Perception changing?

What a difference a win makes.

Is the national perception of the Will Muschamp hire at South Carolina in the process of changing? It certainly appears to be, in the wake of the Gamecocks' 24-21 win over Tennessee last Saturday.

South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner hired Muschamp last December because of his detailed plan to win in Columbia and reputation as a top recruiter who could bring in a strong SEC-experienced staff around him.

"At the time, it was a move that drew plenty of criticism," notes ESPN staff writer Greg Ostendorf in a blog post this week.

"But after the Gamecocks' win over Tennessee on Saturday night, it’s beginning to look like Muschamp was the perfect hire."

Locally, Muschamp had already won over most of the South Carolina fan base who pay attention with his tireless work ethic and attention to detail. Even with a 2-4 start to the season, most knowledgeable fans recognized the hand that Muschamp was dealt and that he needs time to rebuild a program that seemed far removed from three straight 11-win seasons.

But the national perception, repeated often, was that if Muschamp couldn't win at Florida, where he was 28-21, he can't win in Columbia.

"One win doesn’t all of a sudden make Muschamp a great coach. But it’s more than just that one win. It’s everything he has done up to this point," Ostendorf says pointing to the emergence of young players on Carolina's roster and the recruiting class Muschamp has put together.

Freshman newcomers Jake Bentley, Rico Dowdle and Bryan Edwards were all instrumental in South Carolina's upset win over Tennessee, Ostendorf correctly points out. I'll add in JUCO newcomer Jamarcus King, who has helped solidify an improved but thin secondary, for good measure.

South Carolina's 2017 recruiting class currently ranks No. 11 in the country by Rivals.com, while the emergence of Bentley erases one of the key criticisms of Muschamp at Florida, where he never found a quarterback to build around.

"Coach Boom struck gold on Saturday in what amounts to a big blow to all of his doubters," says Alec Shirkey of SEC Country.

"Beating Tennessee is not only a catalyst for future seasons — what recruit wouldn’t take notice of a game like this? — but also a validation of the culture change this staff is trying establish. The demanding Muschamp and his trademark intensity stand in stark contrast to the loosey-goosey attitude of the Steve Spurrier era, and without on-field results, getting the current roster to embody this new mentality was never going to be easy. This latest win marks huge progress on that front."

Muschamp's freshman trio -- specifically the emergence of Bentley and Dowdle -- have been a major catalyst for the current two-game win streak, but it's an improved defense that has kept Carolina in just about every game it has played this season.

South Carolina has still yet to allow 30 or more points in a game this season. The Gamecocks currently rank No. 34 nationally in defensive efficiency after finishing at No. 87 last season.

"Who would have expected South Carolina to already have surpassed the win total from last season and have an upset win over the Vols?" Rivals.com national analyst Mike Farrell adds this week. "The Gamecocks' 4-4 mark is fine by me."

And fine by a lot of South Carolina fans too, who now have visions of a potential bowl trip dancing in their heads -- an idea that was barely thought possible just two games ago.

"For now, South Carolina can revel in the alleviation of any doubt that Muschamp, Bentley and their supporting cast have the potential to do big things in Columbia," Shirkey says.

But as this week has shown, one game can make all the difference. Just as quickly as momentum shifted in South Carolina's favor with its head-turning win this past Saturday, it could be all but erased with a loss this Saturday to Missouri, which Carolina is favored over.

"We're improved, but we're nowhere near where we need to be, "Muschamp said Saturday.

“I challenged our football team this morning about complacency,” he added Tuesday, “and we certainly don’t have any room for it.”

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