, Alabama .. the list goes on and on, year after year. Not only are Spurrier’s offenses mediocre at best, they define just how bad a team can be when it refuses to give itself a chance to win.

The Gamecocks are a joke on the offensive line. The running game, which was supposed to be a priority in 2009, is a non-factor in games. The passing game is inconsistent, can’t sustain drives and is susceptible to fatal turnovers, penalties and mistakes. And people, nine of 12 games have been played. There’s no more mystery involved: this offense stinks.

Mark my words: USC will not win another game in 2009. Not the way it has performed in the clutch. In fact, you’re better off wagering your money taking the under on how many quarters it will take before USC plays itself out of the game down the stretch.

Spurrier and his playcaller-in-chief son, Steve Spurrier Jr., are a horrible team together. I think the one wants to let the other develop and get experience so badly, the disaster we all see every week is the result. And guess what? Ain’t nothing going to change in that dynamic so long as Spurrier is the Head Ball Coach.

What will be Spurrier’s excuses should the Gamecocks lose out? How long should USC fans accept “We’re a struggling bunch of Gamecocks” from the man ordained by God himself to turn the program around. How long do national embarrassments on the field over and over merit progress of any kind?

If this is the best Spurrier can do by way of team preparation, conditioning, coaching and recruiting, then he should consider a voluntary salary reduction at the very least, as well as admit that the father-son coaching party is an absolute disaster. Until then, USC fans can expect a November that will only get worse — possibly much worse — before the time must come when Spurrier either comes to Jesus (he probably thinks Jesus has to come to him) or Eric Hyman does it for him.