re: How is Connor Shaw the 16th ranked QB?

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Only thing I could figure is maybe they're skittish because of the knee and shoulder injuries he's had this season.

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Another issue might be that he's a Spurrier qb; there's been any number of them that light it up in college but bomb at the pro level. I realize SC is not running the old Fun-n-Gun offense, but stigmas and perceptions die hard among the football gurus. Note- part of the reason Mett is climbing so high, is that he has the Cam Cameron pedigree.

Cameron= successful pro QB
Spurrier= washout pro QB

I think he would fit in well as the backup to Cam Newton...both are mobile QBs and the fanbase would already like him since i assume a lot are SC fans

At least he'd be better than Derek Anderson

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just 4 months ago there were SCe fans on this board saying Thompson was better.

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Link?

One of the most underated SEC players of all-time

-Led his team 3 bowl wins. (they hav 7 all-time)
-Never lost a game at home 17-0, in which he started
-He is 22 games above .500 as a starting QB.
-Had over 5,700 yards passing.
-Not only is he the most accurate passer in school history 65.1%, with just one interception his senior year, he is also the school's leading rusher as a Qb with over 1,500 yard rushing.

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One of the most underated SEC players of all-time

-Led his team 3 bowl wins. (they hav 7 all-time)
-Never lost a game at home 17-0, in which he started
-He is 22 games above .500 as a starting QB.
-Had over 5,700 yards passing.
-Not only is he the most accurate passer in school history 65.1%, with just one interception his senior year, he is also the school's leading rusher as a Qb with over 1,500 yard rushing.

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I agree Shaw is an underrated guy. Though I feel ultimately what is keeping USC from getting over the hump ie championships is Spurrier as weird as it sounds. He has done great with getting USC competitive and they are probably the 2nd best SEC east team of the past decade especially if he coaches 2 more years.

But as iconic as his "Fun n Gun" was it was a very simple offense. And despite trying at times to recapture that magic he just hasn't. His fun n gun dominated 90s SEC football because everybody was running Bear defenses. Now the Nick Saban's of the conference that regularly play Nickel/Dime and even Quarters in the secondary (Quarters as in 7 DB's).

And because of that Spurrior has never evolved his offense to the "next step". Granted he has installed some Zone Read in the offense and he runs the ball a lot better than he used to.

It sounds weird to say about someone considered to be one of the SEC's all time great offensive coaches but Spurrier has no offensive identity currently. Its like they do so much and the offense changes to much depending on one or two guys. Its like he has no system anymore. Nothing to build to, to recruit to etc.

Saban is not an offensive guy, but you know as long as he is Bama's coach we will run the Earhardt Perkins system that the whole Parcells/Belichick/Saban coaching tree uses. Our offense changes subtlety at times (addition of Wildcat/Pistol etc) but the same base offense we were running in 2007 is the same one we are running now, and its the same one Saban ran at Michigan State, the Dolphins and LSU.

Literally every time you watch South Carolina under Spurrier the offense looks different. Its a completely difference offense now than it was under Thompson, or Garcia, or how it looked in 2005 or even when they beat us in 2010.

I think that is a good reason USC is having problems breaking through to the top. I mean they have been consistently good since he has been there, even great compared to Sakerlina prior to his arrival. But if you take the SEC as a whole from 2005-2010 the conference has dominated college football but it seems of the teams that haven't been hopeless they are the ones not sharing the spotlight with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, even Georgia.

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Though I feel ultimately what is keeping USC from getting over the hump ie championships is Spurrier as weird as it sounds.

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It sounds weird to say about someone considered to be one of the SEC's all time great offensive coaches but Spurrier has no offensive identity currently. Its like they do so much and the offense changes to much depending on one or two guys. Its like he has no system anymore. Nothing to build to, to recruit to etc.

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Literally every time you watch South Carolina under Spurrier the offense looks different. Its a completely difference offense now than it was under Thompson, or Garcia, or how it looked in 2005 or even when they beat us in 2010

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Is this serious? Spurrier is the reason, are you serious or trolling? Just because we haven't won it all does not dispute the fact that the program is in its best shape ever and doing things it has never come close to doing.

As far as you identity comment... He runs a zone read and power running game and takes his shots down field pretty consistent. Spurrier has always called plays based on what the defense is giving him. Not just on his system. He calls the right play for what the D is giving him. This post is crazy.

with respect, he's run the same base package of concepts for the last 2 decades: isolation, zone, lead draw, power, stretch, curl-flat, mills, smash. He runs more than this obviously but this basic core has not changed. It is one of the reasons he's the best play caller in college football. He understands his offense inside and out. He runs a handful of concepts out of multiple formations.

A lead draw from the I vs a lead draw from 11 personnel is the same play for the offese but a completely different look for a defense.

Highly under rated.

Just LOVE his toughness. Much respect for him.

Shaw is a fighter. I'm glad UGA doesn't have to play against him anymore.

I really like Shaw and think USC will really miss him next year. I'm very glad he will be gone by the time A&M plays USC to start the season, at least with both teams breaking in new QB's we have a chance.

The NFL is just a different story though. Lots of great college QB's that didn't have games that translated to the NFL and unfortunately Shaw has a lot of the characteristics that say he won't make it as anything but a backup in the NFL. The biggest issue is he doesn't have a plus plus skill to overcome his weaknesses other than the "toughness/winner" variable that is so hard to quantify.

He's undersized at 6'1/210. With the rate that NFL QB's get hurt and have to see over a line of 6'6 guys this is an issue he has to answer for.

Average arm strength. Not a negative but not a positive either. Not a super quick release either.

Injury history. This feeds into the size dynamic.

Average speed/elusiveness. He has run for good yardage in college but isn't an elite athlete, just a smart and instinctive player.

So in the end you have a guy that is very unlikely to ever start in the NFL. That means you are looking at backup jobs. If you are looking at backup jobs then he has to beat out established former starters or projects that an NFL team is developing. Shaw might be better than another QB but his ceiling is limited and thus he is more likely to get cut. His margin for error is very small.

I will root for the guy and hope he makes it but the odds are stacked pretty heavily against unless he can show a plus plus skill.