OLUMBIA - Steve Spurrier and the Southeastern Conference championship game used to be synonymous.
From the inaugural game in 1992 through 2001, Spurrier led his Florida Gators to the title contest seven times. He won five of those championship games, including four in a row from 1993-96.
But it's been 10 years since Spurrier has been involved in the championship game, and he'll need to be successful as a visitor to Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday if he wants to make the Dec. 4 game in Atlanta.
Spurrier's No. 22 South Carolina team will face a hostile crowd for the showdown with No. 24 Florida on Saturday night (7:21 p.m., ESPN). The winner will represent the SEC East and face off against the SEC West winner, which has yet to be decided.
"This game will stand on its own merit," Spurrier said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "I'm sure they'll be ready to play and we should be ready to play our best down there."
South Carolina had control of the SEC East with early-season successes, but a loss at Kentucky and a 41-20 thumping by Arkansas on Saturday put any celebrations on hold. South Carolina has never played in the SEC title game since joining the conference in 1992, and it is 0-9 in Gainesville, Fla., during that span.
"A few weeks back I remember after we lost to Auburn that our team felt if there was anyway we could get to Florida with a shot at the eastern division, it would be good. It worked out," Spurrier said. "Florida had a slump in the middle of the year that enabled us to play them. We've had a slump here a couple of games late. It is what it is and should be a heckuva game."
Ironically, Spurrier's last SEC East title came at South Carolina's expense. In 2000, Lou Holtz led the Gamecocks into Gainesville and could have forced a tie with a win. South Carolina led 21-3 early, but Spurrier's Gators responded with 28 points in the second quarter and won 41-21.
"It was meant to be for us that night, and we won in Atlanta as well," Spurrier said as he rattled off some of the key moments. "That's the last championship I've been a part of, so certainly I'll remember about every play."
South Carolina's players are ready to break more than a century of football mediocrity that has enjoyed limited success.
"It's going to be real fun," freshman running back Marcus Lattimore said. "This is what I came here for, to play on a big stage and play in front of crazy fans."
Lattimore left Saturday's loss to Arkansas early because of a bruised knee, but he said Tuesday it was fine and he expected to be ready for Florida.
Junior defensive tackle Travian Robertson said Saturday's showdown is "a big opportunity for us." But he cautioned that the Gamecocks must not succumb to the hype.
"It's big, but we want to approach this as another football game for us," he said. "It's a tough game, Whether it's a championship game or regular game or non-conference game, we've still got to go out and play."
