I get where you're coming from, and I feel like if we get a new director I'll probably feel the same way about him as you feel about Spurlin.
I personally really appreciate a more disciplined style band, as opposed to the more ragtag free-spirited group you mentioned. Not that either are necessarily better or worse, it's just my personal preference.
When I transitioned from high school band (performing for judges, and for a score) to college band (performing to entertain a crowd), I had a hard time trying to justify what I was doing. Sure, it was fun, but if you can't get the feedback from judges and beat out the competition, what was the point? Dr. Spurlin really opened my eyes to the value of what we were doing out there on the field. Every day, he stressed that we were ambassadors of our university, with over 100 years of history, tradition, passion, and excellence on our shoulders. He told us how much we mean to the fans, and how through our performance and behavior, we can honor the tradition and name of our school.
I've had the opportunity to see some other college bands (though I won't say any names), which I would be embarrassed to be a part of. They had no discipline, wore half their uniforms in public before performances, openly used foul language in uniform, and we're physically hazing freshmen. They came to their rehearsal space in various states of undress, some without shoes, and had no rehearsal demeanor. To me, that behavior shames a university.
One thing that I really admire Spurlin for, though is his commitment to school spirit and passion. He definitely made a lot of changes when he came in that may or may not be popular, but I strongly believe he has the best interests of this band and this university at heart. Despite coming from a Bama (undergrad) and LSU (graduate) background, I really feel that he does appreciate and care about the Auburn family and Auburn traditions. On many occasions, I've seen daughters will come to our rehearsals decked out in orange and blue, and following our pre-season banquet he invites he whole band to his own home to lock arms and sing the alma-mater together on his lawn. I'll never forget when he called us to attention before this year's pregame against LSU. Before we took our positions in the tunnel, Dr. Spurlin gathered us around and started the most exhilarating WAAAAR EAGLE yell I've ever experienced.
So, like him or hate him, I think he's consistently acted to improve the image of the AUMB and this university. I imagine that's one of the top reasons he's a finalist for OSU. He's a great director who's very personable, and a good educator. But he's also strongly opinionated and not afraid to make unpopular changes if they fit within his code of ethics.
I don't expect he would try to change the OSU band into a "boring" SEC band but, if given the opportunity, I imagine he would axe many of the band traditions. If they take him, they'll get a good director, but they might not like what comes along with it.