Hey All,
It's time for the this part of our look at the schedules of the Power Five conferences with a look at the Pac 12 and a look at some very early season action. We will always miss you, Tom Kelly. We will think of you every time the Trojans are moving left to right across our radio dial.
Summaries (What? So, early? Yes, so early.)
California 51- Hawaii 31 (Sydney, Australia)
Texas Tech graduate transfer QB Davis Webb and the rest of the Golden Bears overcame a slow first quarter to turn this one into rout by halftime. Webb's 441 yard, four TD performance showed the Warriors and the rest of the college football world it is possible to have an offense in Berkeley after the departure of Jared Goff. Former walk-on WR Chad Hansen was Webb's best friend, catching 14 passes for 160 yards and a pair of scores. Cal's defense was pretty sloppy, but easily handled Hawaii's anemic offense after some early ragged play. UH's late TD makes this game seems closer than it actually was. Warrior RB Diocemy Saint Juste led all rushers with 118 yards on 14 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: Out of hand in a hurry; In the final 4:00 of the first half, Cal scored 17 unanswered points to take control of the game and enter the half with a 34-14 lead.
Observations on this game
...He's still around; Joe Starkey is still the voice of the Golden Bears. His distinctive voice let's you know you're listening to Cal.
...Another brilliant move; Word is that the Pac 12 representatives including, Leisure Suit Larry Scott just loved this game in Sydney and will try to make it an annual event involving a Pac 12 team or maybe even making this an early conference game. SMH.
...He's sill around too; I listened to the Cal postgame show and Lee Grosscup is still talking football. Glad to see The Cupper still broadcasting.
...Follow the money; According to Joe Starkey, Cal got a million bucks to play this game.
...Rough life in paradise; Hawaii with any luck, will finish 2-10 this year.
...Thanks for the quote Coach; Many years ago, Iowa HC legend, Haden Fry proclaimed that his Hawkeyes, "Will have to outscore our opponents to win games this year." Looking at Cal's defense, I think Coach Fry is right about this team too.
Pacific 12 Conference
The makeup of the Pac 12 remains unchanged for 2016
Pac 12 North: California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington and Washington State
Pac 12 South: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado USC, UCLA, and Utah
Top Five non conference games in the Pac 12
9/3- Washington State at Boise State: This is a big game for the conference. With Washington getting all the attention this season, Wazzu needs to win this game to show the league that they are a team that needs to be taken seriously.
9/3- USC v. Alabama at the Death Star in Arlington: For the Trojans this is all about sending a message to the nation that USC has survived and will be a true force in the national picture again. Basically this happens if USC doesn't get trounced by the Tide. A close loss will still get that message across, but will not make Trojan fans happy as HC Clay Helton will be on a three-game losing streak after getting the permanent gig.
9/3- UCLA at Texas A&M: Aggieland is waiting for the bRuins. bRuin QB and Rotary Club of Pacoima Man of the Year Josh Rosen may find life with a new O-line and group of receivers a tough go against the Aggies. However, the bRuins do have nine returning starters on defense and they should be able to give UCLA a good shot to win this game.
9/10- California at San Diego State: This game carries quite an embarrassment factor for the Pac 12. The last time Cal played at SDSU, they were whipped 35-9 by Ted Tollner's Aztecs back in 1995. SDSU is loaded this year according to the Mountain West beat writers and could really embarrass the Golden Bears and the Pac 12 with a win. Stat to watch here is that the visiting team has lost every game in this series.
9/17- Oregon at Nebraska: I love Pac 12- Big Ten matchups and this is the best of the four between the conferences this year. The Ducks can really make the Big Ten looks bad if they go into Lincoln the way USC did a few years back and smash the Cornhuskers. However, with Mike Riley at the helm of the Big Red, this may be a lot closer game than folks might think.
Top Five conference games in the Pac 12
9/23- USC at Utah: Yes, the SC-Stanford game the week before is a big one, but this game on a Friday night in Salt Lake City is bigger. The Trojans and Utes need to win this game in order to control their own fate on the Pac 12 South.
9/30- Stanford at Washington: This is another Friday night special in the Pac 12. The Cardinal's last two trips to UW have both been decided by seven points or less. Also for Stanford, this game comes in the middle of their brutal five game stretch where they will already played USC and UCLA, then will face Wazzu and then Notre Dame. Stanford needs this win. As for UW, it's a little more simple. If they are what they have been hyped up to be, they need to beat Stanford to turn the hype into respect.
11/3- UCLA at Colorado: This a Thursday night tilt in the cold of Boulder. UCLA has won the last two games between these two by a total of seven points. Both teams also come off a bye week in to this game. For Colorado and their 18 returning starters, this is their chance to finally get a big big Pac 12 win. UCLA needs to be on upset alert here. Also, I would give CU a better chance at the upset if they had landed QB Davis Webb instead of losing him to Cal.
11/19- USC at UCLA: It's always big, but could easily be the game that decides the Pac 12 South.
11/25- Washington at Washington State: A few years back this game decided who would end up winless for the year, now it could decide the Pac 12 North. It's good to see an Apple Cup that matters once again.
Observations on Pac 12 Schedules
...Slouching towards Provo; BYU opens the season with three Pac 12 teams on their slate. 9/3 v. UofA in Glendale, AZ, 9/10 at Utah for the Holy War and then 9/17 they host UCLA. The Cougars might end up with more Pac 12 wins than Oregon State this year.
...Non Pac 12 thought; Massachusetts left the MAC conference and will be an independent looking for another league. That won't be easy for a team that is 8-40 since making the jump to the FBS.
...Stanford's Big Five; The Cardinal's toughest part of their schedule is a five game block where they host USC, travel to UCLA and Washington, come home for Washington State and then go to Notre Dame. After that, it will only be October 16th.
...Trojan Toughness; USC's schedule is the toughest in the land according to many folks. The September portion of the schedule is well known, however the final four games are pretty tough too. The Trojans will host Oregon, travel to Washington and UCLA, then finish up with Notre Dame.
...Under the radar upset alert; On 9/16 ASU heads to UTSA for a cream puff road game. However, with the way the Roadrunners have thrown a scare into UofA the last two seasons, I'd keep an eye on that game.
...Thursdays and Fridays; What does Leisure Suit Larry have against Saturdays? The Pac 12 has so many games on days other than Saturdays you'd think you were looking at the MAC schedule.
...Pac 12's little brother; The Big Sky is the Pac 12's FCS conference of choice as the Sun Belt is for the SEC and the MAC is for the Big 10. Six Pac 12 teams will play Big Sky foes this season.
...Heading west again; For the second straight year Grambling is facing a Pac 12 foe. Last year was Cal, this year the Tigers play at UofA.
...Tough road double; Colorado plays at Michigan and Oregon in consecutive weeks.
...Feeling at home; Arizona doesn't leave the state for the month of September. They have a neutral site game in Glendale at the Big toaster, then three straight home games to finish the month,
...Toothless Beavers; Oregon State could go the entire season as an underdog in all their games.
...Two weeks to prove themselves; On 9/30 Washington hosts Stanford, then goes to Oregon the following week. If the Huskies want to really show they are a contender they have to at least go 1-1 in these two games.
...Home cookin'; Utah's only tough Pac 12 road game is at UCLA. The Utes get USC, Washington, and Oregon at home and they don't play Stanford.
...It's not the big game; With the Pac 12 scheduling model, Cal and Stanford don't play each other in the final week of the season. Stanford hosts Rice, while Cal travels to UCLA.
...They know each other well; Remember folks, when Utah hosts BYU on 9/10 will it not only be the 91st "Holy War", it will also be a rematch of the last year's Las Vegas Bowl.
Remembering Tom Kelly
Sadly, Tom Kelly passed away this past June. He was the Irishman who was the voice of the Trojans. He started along side Chick Hearn back in 1961 calling USC football games. Then, when Chick left to be the voice of that new team in Los Angeles, the Lakers, Kelly became the lead broadcaster for USC and he became one of those beloved voices of Los Angeles. Being a kid who grew up the '70s and '80s in Los Angeles, Kelly truly was a big part of the soundtrack of my life. I will truly miss the man as he was one the first people who helped me see a larger world.
Kelly's radio calls did make my world larger. Through his great descriptions, I was able to see what Memorial Stadium looked like in Berekeley. I was able to envision "The Farm" and see old Stanford Stadium with the dirt runway for the teams to enter the field. I could feel how hard the rain fell in Corvallis and Seattle, how Pullman was a far away outpost and how hot it could at night in the desert. I pictured what a perfect fall day was in South Bend, or how humid and sticky it was at Legion Field. He fostered my love for the game and helped me transform my backyard in the process. I now helped my Trojans win on the road too. I caught passes heading into to open end of Husky Stadium and stopped ND tailbacks on the goal line in the snow. Tom called a lot of SC games and the real Trojans didn't win them all, but in my backyard they did. Now that he is gone, I picture him getting to walk into Julie's again. As he enters Craig Fertig, John McKay, and Marv Goux are at table with an empty seat. Fertig then looks up and says, "Tom, where have you been? You're a couple of drinks behind."
Thank You, Tom Kelly.
This Week's Three Notes about nothing...
I had no idea how many shades of white paint there are in the world.
I miss Mel Allen and This Week in Baseball.
Navy amphibious carriers are pretty big.
Until next tim folks remember Dean Martin's great advice on drinking and driving this labor day weekend, "If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt."
-The Commissioner
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Schedules Part II
Hey All,
We now continue our look at the schedules of the Power Five conferences. Let's take a look at the Big XII and the SEC. We still miss you, Stu Nahan.
Big XII
The makeup of the Big XII remains unchanged for 2016.
Big XII: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
Top five non conference games in the Big XII
9/2- Kansas State at Stanford: This is the first meeting between these schools. A win over a Big XII contender helps Stanford nationally and for KSU an upset would be great. Never count out old surly HC Bill Snyder and Wildcats. However, the numbers don't help them here. Stanford hasn't lost a non conference home game since 2007 and KSU has lost seven straight to ranked foes.
9/10- Theee Ohio State at Oklahoma: I already wrote about this game in the previous blog, but this is one of those big, big, big games of the season. Will folks speak of this game and Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops as they do of Woody Hayes and Barry Switzer in their battle at The Horseshoe back in 1977. Only time will tell.
9/10- Arkansas at TCU: These two old Southwest Conference foes haven't met since 1991 where the Razorbacks walked away with a 22-21 win. Arkansas has been a real up and down team lately, but when they are up, watch out. Just ask LSU how it felt when the Hogs were rolling last year. TCU will be a strong club and needs a big home win to balance out their very weak non conference schedule.
9/10- Texas Tech at Arizona State: This is matchup of old Border Conference members. For Texas Tech it's a chance to play in a tough road environment against a quality Pac 12 foe. For ASU it's advanced scouting for their game later in the year with Washington State as both Tech and Wazzu both run the same Air-Raid Offense.
Bonus Border Conference Trivia: Texas Tech and Arizona State were members of the Border Conference form 1932-56 and never played each other. They've only face each other twice. The played in 1999 and in the 2013 Holiday Bowl. The series is tied at 1-1.
9/17- Texas at California: The last time the Longhorns visited Berkeley, they spanked the Golden Bears on their way to a national title back in 1969. For the Longhorns this game is huge as they need to establish a better California recruiting base and whipping a down Cal team will help with that effort. For the Golden Bears, a big home win would help the Bears get past the Jared Goff era.
Top five conference games in the Big XII
9/24- Oklahoma State at Baylor: This is where Baylor finds out how good they are. After three very weak non conference games, the Bears jump into Big XII play with all those questions surrounding the program after the scandal. For Okie State, a win over Baylor gives them a boost to the upper echelon of the league.
10/1- Oklahoma at TCU: The winner of this game has the inside track to the Big XII title and a College Football Playoff berth. Period.
10/8- Texas v. Oklahoma: Oklahoma will either be way up or way down after their previous week's game v. TCU. Texas made a statement last year at the Sooners expense and would love to do it again. The old Cotton Bowl will be rocking.
11/5- TCU at Baylor: By the time this game rolls around, folks will know if Baylor is still a threat to win the Big XII or if the scandal has taken its' toll on the team and downhill slide of the program has begun. If it is the latter, the Frogs will roll all over the Bears.
11/12- Iowa State at Kansas: Somebody will get a conference win here. No, seriously, I mean that. For Kansas a win would make their football fans, all several hundred of them, giddy. For Iowa State a win is expected, a loss would really invalidate whatever progress the Cyclones may have made under new HC Matt Campbell.
Big XII Scheduling Observations...
...1-0; That's what Kansas should be after opening up the season at home v. FCS also ran, Rhode Island. The much needed win would break a 15-game losing streak for the Jayhawks.
...'98-'38-Never; West Virginia's non conference slate features teams they haven't face since the last century and one they've never faced at all. WVU played Missouri in the 1998 Insight Bowl, hosted Youngstown State in 1938 and will play BYU for the first time ever this year.
...Austin in their rear view mirror; Texas has a four week stretch without a home game this year. The four weeks feature two road games, a neutral site game and a bye.
...Tough Triple; Texas Tech plays Oklahoma, TCU and Texas in three straight weeks.
...Power-Five-Less; Baylor doesn't face a team from a Power Five conference yet again this season in their non conference slate. That's six years in a row at least.
...Don't go low; Oklahoma is the only team in the Big XII that doesn't play an FCS school this year.
SEC
The makeup of the SEC remains unchanged for 2016.
SEC East: Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt
SEC West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi. Mississippi State, and Texas A&M.
Top five non conference games in the SEC
9/3- USC v. Alabama at AT&T Stadium: This is a big game alright. For Bama and the SEC it's a rare match with a Pac 12 school. For Bama a win shows that the defending national champions are rolling like a machine. For the SEC, a win over the Pac 12 keeps the SEC in the top of the conference pecking order.
9/3- LSU v. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field: Yes, this is an actual non conference game from an SEC team that isn't being played in the south. Cheeseheads and Corn Dogs. What a matchup!
9/3- UCLA at Texas A&M: Can the 12th Man defeat Sports Illustrated cover boy Josh Rosen and the bRuins? If they do, it could be a big year in College Station.
9/5- Florida State v. Ole Miss at The Citrus Bowl: This is a huge huge huge game for the Rebels as a win would establish them as a true contender for the national title. A win for FSU gives them a quality victory over an SEC contender.
9/10- Arkansas at TCU: A win for the Razorbacks over their old Southwest Conference foe would vault the hogs into the national discussion.
Top five conference games in the SEC
9/17- Alabama at Ole Miss: Can the Rebels make it three in a row over the Crimson Tide? These Rebels can easily do this to Bama again. Remember, the Rebels lost a one point heart breaker in overtime to Arkansas to keep them out of the SEC title game last year.
9/24- Florida at Tennessee: This is the SEC opener for the Volunteers and if they want to live up to their preseason hype, they have to snap their 11-game losing streak to the Gators. Plenty of question marks exist about Florida's offense coming into this season, so the guys with the checkerboard end zones need to take advantage of it.
9/24- Georgia at Ole Miss: This game is huge for the culture at Georgia. Can the Bulldogs win a big road game? UGa new HC Kirby Smart will find out just how long his honeymoon in Athens will last after this game.
10/8- Alabama at Arkansas: Over the last two seasons, the Hogs have given the Tide all they can handle. Throw in the fact that this game comes the week before Bama heads to Tennessee and you can see how the environment is ripe for an upset here.
11/5- Alabama at LSU: Is this really that big of a game? If LSU doesn't develop a abetter passing game, it won't be. The Crimson Tide will just stack the box and make LSU's Leonard Fournette just and ordinary player again. Also, after surviving last year's attempted coup, LSU HC Les Miles has to win this game or he won't be in Baton Rouge in 2017.
SEC Scheduling Observations...
...Take 'em out early; In their non conference slates, the SEC has major games against power teams from the other four Power Five Conferences. If the SEC gets a clean sweep of those games, the SEC is solidified as the top conference and will most likely get two teams into the College Football Playoff.
...They have bottom feeders too; SEC folks who proclaim how strong their league is from top to bottom seem to forget that Vanderbilt and Kentucky are league members.
...No frequent flyer miles; The SEC plays just four road non conference games this year. Arkansas's date at TCU is the best of these games, while Mississippi State's game at BYU in October just seems odd.
...League foes in name only; Anybody else find it odd that Alabama and Kentucky, who have been members of the SEC since 1932, have only played each other 13 times in the last 45 years?
...Season on an early brink; The loser of the South Carolina-Vanderbilt game on 9/1 will have the stigma of being basically out of contention for the SEC East crown before labor day.
...Sometimes it don't apply; An old college football adage states that you always remember the games played in November. I don't find that ringing true for the SEC when their November slates are filled with the likes of Charleston-Southern, Austin Peay and Western Carolina.
...A digression with Carolina on my mind; How many Carolina's are there? I know of North Carolina, South Carolina, North Carolina State, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina, And North Carolina A&T and I'm sure I've missed a few off the top of my head. How many Carolina's can two small states have?
...Old, old foes; Auburn and Georgia will play for the 120th time this year. The series stands 56-55-8 in Georgia's favor.
...Home cooking; Throwing out the neutral site games, nine SEC teams play four true road games, three play five true road games, and only Mississippi State and Vandy play six true road games.
...Home cooking- Part II; Auburn plays five straight home game to start the season. They don't hit the road until they face Mississippi State on 10/8.
Notes on the Southern Hemisphere...
Tonight's Hawaii-Cal game in Sydney is the third FBS level football game ever played in Australia. The first game was back on 12/7/1985 Where Wyoming beat UTEP on a 34-yard field goal by Andy Cottingham in the Australia Bowl At Melbourne's VFL Park. Then, in 1987 at Prince's Park, also in Melbourne, BYU knocked off Colorado State, 30-26 behind two TD passes and a TD run by Cougar QB Sean Covey.
Friday Night Lights...
In addition to Hawaii and Cal kicking off the college season, the high school season starts tonight in California. So tonight, while watching the college game, I just may have my front door cracked open so I can hear the band and the crowd from old San Pedro High. Go Pirates!
Until next time folks, remember that best time of the year is at hand and we are all lucky enough to spend a great amount of time following this great game with the funny bouncing ball.
-The Commissioner
We now continue our look at the schedules of the Power Five conferences. Let's take a look at the Big XII and the SEC. We still miss you, Stu Nahan.
Big XII
The makeup of the Big XII remains unchanged for 2016.
Big XII: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
Top five non conference games in the Big XII
9/2- Kansas State at Stanford: This is the first meeting between these schools. A win over a Big XII contender helps Stanford nationally and for KSU an upset would be great. Never count out old surly HC Bill Snyder and Wildcats. However, the numbers don't help them here. Stanford hasn't lost a non conference home game since 2007 and KSU has lost seven straight to ranked foes.
9/10- Theee Ohio State at Oklahoma: I already wrote about this game in the previous blog, but this is one of those big, big, big games of the season. Will folks speak of this game and Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops as they do of Woody Hayes and Barry Switzer in their battle at The Horseshoe back in 1977. Only time will tell.
9/10- Arkansas at TCU: These two old Southwest Conference foes haven't met since 1991 where the Razorbacks walked away with a 22-21 win. Arkansas has been a real up and down team lately, but when they are up, watch out. Just ask LSU how it felt when the Hogs were rolling last year. TCU will be a strong club and needs a big home win to balance out their very weak non conference schedule.
9/10- Texas Tech at Arizona State: This is matchup of old Border Conference members. For Texas Tech it's a chance to play in a tough road environment against a quality Pac 12 foe. For ASU it's advanced scouting for their game later in the year with Washington State as both Tech and Wazzu both run the same Air-Raid Offense.
Bonus Border Conference Trivia: Texas Tech and Arizona State were members of the Border Conference form 1932-56 and never played each other. They've only face each other twice. The played in 1999 and in the 2013 Holiday Bowl. The series is tied at 1-1.
9/17- Texas at California: The last time the Longhorns visited Berkeley, they spanked the Golden Bears on their way to a national title back in 1969. For the Longhorns this game is huge as they need to establish a better California recruiting base and whipping a down Cal team will help with that effort. For the Golden Bears, a big home win would help the Bears get past the Jared Goff era.
Top five conference games in the Big XII
9/24- Oklahoma State at Baylor: This is where Baylor finds out how good they are. After three very weak non conference games, the Bears jump into Big XII play with all those questions surrounding the program after the scandal. For Okie State, a win over Baylor gives them a boost to the upper echelon of the league.
10/1- Oklahoma at TCU: The winner of this game has the inside track to the Big XII title and a College Football Playoff berth. Period.
10/8- Texas v. Oklahoma: Oklahoma will either be way up or way down after their previous week's game v. TCU. Texas made a statement last year at the Sooners expense and would love to do it again. The old Cotton Bowl will be rocking.
11/5- TCU at Baylor: By the time this game rolls around, folks will know if Baylor is still a threat to win the Big XII or if the scandal has taken its' toll on the team and downhill slide of the program has begun. If it is the latter, the Frogs will roll all over the Bears.
11/12- Iowa State at Kansas: Somebody will get a conference win here. No, seriously, I mean that. For Kansas a win would make their football fans, all several hundred of them, giddy. For Iowa State a win is expected, a loss would really invalidate whatever progress the Cyclones may have made under new HC Matt Campbell.
Big XII Scheduling Observations...
...1-0; That's what Kansas should be after opening up the season at home v. FCS also ran, Rhode Island. The much needed win would break a 15-game losing streak for the Jayhawks.
...'98-'38-Never; West Virginia's non conference slate features teams they haven't face since the last century and one they've never faced at all. WVU played Missouri in the 1998 Insight Bowl, hosted Youngstown State in 1938 and will play BYU for the first time ever this year.
...Austin in their rear view mirror; Texas has a four week stretch without a home game this year. The four weeks feature two road games, a neutral site game and a bye.
...Tough Triple; Texas Tech plays Oklahoma, TCU and Texas in three straight weeks.
...Power-Five-Less; Baylor doesn't face a team from a Power Five conference yet again this season in their non conference slate. That's six years in a row at least.
...Don't go low; Oklahoma is the only team in the Big XII that doesn't play an FCS school this year.
SEC
The makeup of the SEC remains unchanged for 2016.
SEC East: Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt
SEC West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi. Mississippi State, and Texas A&M.
Top five non conference games in the SEC
9/3- USC v. Alabama at AT&T Stadium: This is a big game alright. For Bama and the SEC it's a rare match with a Pac 12 school. For Bama a win shows that the defending national champions are rolling like a machine. For the SEC, a win over the Pac 12 keeps the SEC in the top of the conference pecking order.
9/3- LSU v. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field: Yes, this is an actual non conference game from an SEC team that isn't being played in the south. Cheeseheads and Corn Dogs. What a matchup!
9/3- UCLA at Texas A&M: Can the 12th Man defeat Sports Illustrated cover boy Josh Rosen and the bRuins? If they do, it could be a big year in College Station.
9/5- Florida State v. Ole Miss at The Citrus Bowl: This is a huge huge huge game for the Rebels as a win would establish them as a true contender for the national title. A win for FSU gives them a quality victory over an SEC contender.
9/10- Arkansas at TCU: A win for the Razorbacks over their old Southwest Conference foe would vault the hogs into the national discussion.
Top five conference games in the SEC
9/17- Alabama at Ole Miss: Can the Rebels make it three in a row over the Crimson Tide? These Rebels can easily do this to Bama again. Remember, the Rebels lost a one point heart breaker in overtime to Arkansas to keep them out of the SEC title game last year.
9/24- Florida at Tennessee: This is the SEC opener for the Volunteers and if they want to live up to their preseason hype, they have to snap their 11-game losing streak to the Gators. Plenty of question marks exist about Florida's offense coming into this season, so the guys with the checkerboard end zones need to take advantage of it.
9/24- Georgia at Ole Miss: This game is huge for the culture at Georgia. Can the Bulldogs win a big road game? UGa new HC Kirby Smart will find out just how long his honeymoon in Athens will last after this game.
10/8- Alabama at Arkansas: Over the last two seasons, the Hogs have given the Tide all they can handle. Throw in the fact that this game comes the week before Bama heads to Tennessee and you can see how the environment is ripe for an upset here.
11/5- Alabama at LSU: Is this really that big of a game? If LSU doesn't develop a abetter passing game, it won't be. The Crimson Tide will just stack the box and make LSU's Leonard Fournette just and ordinary player again. Also, after surviving last year's attempted coup, LSU HC Les Miles has to win this game or he won't be in Baton Rouge in 2017.
SEC Scheduling Observations...
...Take 'em out early; In their non conference slates, the SEC has major games against power teams from the other four Power Five Conferences. If the SEC gets a clean sweep of those games, the SEC is solidified as the top conference and will most likely get two teams into the College Football Playoff.
...They have bottom feeders too; SEC folks who proclaim how strong their league is from top to bottom seem to forget that Vanderbilt and Kentucky are league members.
...No frequent flyer miles; The SEC plays just four road non conference games this year. Arkansas's date at TCU is the best of these games, while Mississippi State's game at BYU in October just seems odd.
...League foes in name only; Anybody else find it odd that Alabama and Kentucky, who have been members of the SEC since 1932, have only played each other 13 times in the last 45 years?
...Season on an early brink; The loser of the South Carolina-Vanderbilt game on 9/1 will have the stigma of being basically out of contention for the SEC East crown before labor day.
...Sometimes it don't apply; An old college football adage states that you always remember the games played in November. I don't find that ringing true for the SEC when their November slates are filled with the likes of Charleston-Southern, Austin Peay and Western Carolina.
...A digression with Carolina on my mind; How many Carolina's are there? I know of North Carolina, South Carolina, North Carolina State, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina, And North Carolina A&T and I'm sure I've missed a few off the top of my head. How many Carolina's can two small states have?
...Old, old foes; Auburn and Georgia will play for the 120th time this year. The series stands 56-55-8 in Georgia's favor.
...Home cooking; Throwing out the neutral site games, nine SEC teams play four true road games, three play five true road games, and only Mississippi State and Vandy play six true road games.
...Home cooking- Part II; Auburn plays five straight home game to start the season. They don't hit the road until they face Mississippi State on 10/8.
Notes on the Southern Hemisphere...
Tonight's Hawaii-Cal game in Sydney is the third FBS level football game ever played in Australia. The first game was back on 12/7/1985 Where Wyoming beat UTEP on a 34-yard field goal by Andy Cottingham in the Australia Bowl At Melbourne's VFL Park. Then, in 1987 at Prince's Park, also in Melbourne, BYU knocked off Colorado State, 30-26 behind two TD passes and a TD run by Cougar QB Sean Covey.
Friday Night Lights...
In addition to Hawaii and Cal kicking off the college season, the high school season starts tonight in California. So tonight, while watching the college game, I just may have my front door cracked open so I can hear the band and the crowd from old San Pedro High. Go Pirates!
Until next time folks, remember that best time of the year is at hand and we are all lucky enough to spend a great amount of time following this great game with the funny bouncing ball.
-The Commissioner
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Schedules Part I
Hey All, It's time for our look at the schedules of the Power Five conferences. In this edition will focus on the ACC, Notre Dame and the Big Ten. We still miss you, Jim Murray.
The ACC
The makeup of the ACC remains unchanged for 2016
ACC Atlantic: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracue, and Wake Forest.
ACC Coastal: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Top five non conference games in the ACC
9/3- Clemson at Auburn: This one is for Clemson to face a tough road challenge and maybe beat one team from the state of Alabama. A win for Clemson solidifies the Tigers as a contender for the 2016 national title.
9/5- Florida State v. Ole Miss: This game will take place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. A win gives Florida State a sweet victory over a school that has been a thorn in Alabama's side. Make no mistake that this game and the the Clemson-Auburn game can make the ACC look like equals to the SEC, not just their neighbors.
9/10- Virginia Tech v. Tennessee: NASCAR meets college football as this game will be played at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The venue is also just about halfway between the two schools. This game is an early referendum on just how far justin Fuente's Hokies have come since his takeover of the program in the offseason.
9/10- Virginia at Oregon: Autzen Stadium isn't an easy place to play, but new Uva HC Bronco Mendenhall will defiitely find out just how far his team has come in a short time. It also gives the ACC a look at one of the Pac 12's upper echelon teams.
11/17- Louisville at Houston: This is a battle of former C-USA foes. Houston turned heads last year under HC Tom Herman will easily give Louisville all they can handle. the season. It's a basic trap game for Louisville as they finish ACC play the week prior against Wake Forest and play their rivalry game with Kentucky the week after.
Top five conference games in the ACC
10/1: Louisville at Clemson: Louisville will have already faced Florida State by the time this game rolls around, so two scenarios are in play for the Cardinals. Scenario one is that Louisville has upset Florida State and can take a stranglehold on the Atlantic Divison with another big win. Scenario two is that the Cardinals have lost to FSU and need win to retain some hope of winning the division. For Clemson, a win over Louisville sets up their showdown with FSU later in the season.
10/8: Florida State at Miami: This game is Mark Richt's first shot at the 'Noles as the Miami HC. I'm sure this game has been circled on the Miami calendar for awhile.
10/8: Virginia Tech at North Carolina: The Hokies are fighting for respect this season and North Carolina is fighting for the Coastal Division title. This is also a class sandwich game for the Tar Heels. The week before UNC plays at FSU, then plays at Miami the week after this game. Upset Alert for the Tar Heels.
10/29: Clemson at Florida State: Barring a Louisville uprising this year, this is the game for all the marbles in the Atlantic Division.
11/11: Boston College at Florida State: BC has played FSU tough in recent years and every year BC has pulled an upset or two in the past few seasons.
ACC Scheduling Observations...
...That natural feel; Georgia Tech is one of only two teams to play all their games on natural grass this season. 16 FBS teams play their entire schedule on the fake stuff.
...Tough Triple; NC State has three game stretch where they host Notre Dame, then play at Clemson and Louisville.
...A fence around the state; Miami hosts Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, and Florida State this year.
...A pair of '71s; North Carolina will face Georgia for the first time since 1971, and will also travel to Illinois for the first time since 1971.
...It really counts; Pittsburgh and Clemson will face each other for the first time as as ACC foes this season. In their only other meeting, Jackie Sherrill's Panther's whipped Clemson, 34-3 in the 1977 Gator Bowl. Pitt QB Matt Cavanaugh threw for 387 yards and four TDs.
...The Tri-State Area; Georgia Tech's last six games revolve all around the states of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The Yellow Jackets play Georgia Southern, Duke, North Carolina, Va Tech, Virginia, and Georgia.
...Virginia hasn't won a road opener since they won at Indiana in 2011. This year doesn't look for breaking the losing streak. The Wahoo's first road game is at Oregon.
Notre Dame (An associate member of the ACC in football)
Notre Dame has the friends with benefits package in the FBS. The play five ACC games a year and have access to all the league's bowl tie-ins. Desperate much, ACC?
ND scheduling Observations...
...Get that Texas thought off your minds; Yes, it is a big game for ND as they open up at Texas on 9/4. However, the Irish own the series with a 9-2 record v. the Longhorns who haven't won in this series since the 1970 Cotton Bowl.
...6-5 you pick'em; Notre Dame has six wins over Pac 12 schools in the last five years. Colorado has just five.
...A thing for neutral tones; Notre Dame is 16-1 in neutral site games since 2000. The Irish play three neutral site game this year. The play Syracuse in New Jersey, Navy in Jacksonville, and Army in San Antonio.
...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that both ND and USC both scheduled their bye week for 10/22 so they could attend the Jimmy Buffett concert at Irvine Meadows.
..100%; That's the chance that ND HC Brian Kelly will chew out his QB on the sideline in every game.
...Hitting the hot beds; ND will play a game in three of the biggest talent rich states in the nation as they play in Florida, Texas, and California.
...A Big Ten date; The Fighting Irish have played at least one Big Ten team in all but one of the last 100 years.
The Big Ten
The makeup of the Big Ten remains unchanged for 2016.
Big Ten East: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers
Big Ten West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
Top five non conference games in the Big Ten
9/3- LSU v. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field: Even though it is officially a neutral site game, the Bayou Bengals may have committed an SEC sin by playing a non-conference game that isn't in their own backyard. This could be a long game for the Badger faithful as their DC from 2015, Dave Aranda is now the DC at LSU. I think it's safe to say that he'll provide some inside knowledge of the Badgers to his new boss, Les Miles.
9/10- Penn State at Pittsburgh: For almost 100 years these two played in one of the classic rivalry games of college football,, The game was one of the first casualties of conference realignment. with the two teams not facing each other since 2000. In addition to rivalry bragging rights, this game will also see where the Big Ten stands in relation to the ACC.
9/17- Theee Ohio State at Oklahoma: This is just the third time these two teams are getting together in their illustrious history. The series stands tied at a win a piece with the Buckeyes picking up their win at OU back in 1983. Earle Bruce's Scarlet and Gray topped Barry Switzer's Crimson and Cream, 24-14. Both teams should come into this one at 2-0 and with the whole country watching. Will Urabn Meyer outwit Bob Stoops? Who knows, but is should be a fun game.
9/17- Oregon at Nebraska: this game should be called Riley's Civil War. The old Beaver HC will face a familiar foe in Oregon. This Pac 12- Big Ten showdown will have many folks watching and wondering if Nebraska is better than last year and can they handle Oregon's speed? I don't think Nebraska can, because we all know that in the Big Ten speed is just a controlled substance.
9/17- Michigan State at Notre Dame: The Big Ten, not just MSU needs a win here. An MSU win makes the Big Ten look strong and puts ND's playoff hopes on the brink of collapse early. This game is also the Big Ten's only shot at toppling the Irish this season.
Top Five conference games in the Big Ten
9/24- Nebraska at Northwestern: Yeah, it looks like this one doesn't belong on the list. Maybe it doesn't, but these facts put it on the list. This is the Big Ten opener for both schools. Northwestern will be well rested as they will be playing their fourth home game in a row to start the season. The Cornhuskers will be coming off their clash with Oregon. Nebraska is just 3-2 v. Northwestern since joining the Big Ten and four of those games have been decided by three points or less.
10/22- Wisconsin at Iowa: This has become the de facto Big Ten West title game as of late with the Badgers still smarting from their 10-6 defeat last year. The Hawkeyes forced four turnovers and held for downs at their own 16-yard line with :36 left to play to walk out of Camp Randall Stadium with the huge road win. Revenge will be on Badger minds, but this game comes at the end of a tough four game run and they just may not have any gas left in the tank for the Hawkeyes.
11/12- Michigan at Iowa: This game is big in that it very well could be an advance look at the Big Ten title game. Enough said.
10/29- Michigan State at Michigan: This game is for who will have the best chance to dethrone Ohio State in the Big Ten East. The winner will most likely control their own destiny in the division while the loser will need help to advance to the Big Ten title game.
11/26- Michigan at Ohio State: If Jim Harbaugh's hubris is validated on the field this season, this could be a really, really good game. If the Michigan program rises as a whole this rivalry could be back in the Bo v. Woody level of importance that both schools have wanted for so long. It may also be safe to say that Urban Meyer can't wait to get Harbaugh back in the Horseshoe for a beating. Can't be any love lost between these two guys, because there wasn't any between them to start.
Big Ten Scheduling Observations...
...Note to Iowa; You're supposed to schedule a weak FCS team to beat early in the year, not the five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State Bison. Facepalm.
...Five the easy way; Michigan plays five straight home games to start the season. They don't hit the road until 10/8 when they travel to Rutgers.
...Not many air miles; Throwing neutral site games to the wayside, the Big Ten will play only five non conference road games this year. Maryland claims two of those five games with trips to Florida International on 9/9 and Central Florida on 9/17. Rutgers makes the longest trip as they open up at Washington on 9/3.
...Rodent War Pac 12 style; Minnesota hosts Oregon State on 9/1 to start the season. The Gophers are 2-1 lifetime v. the Beavers and all games in this series have beeen played at Minnesota. Last time they met was back in 1981, QB Mike Hohensee torched the Beavers for five TDs in a 42-12 Golden Gopher win.
...Not a good six pack; After ducking Thee OSU, UM, And MSU last year , Wisconsin will face all three plus their big three division foes, Iowa, Nebraska, and Northwestern in brutal stretch of six games in seven weeks with a bye thrown in. They will face UM, MSU, Iowa and Northwestern all on the road.
...Made to make a bowl game schedule; Minnesota won't face Theee OSU, UM, or MSU this year.
...You know you're not good when; When you're projected to finish dead last in the Big Ten West behind an Illinois team that is a salvage operation coming into this season. Way to go, Purdue.
...Not a business trip; There's no truth to the rumor that the Duke-Northwestern game this year will feature a symposium at halftime for both squads to discuss financial and legal internships in the greater Chicago area.
...Still making introductions; When Maryland visits Nebraska on 11/19, it will be the first meeting ever between the two conference foes.
Until next time folks, remember that no games are ever won on paper.
-The Commissioner
The ACC
The makeup of the ACC remains unchanged for 2016
ACC Atlantic: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracue, and Wake Forest.
ACC Coastal: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Top five non conference games in the ACC
9/3- Clemson at Auburn: This one is for Clemson to face a tough road challenge and maybe beat one team from the state of Alabama. A win for Clemson solidifies the Tigers as a contender for the 2016 national title.
9/5- Florida State v. Ole Miss: This game will take place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. A win gives Florida State a sweet victory over a school that has been a thorn in Alabama's side. Make no mistake that this game and the the Clemson-Auburn game can make the ACC look like equals to the SEC, not just their neighbors.
9/10- Virginia Tech v. Tennessee: NASCAR meets college football as this game will be played at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The venue is also just about halfway between the two schools. This game is an early referendum on just how far justin Fuente's Hokies have come since his takeover of the program in the offseason.
9/10- Virginia at Oregon: Autzen Stadium isn't an easy place to play, but new Uva HC Bronco Mendenhall will defiitely find out just how far his team has come in a short time. It also gives the ACC a look at one of the Pac 12's upper echelon teams.
11/17- Louisville at Houston: This is a battle of former C-USA foes. Houston turned heads last year under HC Tom Herman will easily give Louisville all they can handle. the season. It's a basic trap game for Louisville as they finish ACC play the week prior against Wake Forest and play their rivalry game with Kentucky the week after.
Top five conference games in the ACC
10/1: Louisville at Clemson: Louisville will have already faced Florida State by the time this game rolls around, so two scenarios are in play for the Cardinals. Scenario one is that Louisville has upset Florida State and can take a stranglehold on the Atlantic Divison with another big win. Scenario two is that the Cardinals have lost to FSU and need win to retain some hope of winning the division. For Clemson, a win over Louisville sets up their showdown with FSU later in the season.
10/8: Florida State at Miami: This game is Mark Richt's first shot at the 'Noles as the Miami HC. I'm sure this game has been circled on the Miami calendar for awhile.
10/8: Virginia Tech at North Carolina: The Hokies are fighting for respect this season and North Carolina is fighting for the Coastal Division title. This is also a class sandwich game for the Tar Heels. The week before UNC plays at FSU, then plays at Miami the week after this game. Upset Alert for the Tar Heels.
10/29: Clemson at Florida State: Barring a Louisville uprising this year, this is the game for all the marbles in the Atlantic Division.
11/11: Boston College at Florida State: BC has played FSU tough in recent years and every year BC has pulled an upset or two in the past few seasons.
ACC Scheduling Observations...
...That natural feel; Georgia Tech is one of only two teams to play all their games on natural grass this season. 16 FBS teams play their entire schedule on the fake stuff.
...Tough Triple; NC State has three game stretch where they host Notre Dame, then play at Clemson and Louisville.
...A fence around the state; Miami hosts Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, and Florida State this year.
...A pair of '71s; North Carolina will face Georgia for the first time since 1971, and will also travel to Illinois for the first time since 1971.
...It really counts; Pittsburgh and Clemson will face each other for the first time as as ACC foes this season. In their only other meeting, Jackie Sherrill's Panther's whipped Clemson, 34-3 in the 1977 Gator Bowl. Pitt QB Matt Cavanaugh threw for 387 yards and four TDs.
...The Tri-State Area; Georgia Tech's last six games revolve all around the states of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The Yellow Jackets play Georgia Southern, Duke, North Carolina, Va Tech, Virginia, and Georgia.
...Virginia hasn't won a road opener since they won at Indiana in 2011. This year doesn't look for breaking the losing streak. The Wahoo's first road game is at Oregon.
Notre Dame (An associate member of the ACC in football)
Notre Dame has the friends with benefits package in the FBS. The play five ACC games a year and have access to all the league's bowl tie-ins. Desperate much, ACC?
ND scheduling Observations...
...Get that Texas thought off your minds; Yes, it is a big game for ND as they open up at Texas on 9/4. However, the Irish own the series with a 9-2 record v. the Longhorns who haven't won in this series since the 1970 Cotton Bowl.
...6-5 you pick'em; Notre Dame has six wins over Pac 12 schools in the last five years. Colorado has just five.
...A thing for neutral tones; Notre Dame is 16-1 in neutral site games since 2000. The Irish play three neutral site game this year. The play Syracuse in New Jersey, Navy in Jacksonville, and Army in San Antonio.
...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that both ND and USC both scheduled their bye week for 10/22 so they could attend the Jimmy Buffett concert at Irvine Meadows.
..100%; That's the chance that ND HC Brian Kelly will chew out his QB on the sideline in every game.
...Hitting the hot beds; ND will play a game in three of the biggest talent rich states in the nation as they play in Florida, Texas, and California.
...A Big Ten date; The Fighting Irish have played at least one Big Ten team in all but one of the last 100 years.
The Big Ten
The makeup of the Big Ten remains unchanged for 2016.
Big Ten East: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers
Big Ten West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
Top five non conference games in the Big Ten
9/3- LSU v. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field: Even though it is officially a neutral site game, the Bayou Bengals may have committed an SEC sin by playing a non-conference game that isn't in their own backyard. This could be a long game for the Badger faithful as their DC from 2015, Dave Aranda is now the DC at LSU. I think it's safe to say that he'll provide some inside knowledge of the Badgers to his new boss, Les Miles.
9/10- Penn State at Pittsburgh: For almost 100 years these two played in one of the classic rivalry games of college football,, The game was one of the first casualties of conference realignment. with the two teams not facing each other since 2000. In addition to rivalry bragging rights, this game will also see where the Big Ten stands in relation to the ACC.
9/17- Theee Ohio State at Oklahoma: This is just the third time these two teams are getting together in their illustrious history. The series stands tied at a win a piece with the Buckeyes picking up their win at OU back in 1983. Earle Bruce's Scarlet and Gray topped Barry Switzer's Crimson and Cream, 24-14. Both teams should come into this one at 2-0 and with the whole country watching. Will Urabn Meyer outwit Bob Stoops? Who knows, but is should be a fun game.
9/17- Oregon at Nebraska: this game should be called Riley's Civil War. The old Beaver HC will face a familiar foe in Oregon. This Pac 12- Big Ten showdown will have many folks watching and wondering if Nebraska is better than last year and can they handle Oregon's speed? I don't think Nebraska can, because we all know that in the Big Ten speed is just a controlled substance.
9/17- Michigan State at Notre Dame: The Big Ten, not just MSU needs a win here. An MSU win makes the Big Ten look strong and puts ND's playoff hopes on the brink of collapse early. This game is also the Big Ten's only shot at toppling the Irish this season.
Top Five conference games in the Big Ten
9/24- Nebraska at Northwestern: Yeah, it looks like this one doesn't belong on the list. Maybe it doesn't, but these facts put it on the list. This is the Big Ten opener for both schools. Northwestern will be well rested as they will be playing their fourth home game in a row to start the season. The Cornhuskers will be coming off their clash with Oregon. Nebraska is just 3-2 v. Northwestern since joining the Big Ten and four of those games have been decided by three points or less.
10/22- Wisconsin at Iowa: This has become the de facto Big Ten West title game as of late with the Badgers still smarting from their 10-6 defeat last year. The Hawkeyes forced four turnovers and held for downs at their own 16-yard line with :36 left to play to walk out of Camp Randall Stadium with the huge road win. Revenge will be on Badger minds, but this game comes at the end of a tough four game run and they just may not have any gas left in the tank for the Hawkeyes.
11/12- Michigan at Iowa: This game is big in that it very well could be an advance look at the Big Ten title game. Enough said.
10/29- Michigan State at Michigan: This game is for who will have the best chance to dethrone Ohio State in the Big Ten East. The winner will most likely control their own destiny in the division while the loser will need help to advance to the Big Ten title game.
11/26- Michigan at Ohio State: If Jim Harbaugh's hubris is validated on the field this season, this could be a really, really good game. If the Michigan program rises as a whole this rivalry could be back in the Bo v. Woody level of importance that both schools have wanted for so long. It may also be safe to say that Urban Meyer can't wait to get Harbaugh back in the Horseshoe for a beating. Can't be any love lost between these two guys, because there wasn't any between them to start.
Big Ten Scheduling Observations...
...Note to Iowa; You're supposed to schedule a weak FCS team to beat early in the year, not the five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State Bison. Facepalm.
...Five the easy way; Michigan plays five straight home games to start the season. They don't hit the road until 10/8 when they travel to Rutgers.
...Not many air miles; Throwing neutral site games to the wayside, the Big Ten will play only five non conference road games this year. Maryland claims two of those five games with trips to Florida International on 9/9 and Central Florida on 9/17. Rutgers makes the longest trip as they open up at Washington on 9/3.
...Rodent War Pac 12 style; Minnesota hosts Oregon State on 9/1 to start the season. The Gophers are 2-1 lifetime v. the Beavers and all games in this series have beeen played at Minnesota. Last time they met was back in 1981, QB Mike Hohensee torched the Beavers for five TDs in a 42-12 Golden Gopher win.
...Not a good six pack; After ducking Thee OSU, UM, And MSU last year , Wisconsin will face all three plus their big three division foes, Iowa, Nebraska, and Northwestern in brutal stretch of six games in seven weeks with a bye thrown in. They will face UM, MSU, Iowa and Northwestern all on the road.
...Made to make a bowl game schedule; Minnesota won't face Theee OSU, UM, or MSU this year.
...You know you're not good when; When you're projected to finish dead last in the Big Ten West behind an Illinois team that is a salvage operation coming into this season. Way to go, Purdue.
...Not a business trip; There's no truth to the rumor that the Duke-Northwestern game this year will feature a symposium at halftime for both squads to discuss financial and legal internships in the greater Chicago area.
...Still making introductions; When Maryland visits Nebraska on 11/19, it will be the first meeting ever between the two conference foes.
Until next time folks, remember that no games are ever won on paper.
-The Commissioner
Thursday, August 4, 2016
The Coaching Carousel
Hey All,
It's time to get this party started for 2016. Let's start with a ride on the old Coaching Carousel. We really miss you, Tom Kelly.
Please note: the hiring of Clay Helton at USC is not in this article because almost everyone reading this article pretty much knows the story of how Helton got the USC job.
Ball State
Out: Pete Lembo
In: Mike Neu
Pete Lembo's departure from the Alma Mater of David Letterman was a shocker in MAC circles. Lembo had built the Cardinals into a steady contender in the league. The team did dip in recent seasons sporting an uncharacteristic 3-9 record in 2015. Even with that, Lembo wasn't on any real hot seat. Lembo left all on his own when offered the Assistant HC job at Maryland for their new HC D.J. Durkin. In his place, the Cardinals went with offensive minded Mike Neu. Neu is not new to Ball State. Neu quarterbacked the Cardinals from 1990-93. He started 38 of 41 games as QB and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year Honors in 1993. Neu's coaching career experience comes mainly from arena football. He did serve as the QB coach for Tulane in 2012-3013 then was hired in the same role for the New Orleans Saints for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The big knock on Neu is that he only has those two years at Tulane for college coaching experience. That's a level of inexperience that has many doubting that he can be successful at BSU.
Bowling Green
Out: Dino Babers
In: Mike Jinks
Dino Babers did a good job of building the Bowling Green program up then he took the Syracuse job and left a talented team for new HC Mike Jinks. The hiring of Jinks did not impress many folks in MAC country. That might be because Jinks has spent his entire coaching career in the state of Texas. Jinks' entry into the coaching ranks is pretty good story. After playing QB as Angelo State, he was a waiter in a San Angelo, Texas restaurant. He was serving a party of coaches from Ellison High School and they offered him the job of QB coach. After securing a loan from his old college coach, Jinks earned his teaching certification and took the job. He worked his way up to being the OC at such Texas powers as Robert E. Lee and Galena Park high school. In 2006 he became the HC at Steel High in Cibolo, Texas. Seven years later he left Steel High with a 76-18 record and a Texas 5A Divison II state championship. His next gig was as the RB and AHC at Texas Tech. Despite his lack of experience as a HC in the college game, Jinks just may the toughness to stick around at Bowling Green for awhile.
BYU
Out: Bronco Mendenhall
In: Kalani Sitake
When Bronco Mendenhall left BYU for Virginia last season the obvious replacement for Mendenhall was believed to be Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo. After all Niumatalolo is an LDS member and has a son on the BYU squad. However, Niumatalolo decided to stay at Navy. BYU AD Tom Holmoe then hired the first Tongan HC in FBS history. Kalani Sitake may have been the DC at Oregon State last season, but Sitake is a familiar name in the state of Utah. He played FB at BYU in 1994 and from 1997-2000. He then was a GA at BYU in 2002 which was followed by a stint as an assistant for Southern Utah in 2003-04 before spending from 2005-14 on Kyle Whittingham's staff at Utah. The positives of this hire for the Cougars is Sitake's understanding of the BYU culture and his ability to recruit Polynesian players to Provo. The big knock on him is that he has never been a HC on any level. The opinion of the BYU beat writers is that Sitake will be good for the program and that he is the guy that Holmoe really wanted.
Trivia: Tom Holmoe was the last HC at Cal before Jeff Tedford took over back in 2002.
East Carolina
Out: Ruffin McNeill
In: Scottie Montgomery
Some smaller schools are lucky enough to get a HC that just wants to coach forever at that institution. Ruffin McNeill seemed to be that guy at ECU. He played at ECU from 1976-1979 and started his coaching career in 1980. His career took him to nine different schools over 30 years before landing the HC job at his alma mater. McNeil took a down program and turned it around. The high point of his turnaround was the 2013 season where the Pirates went 10-3 with a win over Ohio U in the Beef o'Brady's Bowl. In 2015, the Pirates finished at 5-7 and Ruffin was let go. The firing was a big surprise to the ECU faithful and media. It was reported that it wasn't the 2015 record that got Ruffin let go, it was his refusal to dismiss some assistants that got him canned. McNeill did not stay unemployed for long. He landed the Assistant HC/LB job at Virginia. After this messy firing, ECU looked a couple hours away across North Carolina to find their next coach. Scottie Montgomery comes from Duke where he was the OC the last two seasons. Montgomery is one of those up and coming young coaches who in his two years with the Blue Devils had the offense in top tier of every category in ACC play. At 37, he is one of the youngest HC's in the country. He also has no HC experience at any level. This is one of this high risk/high reward hires for the Pirates.
Georgia
Out: Mark Richt
In: Kirby Smart
Mark Richt was let go because he couldn't win the big games at Georgia. This means that the man coming into this job better do so immediately if not sooner. This daunting task falls to Kirby Smart who has been Nick Saban's DC the last nine years at Alabama. This job is a homecoming for Smart who was a four year letterman and was an All-SEC selection at DB for the Bulldogs playing in the same defensive backfield with Champ Bailey back in 1998. Smart has a wealth of experience in the SEC but has never been a HC. Hiring Smart is a good move for the Bulldogs. One has to wonder if he will be given time to succeed. If not, Georgia's impatience could have them falling into a tailspin like Nebraska has been in since they fired Frank Solich back in 2003.
Georgia Southern
Out: Willie Fritz
In: Tyson Summers
Under Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern made maybe the best transition to the FBS from the FCS than any program ever has. The Eagles let everyone know they could play on the FBS level back in 2013 when they went into The Swamp and beat the Gators 26-20 without completing a forward pass. Fritz left for Tulane before GSU's Go-Daddy Bowl appearance. The team responded well and whipped Bowling Green, 58-27. Tyson Summers comes to GSU from Colorado State where he was the DC. A Georgia native, he nherits a team talented enough to win the Sun Belt title this season. Summers has gotten pretty much a "Who's He?" response from the media and Eagles fans when announced as the HC. Without a great deal of experience or hype, this may be one of the most lackluster hires of the offseason.
Hawaii
Out: Norm Chow
In: Nick Rolovich
Norm Chow just couldn't get it done at Hawaii. He went 10-36 in paradise and was let go nine games into the 2015 season. After interim HC Chris Naeole went 1-3 to finish the year, the search for a new HC was on. It didn't take long for the Warriors to find their man in Nick Rolovich. Rolovich, a product of Marin Catholic high and the City College of San Francisco, played under June Jones for Hawaii in 2000-2001. He went 8-1 as Hawaii's starting QB in 2001. Rolovich set a Hawaii record with 8 TD passes in a 72-45 win over BYU that year. In his pro career he played in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena league before starting his coaching career. Rolovich had already served on the Hawaii staff as QB coach in 2008-2009 ad then the OC/QB coach in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In the last four seasons he had served as the OC/QB coach at Nevada. Rolovich understands the culture well at Hawaii and hopes are high on the island that he will produce a winner. Winning may not happen right away for the Warriors as they play California in Australia to start the season then play at Michigan six day later.
Illinois
Out: Tim Beckman and Bill Cubit
In: Lovie Smith
Let's go back to the week before the start of last season. Illini HC Tim Beckman was fired over a report citing his abuse of players on the squad. The AD also left in this scandal. OC Bill Cubit was then installed as the interim HC for 2015. Cubit guided the Illini to a 5-7 record and the powers that be in Champaign-Urbana took the interim tag of Cubit and on November 28, 2015 named him the HC, singing him to a two year, 2.4 million dollar contract. Then, in February of this year, UI named formed Illini player Josh Whitman as the new AD. Whitman came in and on March 5th (his first official day on the job) and fired Bill Cubit. Then two days later, Whitman announced the hiring of Lovie Smith as the new HC. Smith had just come off of being fired by Tampa Bay and had coached the Chicago Bears prior to his stint in the Sunshine State. Smith is a huge name and a big get for Illinois. However he has not coached in the college ranks since 1995. The pundits believe that Smith will have to make a big adjustment back to the college game and that building process will take time. Another huge concern is will Smith stay to see it through? If offered another NFL HC job, he may be gone.
Iowa State
Out: Paul Rhoads
In: Matt Campbell
Paul Rhoads was a good coach for the Cyclones, but he could never get the them over the hump in the Big XII. He compiled a 32-55 record in Ames and his teams went just 24-27 over last three seasons. In for Rhoads comes the energetic Matt Campbell. Campbell knows a little bit about winning. He played for the 600 lb. Gorilla of D-III football, Mount Union (OH). After two years as a GA at Bowling Green, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Mount Union won the national title in both of those seasons. After a second two year stint at Bowling Green, Campbell's career really progressed at Toledo. He was the Running Game Coordinator for the Rockets in 2009 an 2010 seasons before assuming the HC when Tim Beckman bolted for Illinois. Campbell amassed a 35-15 record in four seasons at Toledo with four bowl appearances. Local reaction to Campbell has been glowing to say the least. The effusive praise for Campbell sparked this comment over on one of the Iowa football message boards, "Apparently, they hired Bear Bryant at ISU."
Maryland:
Out: Randy Edsall
In: D.J. Durkin
Randy Edsall came to the Maryland program after basically building the UConn program and successfully seeing the teams' transition to the FBS. He never quite pulled off that same kind of winning magic and was let go six games in to the 2015 campaign with a 22-33 record. Durkin comes into the job with a good resume that features two coaching stints with both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. He was Harbaugh's DC last year at Michigan. He's known as a strong recruiter and he needs to be in the Big Ten where Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are all in the Terps' division. The Terps have had some winning teams in the past, but Durkin could become a legend at Maryland if he could win a major bowl game. Maryland hasn't won a major bowl game since defeating Tennessee, 28-13 in the 1952 Sugar Bowl.
Miami
Out: Al Golden
In: Mark Richt
Mark Richt fell victim to John Cooper Syndrome with the Bulldogs. He won a ton of games, but the Dawgs never won the one big game to put the program over the top. Richt was let go by Georgia and stayed unemployed for about five minutes. The former backup to Jim Kelly at Miami will try to revive a program that has fallen on hard times. The nadir for the 'Canes last year was when they were crushed 58-0 by Clemson. Richt is being seen as a savior in Miami circles. However it will take him a while to build the talent level back up again in Coral Gables.
Minnesota
Out: Jerry Kill
In: Tracy Claeys
To say that Tracy Claeys and Jerry Kill have a shared a lot together as coaches would not begin to describe their association. After being named HC of Saginaw Valley State in 1994, Jerry Kill hired Tracy Claeys to be his LB coach. Claeys went with Kill to every other stop along the way serving as Kill's DC at Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. With the Golden Gophers Claeys also acquired the title of Assistant HC to go along with his DC status. Claeys was always there to spell Kill as an interim HC after each of Kill's three very public bouts with epilepsy. Epilepsy claimed Kill's career and he stepped away as HC of the Gophers on October 28th of last season. Claeys guided the Maroon and Gold to a 4-3 record down in that stretch which was caped off with a 21-14 win over Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl. Claeys, the long time assistant, had the interim tag removed from his name on November 11, 2015. Nobody knows how he will do at Minnesota, but it's good to see a guy rewarded for a lifetime of loyalty.
Memphis
Out: Justin Fuente
In: Mike Norvell
Memphis took a flyer on an assistant coach a few years ago and that turned out pretty well, so they have taken a flyer on an even younger one this time around. Mike Norvell replaces Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck as the youngest HC in the FBS. He's 34 years old and if his name sounds familiar to Pac 12 fans, it should be. For the last four seasons Norvell has been the OC at Arizona State. Novell has spent the majority of his career with his old boss Todd Graham. He followed Graham from Tulsa to Pitt to ASU. Even though he has no HC experience on any level he is regarded as a rising star in the coaching ranks. He inherits a talented Memphis roster even with QB Paxton Lynch gone to the Sunday league. 13 returning starters will help his transition, but don't look for Memphis to hit double digit wins in Norvell's first season.
Missouri
Out: Gary Pinkel
In: Barry Odom
The 2015 Missouri season was pretty much a dumpster fire on multiple levels. On the field, the Tiger offense couldn't cross the street, much less find the end zone. Off the field, a brief team boycott over racial issues on the Columbia campus rocked the program. The program rocked more and then reeled when 15 year HC Gary Pinkel retired to concentrate on his fight with lymphoma. So when the Tigers needed someone to come in and lift the program back up, the university turned to a Mizzou lifer, Barry Odom. Odom was a LB at Mizzou from 1996-99 and he has been an assistant coach for Tigers from 2003-2015. In that time he rose from being a grad assistant to the DC. He takes over a program where he knows the personnel well and the university well. Tiger fans hope he can provide stability to the program and an improved offense. Last year, the Mizzou offense averaged just nine points per game in SEC play and was held without a TD four times.
North Texas
Out: Dan McCarney
In: Seth Littrell
When Dan McCarney took the job at North Texas in 2011, he was expected to lead the Mean Green out of near decade long downswing. In his third year, it seemed he had. The Mean Green posted a 9-4 record in 2014 which included a 36-14 shellacking of UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Then 2015 happened. UNT started out 0-5 and McCarney was fired the day after the Mean Green were hammered 66-7 on homecoming by their supposed "weak" FCS opponent Portland State from the Big Sky Conference. (Just ask Wazzu how tough Portland State was last year.) The team stumbled the rest of way through a 1-11 season under interim HC Mike Canales. The Mean Green went out and hired an actual Oakie from Muskogee and young assistant on the rise, Seth Littrell. Litrell played his college ball at Oklahoma where he played RB for the Sooners and was also one of the Captains of OU's 2000 national championship squad. Latrell rose quickly through the coaching ranks rising from a GA at Kansas in 2002 to the AHC/TE coac at North Carolina the past two seasons. Latrell will run a very uptempo game with an offense that will fling the ball all around the yard. His OC is former Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell who knows a thing or two about that. The Mean Green looks like they've snagged a good hire this time around.
Rutgers
Out: Kyle Flood
In: Chris Ash
To say Kyle Flood's time at the helm of the Scarlet Knights was rocky one is an understatement. Flood was tolerated in his first three seasons at Rutgers, but in 2015 that tolerance ended as he was embroiled in a scandal of alleged grade fixing that went with the worst and latest of criminal offenses by his players. On September third of last year, six Rutgers football players were arrested along with other suspects for their roles in a home invasion robbery. Five of the players were dismissed from the program before the season opener. It was also learned that most of the players had arrests from the previous two seasons as well. Flood and his athletic director, Julie Hermann were fired at the end of the season. Chris Ash was then hired to put out the fire and turn the program around. Ash comes from Ohio State where he spent the last two seasons as the Co-DC/S coach for the Buckeyes. He got his first job in the Big Ten when he landed the DB at Wisconsin. He stuck with the Badgers from 2010-2012 then served 2013 season on Brett Bielema's staff at Arkansas as the DC/DB coach. Ash is primarily a defensive coach, so look for Rutgers to shore up that side of the ball first in this rebuilding process. This hire is regarded by those who cover Big Ten football as good hire for the state college of New Jersey.
South Carolina
Out: Steve Spurrier
In: Will Muschamp
The Old Ball Coach always seemed to do things his way in his career and his exit form the other USC was no different. After the Gamecocks started 2-4 last season, he just called it quits in Columbia. Interim HC Shawn Elliot was no great shakes as his replacement as the Gamecocks went 1-5 to finish 2015. Then, as if the exit of Spurrier was strange enough, the administration did a stranger thing and hired Will Muschamp. Muschamp is another former Florida HC, However, Muschamp doesn't come with a national title in hand. His gator squads were a pedestrian 28-21 and he was the man in charge as they were embarrassed in that 2013 loss to Georgia Southern mentioned earlier in this article. Muschamp does do defense well, but can he discover an offense? If he can't the end zone could be a bird free zone in Columbia.
Southern Mississippi
Out: Jeff Monken
In: Jay Hopson
Jeff Monken inherited a dumpster fire at Southern Miss. He took a team that went winless in 2012 and in three seasons turned the program around. Last year, the Golden Eagles sported a 9-5 record and made it to the Heart of Dallas Bowl where they were beaten, 44-31 by Washington. The team Monken built is being favored to get back to the C-USA title game this year and possibly win the league. In late January, Monken was in the middle of contract extension negotiations with USM when he got a call from Dirk Koetter who just took over as the new HC of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monken then cutoff negotiations and took off for Tampa to be the Bucs new OC. USM was sent scrambling for a new HC. The Eagles may have found a good HC in Jay Hopson. Hopson has a strong Mississippi coaching background. He's coached at Delta State, Ole Miss, had two previous stints at Southern Miss and for the last four seasons has been the HC at Alcorn State. The Braves come into 2016 as the back-to-back SWAC champions. Hopson has been handed a good team. The pressure he faces is inserting his style on a team that has won with another HC.
Syracuse
Out: Scott Shafer
In: Dino Babers
Scott Shafer came in 2013 to try and revive the dormant Syracuse football program. After an initial campaign where the Orange won seven games, his teams won seven games combined over the next two seasons and he was shown the door. The next HC at Syracuse is Dino Babers. Babers is a football lifer. He played for Dick Tomey at Hawaii gaining 295 yards and scoring three TDs as a senior running back in 1983. He spent a good deal of his coaching career in the Pac 10. He spent 1995-2000 at Arizona where he rose from WR coach to the QB/OC job. His other stint in the league came when he spent the 2004-2007 seasons on Karl Dorrell's UCLA staff. He coached WRs then RBs in Westwood. Babers earned the Syracuse gig after leading Bowling Green to an 18-9 record with two bowl appearances in the past two seasons. Babers will switch the Orange to an up tempo offense much like the one at Baylor where he spent four seasons on Art Briles' staff.
Texas State:
Out: Dennis Franchione
In: Everett Withers
The Texas State Bobcats spent their first five seasons in the FBS under Dennis Franchione where he posted a 39-43 record. That's not a great record, but over those seasons the Bobcats showed enough potential to be able to join the Sunbelt Conference. The successor to Franchione is Everett Withers who has worked a long time to get to a HC job. Withers started out as a player at Appalachian State form 1981-1985. In 1988, he started his coaching career as a DB coach at Austin Peay and then spent time in a lot of places. He's coached for Tulane, Southern Miss, the Saints, Louisville, Texas, The Titans, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State and James Madison. He was finally noticed for HC vacancies after serving as the AHC/CO-DC/S cache for the Buckeyes in 2012-2013. He took the James Madison Dukes to two FCS playoff appearances in 2014 and 2105 before being offered the Texas State job. If Withers has a good couple of seasons with the Bobcats, don't be surprised to see him lead a power five conference team in the near future.
Toledo
Out: Matt Campbell
In: Jason Candle
With Matt Campbell exiting to take the Iowa State job, the Toledo braintrust didn't take long in promoting his OC to the HC job. Candle has been the OC since 2013 and is another one of these guys with ties to Mount Union. He played for Purple Raiders and coached there too. He won two national titles as WR then coached WRs there form 2003-2006 and then was the OC there from 2007-2008 before being hired by Campbell onto the Toledo staff in 2009. Candle is a good hire to keep Toledo's string of recent success going.
Tulane
Out: Curtis Johnson
In: Willie Fritz
The consensus was that Curtis Johnson wasn't a great hire by Tulane a few years ago and the consensus was right. Johnson's Green Wave squads limped to a 15-34 record over the past four seasons and he was shown the way out of Bourbon Street at the end of the 2015 campaign. In comes Willie Fritz. Fritz is a proven winner. He has amassed a 193-69 record as a HC. He led Blinn JC to two back-to-back JC national titles in 1995-96 where his QB was Michael Bishop of Kansas State fame. He then piled up wins at Central Missouri State and Sam Houston State before leading Georgia Southern to a 17-7 record as they transitioned to FBS play in the Sunbelt Conference. If Fritz does what he's done everywhere else, the folks at Tulane will have more to cheer about than just the French Quarter.
UCF (University of Central Florida)
Out: George O'Leary
In: Scott Frost
The Golden Knights started the 2015 season at 0-8. The day after that eighth loss, George O'Leray resigned. Just two seasons prior UCF was 12-1 and and played in the Fiesta Bowl. Danny Barrett assumed the interim coaching duties and the Knights finished their season winless. UCF then went out and hired one of the hottest assistant coaches around, Scott Frost. Yes, that Scott Frost. The former Nebraska QB that led the Cornhuskers to share of the 1997 National Championship with a win over Peyton Manning's Tennessee Volunteers. After a journeyman playing career int he NFL, Frost stated his coaching career as a GA at Nebraska in 1992. Frost worked his way up and has been the OC for Oregon the past three years. Frost is a talented coach, however there' not much in the cupboard for him to work with at UCF. Frost's work will at the very least be a three season rebuilding project.
ULM (Or the school formerly known as Louisiana-Monroe)
Out: Todd Berry
In: Matt Viator
The coaching graveyard known as ULM claimed another victim last season as Todd Berry was fired with two games left in the 2015 campaign and the Warhawks sporting a 1-9 record. For the record though, Todd Berry has never headed a winning program in his career anyway. So, how bad is ULM? well, the school has only posted one winning record in the last 21 years. The Warhawks went 8-5 in 2012 when they pulled off a 34-31 win over Arkansas to start the season and finished the year with 45-14 loss to Ohio in the Independence Bowl. Viator is an in-state pick for ULM. for the last 10 years he has been he headman at McNeese State where he led the Cowboys to five FCS playoff berths. The ULM braintrust hope he can use his strong ties in the state to boost the program to a respectable level.
UTSA (University of Texas-San Antonio)
Out: Larry Coker
In: Frank Wilson
Back in 2009, Larry Coker was out of football and his powerhouse Miami teams at the turn of the 21st century seemed like ancient history. UTSA then came along and made Coker their first ever HC. The program was originally slated to play at the FCS level. Coker built the program from scratch into a squad that went 4-6 in a 10 game introductory schedule into FCS play in 2011. Then, as conference realignment swept over the college football landscape, UTSA received an invitation jump up to FBS play and join the WAC. The Roadrunners played a full 12 game FBS schedule and finished 8-4 in 2012. UTSA then Joined the C-USA for the 2013 season after the WAC collapsed and has been there ever since. Coker "resigned" after last season when the Roadrunners stumbled to a 3-9 record. Coker's replacement is master recruiter Frank Wilson. For the last six seasons Wilson has been the Asst. HC/RB Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at LSU. UTSA hired Wilson for his recruiting prowess, but he has never been a HC or even a coordinator at the college level. Outside of OC/QB coach Frank Scelfo, most of Wilson's staff is stepping up to new positions too with not a great deal of experience. That could cause some growing pains for the Roadrunners over the next few seasons.
Virginia
Out: Mike London
In: Bronco Mendenhall
Mike London was let go after his fourth straight losing season with the Wahoos. London's first year showed promise back in 2011 with and 8-5 record and an appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. (Side note: I laugh at how the euphemism for losing a bowl game has become "an appearance".) Things went downhill after that for London with his teams going just 19-41 from 2012-2015. Then, in a stunner that rocked NCAA coaching circles, the Cavaliers lured Bronco Mendenhall away from BYU. Mendenhall looked he would be a BYU lifer in the mold of LaVell Edwards. He Amassed 99 wins in Provo over his 11 years at the helm and took the Cougars to a bowl game in all 11 seasons as well. So why did he leave Wasatch Country? The only thing this intrepid reporter can think of is that this is his big chance to jump into a power five conference job.
Virginia Tech
Out: Frank Beamer
In: Justin Fuente
Frank Beamer played QB at VaTech from 1966-68. Then after starting his coaching career at the high school eventually returned to lead the Hokies from 1987-2016. His teams featured great special teams and defense. "Beamerball" became a household word in college football circles. So, how do you fill a legend's shoes when he retires? You go out and hire the hottest young HC out there. Justin Fuente. Fuente took a Memphis program that was in the landfill and turned it around. The Tigers won 19 games over the last two years with QB Paxton Lynch became a household name in the process. Fuente also did one very smart thing when he took over the program. He kept DC Bud Foster. Foster's defenses were the cornerstone of Frank Beamer's Hokie squads. I liken Fuente retaining Foster on his staff to Pete Carroll keeping Ed Oregeron on the USC staff after "He Who Shall Not Be Named" was fired. The only question is can Fuente live up to the praise and hype this hire has generated.
Until next time folks remember that every coach knows his Xs and Os, but you win the game with the Johnnys. and the Joes.
-The Commissioner
It's time to get this party started for 2016. Let's start with a ride on the old Coaching Carousel. We really miss you, Tom Kelly.
Please note: the hiring of Clay Helton at USC is not in this article because almost everyone reading this article pretty much knows the story of how Helton got the USC job.
Ball State
Out: Pete Lembo
In: Mike Neu
Pete Lembo's departure from the Alma Mater of David Letterman was a shocker in MAC circles. Lembo had built the Cardinals into a steady contender in the league. The team did dip in recent seasons sporting an uncharacteristic 3-9 record in 2015. Even with that, Lembo wasn't on any real hot seat. Lembo left all on his own when offered the Assistant HC job at Maryland for their new HC D.J. Durkin. In his place, the Cardinals went with offensive minded Mike Neu. Neu is not new to Ball State. Neu quarterbacked the Cardinals from 1990-93. He started 38 of 41 games as QB and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year Honors in 1993. Neu's coaching career experience comes mainly from arena football. He did serve as the QB coach for Tulane in 2012-3013 then was hired in the same role for the New Orleans Saints for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The big knock on Neu is that he only has those two years at Tulane for college coaching experience. That's a level of inexperience that has many doubting that he can be successful at BSU.
Bowling Green
Out: Dino Babers
In: Mike Jinks
Dino Babers did a good job of building the Bowling Green program up then he took the Syracuse job and left a talented team for new HC Mike Jinks. The hiring of Jinks did not impress many folks in MAC country. That might be because Jinks has spent his entire coaching career in the state of Texas. Jinks' entry into the coaching ranks is pretty good story. After playing QB as Angelo State, he was a waiter in a San Angelo, Texas restaurant. He was serving a party of coaches from Ellison High School and they offered him the job of QB coach. After securing a loan from his old college coach, Jinks earned his teaching certification and took the job. He worked his way up to being the OC at such Texas powers as Robert E. Lee and Galena Park high school. In 2006 he became the HC at Steel High in Cibolo, Texas. Seven years later he left Steel High with a 76-18 record and a Texas 5A Divison II state championship. His next gig was as the RB and AHC at Texas Tech. Despite his lack of experience as a HC in the college game, Jinks just may the toughness to stick around at Bowling Green for awhile.
BYU
Out: Bronco Mendenhall
In: Kalani Sitake
When Bronco Mendenhall left BYU for Virginia last season the obvious replacement for Mendenhall was believed to be Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo. After all Niumatalolo is an LDS member and has a son on the BYU squad. However, Niumatalolo decided to stay at Navy. BYU AD Tom Holmoe then hired the first Tongan HC in FBS history. Kalani Sitake may have been the DC at Oregon State last season, but Sitake is a familiar name in the state of Utah. He played FB at BYU in 1994 and from 1997-2000. He then was a GA at BYU in 2002 which was followed by a stint as an assistant for Southern Utah in 2003-04 before spending from 2005-14 on Kyle Whittingham's staff at Utah. The positives of this hire for the Cougars is Sitake's understanding of the BYU culture and his ability to recruit Polynesian players to Provo. The big knock on him is that he has never been a HC on any level. The opinion of the BYU beat writers is that Sitake will be good for the program and that he is the guy that Holmoe really wanted.
Trivia: Tom Holmoe was the last HC at Cal before Jeff Tedford took over back in 2002.
East Carolina
Out: Ruffin McNeill
In: Scottie Montgomery
Some smaller schools are lucky enough to get a HC that just wants to coach forever at that institution. Ruffin McNeill seemed to be that guy at ECU. He played at ECU from 1976-1979 and started his coaching career in 1980. His career took him to nine different schools over 30 years before landing the HC job at his alma mater. McNeil took a down program and turned it around. The high point of his turnaround was the 2013 season where the Pirates went 10-3 with a win over Ohio U in the Beef o'Brady's Bowl. In 2015, the Pirates finished at 5-7 and Ruffin was let go. The firing was a big surprise to the ECU faithful and media. It was reported that it wasn't the 2015 record that got Ruffin let go, it was his refusal to dismiss some assistants that got him canned. McNeill did not stay unemployed for long. He landed the Assistant HC/LB job at Virginia. After this messy firing, ECU looked a couple hours away across North Carolina to find their next coach. Scottie Montgomery comes from Duke where he was the OC the last two seasons. Montgomery is one of those up and coming young coaches who in his two years with the Blue Devils had the offense in top tier of every category in ACC play. At 37, he is one of the youngest HC's in the country. He also has no HC experience at any level. This is one of this high risk/high reward hires for the Pirates.
Georgia
Out: Mark Richt
In: Kirby Smart
Mark Richt was let go because he couldn't win the big games at Georgia. This means that the man coming into this job better do so immediately if not sooner. This daunting task falls to Kirby Smart who has been Nick Saban's DC the last nine years at Alabama. This job is a homecoming for Smart who was a four year letterman and was an All-SEC selection at DB for the Bulldogs playing in the same defensive backfield with Champ Bailey back in 1998. Smart has a wealth of experience in the SEC but has never been a HC. Hiring Smart is a good move for the Bulldogs. One has to wonder if he will be given time to succeed. If not, Georgia's impatience could have them falling into a tailspin like Nebraska has been in since they fired Frank Solich back in 2003.
Georgia Southern
Out: Willie Fritz
In: Tyson Summers
Under Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern made maybe the best transition to the FBS from the FCS than any program ever has. The Eagles let everyone know they could play on the FBS level back in 2013 when they went into The Swamp and beat the Gators 26-20 without completing a forward pass. Fritz left for Tulane before GSU's Go-Daddy Bowl appearance. The team responded well and whipped Bowling Green, 58-27. Tyson Summers comes to GSU from Colorado State where he was the DC. A Georgia native, he nherits a team talented enough to win the Sun Belt title this season. Summers has gotten pretty much a "Who's He?" response from the media and Eagles fans when announced as the HC. Without a great deal of experience or hype, this may be one of the most lackluster hires of the offseason.
Hawaii
Out: Norm Chow
In: Nick Rolovich
Norm Chow just couldn't get it done at Hawaii. He went 10-36 in paradise and was let go nine games into the 2015 season. After interim HC Chris Naeole went 1-3 to finish the year, the search for a new HC was on. It didn't take long for the Warriors to find their man in Nick Rolovich. Rolovich, a product of Marin Catholic high and the City College of San Francisco, played under June Jones for Hawaii in 2000-2001. He went 8-1 as Hawaii's starting QB in 2001. Rolovich set a Hawaii record with 8 TD passes in a 72-45 win over BYU that year. In his pro career he played in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena league before starting his coaching career. Rolovich had already served on the Hawaii staff as QB coach in 2008-2009 ad then the OC/QB coach in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In the last four seasons he had served as the OC/QB coach at Nevada. Rolovich understands the culture well at Hawaii and hopes are high on the island that he will produce a winner. Winning may not happen right away for the Warriors as they play California in Australia to start the season then play at Michigan six day later.
Illinois
Out: Tim Beckman and Bill Cubit
In: Lovie Smith
Let's go back to the week before the start of last season. Illini HC Tim Beckman was fired over a report citing his abuse of players on the squad. The AD also left in this scandal. OC Bill Cubit was then installed as the interim HC for 2015. Cubit guided the Illini to a 5-7 record and the powers that be in Champaign-Urbana took the interim tag of Cubit and on November 28, 2015 named him the HC, singing him to a two year, 2.4 million dollar contract. Then, in February of this year, UI named formed Illini player Josh Whitman as the new AD. Whitman came in and on March 5th (his first official day on the job) and fired Bill Cubit. Then two days later, Whitman announced the hiring of Lovie Smith as the new HC. Smith had just come off of being fired by Tampa Bay and had coached the Chicago Bears prior to his stint in the Sunshine State. Smith is a huge name and a big get for Illinois. However he has not coached in the college ranks since 1995. The pundits believe that Smith will have to make a big adjustment back to the college game and that building process will take time. Another huge concern is will Smith stay to see it through? If offered another NFL HC job, he may be gone.
Iowa State
Out: Paul Rhoads
In: Matt Campbell
Paul Rhoads was a good coach for the Cyclones, but he could never get the them over the hump in the Big XII. He compiled a 32-55 record in Ames and his teams went just 24-27 over last three seasons. In for Rhoads comes the energetic Matt Campbell. Campbell knows a little bit about winning. He played for the 600 lb. Gorilla of D-III football, Mount Union (OH). After two years as a GA at Bowling Green, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Mount Union won the national title in both of those seasons. After a second two year stint at Bowling Green, Campbell's career really progressed at Toledo. He was the Running Game Coordinator for the Rockets in 2009 an 2010 seasons before assuming the HC when Tim Beckman bolted for Illinois. Campbell amassed a 35-15 record in four seasons at Toledo with four bowl appearances. Local reaction to Campbell has been glowing to say the least. The effusive praise for Campbell sparked this comment over on one of the Iowa football message boards, "Apparently, they hired Bear Bryant at ISU."
Maryland:
Out: Randy Edsall
In: D.J. Durkin
Randy Edsall came to the Maryland program after basically building the UConn program and successfully seeing the teams' transition to the FBS. He never quite pulled off that same kind of winning magic and was let go six games in to the 2015 campaign with a 22-33 record. Durkin comes into the job with a good resume that features two coaching stints with both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. He was Harbaugh's DC last year at Michigan. He's known as a strong recruiter and he needs to be in the Big Ten where Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are all in the Terps' division. The Terps have had some winning teams in the past, but Durkin could become a legend at Maryland if he could win a major bowl game. Maryland hasn't won a major bowl game since defeating Tennessee, 28-13 in the 1952 Sugar Bowl.
Miami
Out: Al Golden
In: Mark Richt
Mark Richt fell victim to John Cooper Syndrome with the Bulldogs. He won a ton of games, but the Dawgs never won the one big game to put the program over the top. Richt was let go by Georgia and stayed unemployed for about five minutes. The former backup to Jim Kelly at Miami will try to revive a program that has fallen on hard times. The nadir for the 'Canes last year was when they were crushed 58-0 by Clemson. Richt is being seen as a savior in Miami circles. However it will take him a while to build the talent level back up again in Coral Gables.
Minnesota
Out: Jerry Kill
In: Tracy Claeys
To say that Tracy Claeys and Jerry Kill have a shared a lot together as coaches would not begin to describe their association. After being named HC of Saginaw Valley State in 1994, Jerry Kill hired Tracy Claeys to be his LB coach. Claeys went with Kill to every other stop along the way serving as Kill's DC at Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. With the Golden Gophers Claeys also acquired the title of Assistant HC to go along with his DC status. Claeys was always there to spell Kill as an interim HC after each of Kill's three very public bouts with epilepsy. Epilepsy claimed Kill's career and he stepped away as HC of the Gophers on October 28th of last season. Claeys guided the Maroon and Gold to a 4-3 record down in that stretch which was caped off with a 21-14 win over Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl. Claeys, the long time assistant, had the interim tag removed from his name on November 11, 2015. Nobody knows how he will do at Minnesota, but it's good to see a guy rewarded for a lifetime of loyalty.
Memphis
Out: Justin Fuente
In: Mike Norvell
Memphis took a flyer on an assistant coach a few years ago and that turned out pretty well, so they have taken a flyer on an even younger one this time around. Mike Norvell replaces Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck as the youngest HC in the FBS. He's 34 years old and if his name sounds familiar to Pac 12 fans, it should be. For the last four seasons Norvell has been the OC at Arizona State. Novell has spent the majority of his career with his old boss Todd Graham. He followed Graham from Tulsa to Pitt to ASU. Even though he has no HC experience on any level he is regarded as a rising star in the coaching ranks. He inherits a talented Memphis roster even with QB Paxton Lynch gone to the Sunday league. 13 returning starters will help his transition, but don't look for Memphis to hit double digit wins in Norvell's first season.
Missouri
Out: Gary Pinkel
In: Barry Odom
The 2015 Missouri season was pretty much a dumpster fire on multiple levels. On the field, the Tiger offense couldn't cross the street, much less find the end zone. Off the field, a brief team boycott over racial issues on the Columbia campus rocked the program. The program rocked more and then reeled when 15 year HC Gary Pinkel retired to concentrate on his fight with lymphoma. So when the Tigers needed someone to come in and lift the program back up, the university turned to a Mizzou lifer, Barry Odom. Odom was a LB at Mizzou from 1996-99 and he has been an assistant coach for Tigers from 2003-2015. In that time he rose from being a grad assistant to the DC. He takes over a program where he knows the personnel well and the university well. Tiger fans hope he can provide stability to the program and an improved offense. Last year, the Mizzou offense averaged just nine points per game in SEC play and was held without a TD four times.
North Texas
Out: Dan McCarney
In: Seth Littrell
When Dan McCarney took the job at North Texas in 2011, he was expected to lead the Mean Green out of near decade long downswing. In his third year, it seemed he had. The Mean Green posted a 9-4 record in 2014 which included a 36-14 shellacking of UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Then 2015 happened. UNT started out 0-5 and McCarney was fired the day after the Mean Green were hammered 66-7 on homecoming by their supposed "weak" FCS opponent Portland State from the Big Sky Conference. (Just ask Wazzu how tough Portland State was last year.) The team stumbled the rest of way through a 1-11 season under interim HC Mike Canales. The Mean Green went out and hired an actual Oakie from Muskogee and young assistant on the rise, Seth Littrell. Litrell played his college ball at Oklahoma where he played RB for the Sooners and was also one of the Captains of OU's 2000 national championship squad. Latrell rose quickly through the coaching ranks rising from a GA at Kansas in 2002 to the AHC/TE coac at North Carolina the past two seasons. Latrell will run a very uptempo game with an offense that will fling the ball all around the yard. His OC is former Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell who knows a thing or two about that. The Mean Green looks like they've snagged a good hire this time around.
Rutgers
Out: Kyle Flood
In: Chris Ash
To say Kyle Flood's time at the helm of the Scarlet Knights was rocky one is an understatement. Flood was tolerated in his first three seasons at Rutgers, but in 2015 that tolerance ended as he was embroiled in a scandal of alleged grade fixing that went with the worst and latest of criminal offenses by his players. On September third of last year, six Rutgers football players were arrested along with other suspects for their roles in a home invasion robbery. Five of the players were dismissed from the program before the season opener. It was also learned that most of the players had arrests from the previous two seasons as well. Flood and his athletic director, Julie Hermann were fired at the end of the season. Chris Ash was then hired to put out the fire and turn the program around. Ash comes from Ohio State where he spent the last two seasons as the Co-DC/S coach for the Buckeyes. He got his first job in the Big Ten when he landed the DB at Wisconsin. He stuck with the Badgers from 2010-2012 then served 2013 season on Brett Bielema's staff at Arkansas as the DC/DB coach. Ash is primarily a defensive coach, so look for Rutgers to shore up that side of the ball first in this rebuilding process. This hire is regarded by those who cover Big Ten football as good hire for the state college of New Jersey.
South Carolina
Out: Steve Spurrier
In: Will Muschamp
The Old Ball Coach always seemed to do things his way in his career and his exit form the other USC was no different. After the Gamecocks started 2-4 last season, he just called it quits in Columbia. Interim HC Shawn Elliot was no great shakes as his replacement as the Gamecocks went 1-5 to finish 2015. Then, as if the exit of Spurrier was strange enough, the administration did a stranger thing and hired Will Muschamp. Muschamp is another former Florida HC, However, Muschamp doesn't come with a national title in hand. His gator squads were a pedestrian 28-21 and he was the man in charge as they were embarrassed in that 2013 loss to Georgia Southern mentioned earlier in this article. Muschamp does do defense well, but can he discover an offense? If he can't the end zone could be a bird free zone in Columbia.
Southern Mississippi
Out: Jeff Monken
In: Jay Hopson
Jeff Monken inherited a dumpster fire at Southern Miss. He took a team that went winless in 2012 and in three seasons turned the program around. Last year, the Golden Eagles sported a 9-5 record and made it to the Heart of Dallas Bowl where they were beaten, 44-31 by Washington. The team Monken built is being favored to get back to the C-USA title game this year and possibly win the league. In late January, Monken was in the middle of contract extension negotiations with USM when he got a call from Dirk Koetter who just took over as the new HC of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monken then cutoff negotiations and took off for Tampa to be the Bucs new OC. USM was sent scrambling for a new HC. The Eagles may have found a good HC in Jay Hopson. Hopson has a strong Mississippi coaching background. He's coached at Delta State, Ole Miss, had two previous stints at Southern Miss and for the last four seasons has been the HC at Alcorn State. The Braves come into 2016 as the back-to-back SWAC champions. Hopson has been handed a good team. The pressure he faces is inserting his style on a team that has won with another HC.
Syracuse
Out: Scott Shafer
In: Dino Babers
Scott Shafer came in 2013 to try and revive the dormant Syracuse football program. After an initial campaign where the Orange won seven games, his teams won seven games combined over the next two seasons and he was shown the door. The next HC at Syracuse is Dino Babers. Babers is a football lifer. He played for Dick Tomey at Hawaii gaining 295 yards and scoring three TDs as a senior running back in 1983. He spent a good deal of his coaching career in the Pac 10. He spent 1995-2000 at Arizona where he rose from WR coach to the QB/OC job. His other stint in the league came when he spent the 2004-2007 seasons on Karl Dorrell's UCLA staff. He coached WRs then RBs in Westwood. Babers earned the Syracuse gig after leading Bowling Green to an 18-9 record with two bowl appearances in the past two seasons. Babers will switch the Orange to an up tempo offense much like the one at Baylor where he spent four seasons on Art Briles' staff.
Texas State:
Out: Dennis Franchione
In: Everett Withers
The Texas State Bobcats spent their first five seasons in the FBS under Dennis Franchione where he posted a 39-43 record. That's not a great record, but over those seasons the Bobcats showed enough potential to be able to join the Sunbelt Conference. The successor to Franchione is Everett Withers who has worked a long time to get to a HC job. Withers started out as a player at Appalachian State form 1981-1985. In 1988, he started his coaching career as a DB coach at Austin Peay and then spent time in a lot of places. He's coached for Tulane, Southern Miss, the Saints, Louisville, Texas, The Titans, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State and James Madison. He was finally noticed for HC vacancies after serving as the AHC/CO-DC/S cache for the Buckeyes in 2012-2013. He took the James Madison Dukes to two FCS playoff appearances in 2014 and 2105 before being offered the Texas State job. If Withers has a good couple of seasons with the Bobcats, don't be surprised to see him lead a power five conference team in the near future.
Toledo
Out: Matt Campbell
In: Jason Candle
With Matt Campbell exiting to take the Iowa State job, the Toledo braintrust didn't take long in promoting his OC to the HC job. Candle has been the OC since 2013 and is another one of these guys with ties to Mount Union. He played for Purple Raiders and coached there too. He won two national titles as WR then coached WRs there form 2003-2006 and then was the OC there from 2007-2008 before being hired by Campbell onto the Toledo staff in 2009. Candle is a good hire to keep Toledo's string of recent success going.
Tulane
Out: Curtis Johnson
In: Willie Fritz
The consensus was that Curtis Johnson wasn't a great hire by Tulane a few years ago and the consensus was right. Johnson's Green Wave squads limped to a 15-34 record over the past four seasons and he was shown the way out of Bourbon Street at the end of the 2015 campaign. In comes Willie Fritz. Fritz is a proven winner. He has amassed a 193-69 record as a HC. He led Blinn JC to two back-to-back JC national titles in 1995-96 where his QB was Michael Bishop of Kansas State fame. He then piled up wins at Central Missouri State and Sam Houston State before leading Georgia Southern to a 17-7 record as they transitioned to FBS play in the Sunbelt Conference. If Fritz does what he's done everywhere else, the folks at Tulane will have more to cheer about than just the French Quarter.
UCF (University of Central Florida)
Out: George O'Leary
In: Scott Frost
The Golden Knights started the 2015 season at 0-8. The day after that eighth loss, George O'Leray resigned. Just two seasons prior UCF was 12-1 and and played in the Fiesta Bowl. Danny Barrett assumed the interim coaching duties and the Knights finished their season winless. UCF then went out and hired one of the hottest assistant coaches around, Scott Frost. Yes, that Scott Frost. The former Nebraska QB that led the Cornhuskers to share of the 1997 National Championship with a win over Peyton Manning's Tennessee Volunteers. After a journeyman playing career int he NFL, Frost stated his coaching career as a GA at Nebraska in 1992. Frost worked his way up and has been the OC for Oregon the past three years. Frost is a talented coach, however there' not much in the cupboard for him to work with at UCF. Frost's work will at the very least be a three season rebuilding project.
ULM (Or the school formerly known as Louisiana-Monroe)
Out: Todd Berry
In: Matt Viator
The coaching graveyard known as ULM claimed another victim last season as Todd Berry was fired with two games left in the 2015 campaign and the Warhawks sporting a 1-9 record. For the record though, Todd Berry has never headed a winning program in his career anyway. So, how bad is ULM? well, the school has only posted one winning record in the last 21 years. The Warhawks went 8-5 in 2012 when they pulled off a 34-31 win over Arkansas to start the season and finished the year with 45-14 loss to Ohio in the Independence Bowl. Viator is an in-state pick for ULM. for the last 10 years he has been he headman at McNeese State where he led the Cowboys to five FCS playoff berths. The ULM braintrust hope he can use his strong ties in the state to boost the program to a respectable level.
UTSA (University of Texas-San Antonio)
Out: Larry Coker
In: Frank Wilson
Back in 2009, Larry Coker was out of football and his powerhouse Miami teams at the turn of the 21st century seemed like ancient history. UTSA then came along and made Coker their first ever HC. The program was originally slated to play at the FCS level. Coker built the program from scratch into a squad that went 4-6 in a 10 game introductory schedule into FCS play in 2011. Then, as conference realignment swept over the college football landscape, UTSA received an invitation jump up to FBS play and join the WAC. The Roadrunners played a full 12 game FBS schedule and finished 8-4 in 2012. UTSA then Joined the C-USA for the 2013 season after the WAC collapsed and has been there ever since. Coker "resigned" after last season when the Roadrunners stumbled to a 3-9 record. Coker's replacement is master recruiter Frank Wilson. For the last six seasons Wilson has been the Asst. HC/RB Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at LSU. UTSA hired Wilson for his recruiting prowess, but he has never been a HC or even a coordinator at the college level. Outside of OC/QB coach Frank Scelfo, most of Wilson's staff is stepping up to new positions too with not a great deal of experience. That could cause some growing pains for the Roadrunners over the next few seasons.
Virginia
Out: Mike London
In: Bronco Mendenhall
Mike London was let go after his fourth straight losing season with the Wahoos. London's first year showed promise back in 2011 with and 8-5 record and an appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. (Side note: I laugh at how the euphemism for losing a bowl game has become "an appearance".) Things went downhill after that for London with his teams going just 19-41 from 2012-2015. Then, in a stunner that rocked NCAA coaching circles, the Cavaliers lured Bronco Mendenhall away from BYU. Mendenhall looked he would be a BYU lifer in the mold of LaVell Edwards. He Amassed 99 wins in Provo over his 11 years at the helm and took the Cougars to a bowl game in all 11 seasons as well. So why did he leave Wasatch Country? The only thing this intrepid reporter can think of is that this is his big chance to jump into a power five conference job.
Virginia Tech
Out: Frank Beamer
In: Justin Fuente
Frank Beamer played QB at VaTech from 1966-68. Then after starting his coaching career at the high school eventually returned to lead the Hokies from 1987-2016. His teams featured great special teams and defense. "Beamerball" became a household word in college football circles. So, how do you fill a legend's shoes when he retires? You go out and hire the hottest young HC out there. Justin Fuente. Fuente took a Memphis program that was in the landfill and turned it around. The Tigers won 19 games over the last two years with QB Paxton Lynch became a household name in the process. Fuente also did one very smart thing when he took over the program. He kept DC Bud Foster. Foster's defenses were the cornerstone of Frank Beamer's Hokie squads. I liken Fuente retaining Foster on his staff to Pete Carroll keeping Ed Oregeron on the USC staff after "He Who Shall Not Be Named" was fired. The only question is can Fuente live up to the praise and hype this hire has generated.
Until next time folks remember that every coach knows his Xs and Os, but you win the game with the Johnnys. and the Joes.
-The Commissioner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)