South Carolina football: Will Muschamp needs to beat Auburn

WHY IT ISN’T

Details on Will Muschamp’s buyout surfaced on 247Sports earlier this week. As of this year, the Gamecocks would owe Muschamp over $15 million should he be fired.

That number is large under normal circumstances, but with COVID limiting revenue opportunities for the South Carolina athletic department, the amount seems nearly impossible to justify paying, even if the Gamecocks continue to struggle.

Another thing that may come into consideration is the fact that it seems Muschamp’s finally found his offensive coordinator. Mike Bobo came to Columbia this offseason as Muschamp’s last effort to put a competent unit on the field, after finishing 96th, 53rd, 108th, and 115th in total offense nationally over his first four seasons.

Bobo has the Gamecocks averaging over 30 points a game, as they currently rank 48th in the country in total yards. The unit is definitely moving in the right direction, and Muschamp may be the beneficiary of getting an extra year to continue to build in a 2021 season where he won’t see SEC defenses in 10 straight contests.

FINAL VERDICT

The game is not a “must-win” but it’s the most important game of the year to date (it seems we’re saying that every week with Muschamp). A win would be huge for confidence going into a meeting with LSU, who looks beatable. A loss, and the pitchforks come back out as the heat on Muschamp’s seat begins to boil.