The Will Muschamp era has come to an end.

As the University of South Carolina begins preparing for Missouri this Saturday, there will be a new voice leading the team meetings. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has been named the interim head coach for the final 3 games of the 2020 season with South Carolina holding a 2-5 record.

As is the case with a coaching change in the middle of the season, the locker room appears to be a bit in flux. Top corner Jaycee Horn announced via social media that he will forego the remainder of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Former Gamecock great Connor Shaw has been elevated to an on-field coach position thanks to the opening left by the firing of Muschamp.

The fanbase has already turned their attention to the coaching search that, according to athletic director Ray Tanner, will be completed by Dec. 16.

Don’t expect South Carolina to play any better without Will Muschamp on the sideline. This is a talented team, but the coaching staff as a whole has done a poor job of developing the talent on the defensive side and recruiting talent on the offensive side.

With Bobo as the interim, it’s safe to pencil in Collin Hill as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately for Hill, the departure of Muschamp doesn’t mean that two sure handed receivers are suddenly on the outside for him.

Kevin Harris will continue to grind out yards in what will be the best season for a Gamecock running back since Mike Davis in 2013.

Defensively, South Carolina is lost. There is no semblance of a significant pass rush and with the coaches understanding that the Gamecocks routinely rushes 4 and drops everyone in man coverage only to get burned. (Lane Kiffin’s playsheet still hasn’t landed in Oxford, Miss.)

This isn’t a “ding dong the witch is dead,” moment. Just because Muschamp has been removed doesn’t mean the Gamecocks will win out, finish 5-5 and carry momentum into 2021. What this move does is give Tanner and president Bob Caslen time to begin reaching out to potential candidates and their agents to ramp up conversations.

The calendar moves much quicker than it used to in collegiate athletics and as Tanner mentioned yesterday, signing day will be here in one month. Recruits need to know who the next head coach will be soon.

So who should replace Muschamp? You can ask 10 people and get 8 different answers. Whoever takes the helm will have a solid base to start from, a new football ops building and state of the art facilities. The recruiting challenges are still there, but other regimes were able to overcome those and be successful.

My top 5 choices for the next head coach of South Carolina:

5. Jamey Chadwell (Coastal Carolina)

4. Hugh Freeze (Liberty)

3. Steve Sarkisian (offensive coordinator at Alabama)

2. Dave Clawson (Wake Forest)

1. Shane Beamer (Recruiting Coordinator at Oklahoma)

Can South Carolina salvage the final four games of the 2020 season and save this coaching staff from being shown the door after the season?

All I can say is basketball season starts on Nov. 25th.

Lexington County Blowfish assistant general manager Justin Hall, radio host Rob Thomas and former University of South Carolina wide receiver Tim Frisby co-host “The 5th Quarter Post-Game Show” following Gamecock games on WVOC (103.5 FM or 560 AM). All South Carolina football games can be heard on WNKT (107.5 FM). In addition, Hall is the new co-host of the Love Chevrolet High School Football Show, also airing on WNKT on Friday nights.