By Buddy Martin
SouthernPigskin.com

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Just like always, the former HBC will be drawing it up in the dirt in his national debut as a TV commentator prior to the Big Ten showdown between Michigan State and Michigan.

As Jerri and Steve Spurrier boarded a plane out of Columbia, S.C., for Detroit on Friday to appear on ESPN’s GameDay in Ann Arbor, his coaching afterlife at full bore, there was only one pressing assignment: Finding his ride once he lands at the airport.

cThey told me to meet a guy named Bob,d Spurrier said. After that theyll head over to meetings with the GameDay crew and then The Big House for Saturdays game.

cI guess theyll have me on a couple of times,d Spurrier said. cIm not sure after that.d

As for what else he’ll be doing and saying? Its doubtful hed stay on script even if they had one.

Just like always, the former HBC will be drawing it up in the dirt in his national debut as a TV commentator prior to the Big Ten showdown between Michigan State and Michigan.

Once hes brought on the set with Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso, it will be interesting to see if Howard will have the courage to repeat the comments he Tweeted earlier: cThe media loves S. Spurrier. Any other coach the narrative would be 8he quits on his team half way thru the season b/c they’re 2-4!d

While America decides if they want to celebrate Spurrier or chastise him, my guess is that the networks will be lining up to sign him. Right now, he just wants to enjoy the trip and the getaway.

cJerri and I are really looking forward to it,d Spurrier said of his first visit to Michigan Stadium, which holds 109,901. cWeve never been in that stadium before.d

Of course, a piece of their hearts will be back in Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend where the Gamecocks host Vanderbilt under Shawn Elliott, hoping improve on their 2-4 record.

cIm really hoping Shawn can do it and maybe impress everybody enough to keep the job,d said Spurrier, pointing to other interims like Galen Hall of Florida who were successful. cHes a fiery guy and hell get them fired up.d

A few hours before leaving for the Michigan-Michigan State kickoff, the Spurriers had beencelebrating the birth of their new granddaughter Margaret, born to Melissa and Steve Jr. It is their seventh child and Steve and Jerris 13th grandchild.

Meanwhile Thursday night, Steve was watching his grandson Gavin 4 son of Steve Jr. 4 throw his first touchdown pass as a jayvee quarterback. cYeah, Gavin decided he wants to be a quarterback,d said Steve.

You can already sense that Spurrier will be delving into other aspects of family life in coming years, but dont rule out him getting involved as a football chelperd or cconsultantd one day. But no more head coach. Thats what he meant by cresigningd and not cretiring.d

cI dont have any desire to be a head coach anymore,d he said.

Dont count on him not wearing a visor again someday, however, in another capacity.

Obviously not on the GameDay set.

As a matter of fact, one of the SECs top coaches went visorless Thursday night in honor of the former HBC. Auburns Gus Malzahn ditched his headgear in the 30-27 win over Kentucky, before which he openly admitted hes a long-standing Spurrier admirer.

cCoach Spurrier is one of the all-time greats, and his influence on me and my coaching style goes back to my days as a high school coach, when I started wearing a visor,” Malzahn said before kickoff.

cYeah, that was nice,d Spurrier said by phone before he departed for Ann Arbor. cI know he and Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss) have told me the reason they wear visors is because of me.d

Spurrier was also happy for Malzahn that it brought Auburn good luck and they won 30-27 with him being hatless. cIt would have been tough if hed have lost. But Kentucky is a much better team and not an easy opponent,d Spurrier said.

That visor will be signed by the Auburn coach and auctioned off, with proceeds going to the American Red Cross for flood victims in South Carolina.

What Id like to see now would be Desmond Howard wearing a visor and then auctioning it off, or Lee Corso putting it on in Ann Arbor before he makes his headgear pick.

In fact, it would be a great touch if the producer had all of the guys on the set rocking them when the former HBC shows up.