Hey All,
As the fall camps open, it's time for a look at the schedules in the Big Ten and SEC in this edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly.
The Big Ten
Conference Members:
East Division- Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.
West Division- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin.
The league remains unchanged for 2017.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/2- Maryland at Texas: This game isn't really that big for the Big Ten or even for Maryland. Maryland is just happy Rutgers is around so they don't look so bad. This game is big for USC fans. It's worth watching to see how prepared Tom Herman has his Longhorns for their first game. Texas doesn't have the option of showing only part of their play book, then working on game two with an easy win. Herman needs a big win right away too show he was the right choice. While we won't see the whole Texas offense and defense, more of it will be available to see than one would normally get from an opener.
9/9- Nebraska at Oregon: It's Mike Riley's third year at Nebraska and he just can't escape the Ducks. It'll be his 15th time facing the Quacks. His experience with the environment at Autzen Stadium will help his team in their prep for the game. Riley's team should be ready to breakout this year and challenge Wisconsin for the division title. A big win at Oregon would be a great confidence builder for the Huskers. This game is Oregon's first real test under new HC Willie Taggart as the Ducks host Southern Utah out of the Big Sky Conference for their season opener. The Huskers have the advantage of being in their third year under Riley, while the Men of Oregon will be in just game two with Taggart. However, UO has the overall experience edge with 17 returning starters as opposed to NU's 10 returnees. UO should be favored to win this one, but NU can pull off the road victory.
9/9- Minnesota at Oregon State: This game is the first real test for PJ Fleck's Gophers. They should have a win under their belts after taking on a hapless Buffalo squad in their home opener. They will face a Beaver team that will already have played two games. The Gophers walked away with a 30-23 win over the Beavers at home last year. The talent is there for the Gophers to win this one on the road, but first road games with a new HC are always rough. I think the Beavers pull out a squeaker.
9/16- Wisconsin at BYU: The Badgers don't play a lot of non conference away games. They've lost the last two they did play back in 2012 and 2013 to Oregon State and ASU. That means this trip to Provo is significant for the Badgers. However, it may not be as tough as it looks. BYU isn't an easy mark, but they may be a little beat up for this game. In the two weeks leading up to the matchup, the Cougars will take on LSU in Houston then host Utah in the latest installment of the "Holy War." Meanwhile, Wisconsin strolls in after easy games with Utah State and FAU. I can easily see Wisconsin's OL wearing down the BYU defense and controlling the clock and by definition the game.
9/23- Notre Dame at Michigan State: This is big for the Spartans and the league as a whole. This is the Big Ten's lone shot at ND this year. The Spartans aren't exactly loaded this year and have had some off the field distractions as well. An upset by the Green and White would really lift the league in the eyes of the playoff committee.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
(Note: I'd like to put the Michigan-Ohio State game on this list, but I have a tough time getting excited over a Wolverine team with only one returning starter on defense.)
8/31-Indiana at Ohio State: What the heck is this game doing on the list? It's there because it's a league game as the season opener for both teams. TheeeOSU should be favored to win this easily, but anything can happen in an opener. This game is a confidence crusher for the loser. It would really hurt to be 0-1 in conference play before September. The last time the Buckeyes opened up with a conference game was 1976 when they whipped Michigan State 49-21. The last time Indiana opened up this way was 1982. They hosted Northwestern, crushing the Wildcats, 30-0. Following that win, IU traveled to the Coliseum where USC beat them, 28-7. IU would go 5-6 in 1982 and their HC, Lee Corso, was fired at season's end.
9/30- Maryland at Minnesota: This is another one of those games that looks like it should not be here. It does for the PJ Fleck watchers. Like their game with Oregon State, this is another measuring stick game for the Gophers. The Terrapins are a pretty bad team. A blow out by the new-look Gophers would give promise to a season that's generally written off under a new HC in his first year at a school.
9/30- Northwestern at Wisconsin: This is the first big divisional test for each team. Northwestern should enter this game with a strong squad. A big win at Camp Randall will give them the inside track to the division title. Both teams have a bye going into this game, so they should be well prepared for each other. Wisconisn's formula to win will be the same as ever. Run the ball. Run it well. Control the clock and walk out with a tight win.
10/28- Penn State at Ohio State: This will be the game that decides the East Divison. The Nittany Lions have a ton of talent returning on offense. QB Trace McSorley and RB Saquon Barkley are a pretty powerful 1-2 punch which offsets a defense that gave up 25.4 points per game. That doesn't sound like much, but when compared to TheeeOSU's 15.5 PPG, it's a lot. J.T Barrett returns to lead a strong Buckeye attack. With this game being in Columbus, I don't think the Lions can repeat last year's miracle.
11/24- Iowa at Nebraska: If Nebraska wants to claim the Big Ten West title, they need to clear the Iowa hurdle. The Huskers have been up and down their first few years v. their divisional opponents in the league, but Iowa has beaten the Big Red three of the last four years. Iowa may only be good enough to be a spoiler team this year, but this may be the game that determines the division crown.
Big Ten Scheduling Observations
...Spartan Crucible; In a three week span, Michigan State will take on Notre Dame and Iowa at home and then travel to Michigan.
...Iowa strong; Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is in his 19th season as the HC of the Hawkeyes. The other six coaches in the Big Ten West are in their 22nd year combined as HCs in the league.
...A November G0pher; Minnesota's slate from 11/4-11/25 could be a rough one as they will go to Michigan, host Nebraska, hit the road to Northwestern, then finish up at home to face Wisconsin for the Paul Bunyan Axe.
...No 3s; No team in the Big Ten will play three straight road games in 2017.
...New York State of Mind; This year's Rutgers-Maryland game will be at Yankee Stadium.
...Purdon't; Purdue is just 6-35 in Big Ten play over the last five seasons and half those six wins came way back in 2012. Oh, and three of those six wins have come against Illinois.
The Southeastern Conference
Conference Members:
East Division- Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.
West Division: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Texas A&M
The League remains unchanged for 2017
The Coaching Carousel; Nutt Busted or Hugh Freeze's Down and Out of Coaching Pattern (Whichever title you prefer)
Mississippi
OUT: Hugh Freeze
IN: Matt Luke
This intrepid reporter figured he would be writing about this next year. I thought the NCAA's findings from their investigation into Freeze's recruiting practices stemming from the Laremy Tunsil NFL draft day revelations back in 2016 would have gotten him fired. However, this all came down due to a civil action that was filed by former Ole Miss HC Houston Nutt against Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze. Nutt's lawsuit claimed in essence that the two parties had engaged in acts to defame Nutt. What Nutt claims is that Freeze and Ole Miss were trying to shift the stink of the NCAA investigation to Nutt, blaming the former coach for the whole situation. As part of the civil suit, Nutt's attorney requested Freeze's phone records from his university issued phone from early January 2016. Before turning the records over, Freeze was allowed to redact personal calls from those records. Evidently, he missed one. That one call was to an escort service. Nutt's lawyer, Thomas Mars, emailed Ole Miss' general counsel Lee Tyner telling him about the call. Mars said in the e-mail that Freeze made a phone call that would be, "highly embarrassing for all of you and extremely difficult to explain." When confronted by AD Ross Bjork, Freeze maintained that the call was just a misdial, a wrong number. Bjork didn't buy the explanation, and decided to investigate further. Bjork was quoted in a conference call on the resignation as saying, "Once we looked at the phone records we found a pattern. It was troubling." Freeze left with no buyout, no deal. He's gone and will not collect another dime of the 12 million plus left on his contract. The man left holding the bag to run the Rebels is OC Matt Luke. Although holding the bag isn't the right term here. He is key member of the coaching staff that is facing a ton of NCAA charges, including the dreaded "lack of institutional control" charge. The Rebels are already under a self-imposed bowl ban for 2017. You can be sure a great deal more will come out on this story in the near future as Ole Miss' hearing with the NCAA infractions committee is coming up soon.
Top Five Out of Conference Games
9/2- Michigan v Florida (Jerryworld, Arlington, TX): These two teams squared off in the Citrus Bowl two years ago. For the two HCs, Jim Harbaugh and Jim McElwain it was their first year as the HC at their respective schools. Harabugh's Wolverines whipped McElwain's Gators, 41-7 that day and hope to win again. Michigan holds a 3-0 overall record v the Gators, but this year Gators have the edge on the Maize Blue in a lot of areas. The biggest one is experience. I give a lot of value to returning starters in early games and that usually is pretty even in most cases, but not here. Michigan has only five total returning starters and only one on those is on defense. Meanwhile, the Gators return nine starters on offense. Their O-line is talented and deep. If Florida's experienced OL takes control of the line of scrimmage, it will be a long day for Jim Harbaugh's defense.
9/2 LSU v BYU (NRG Stadium, Houston, TX): LSU will be the favorite here and rightly so, but this will most likely not be a cakewalk for the Tigers. BYU is a solid squad with Tanner Mangum back at QB. The Cougars will have played a game already. BYU hosts Portland State on 8/26 then does a quick turnaround for this tilt. For LSU this game will be a good gauge as where they are coming out of fall camp and how they'll play under Ed Oregon. Being the beloved interim guy is one thing, but when the interim tag is removed, all that love turns into expectations. This is Coach O's second time at the helm of a program. The LSU faithful hope he has matured a bit and will do better in the bayou than at Ole Miss.
9/3 Texas A&M at UCLA: Last year, the bRuins were beaten in OT at Kyle Field. I hold it as one of my fondest memories of the USC-Alabama game last year due to the fact it was fun to watch my rival lose on the big screen at Jerryworld. Also, because there weren't a whole lot of good memories that followed. So now, the scene shifts to the Rose Bowl, where the Aggies have never played and UCLA merely rents space. We will find out early if Josh Rosen's shoulder has healed quickly. If he falters, backups Devon Modster and Dymond Lee would have two pick up the slack. For the Aggies, their offensive hopes are pinned on redshirt fresh Nick Starkel, Jr. The Aggies need to stop UCLA early and often in order to give their young signal caller a chance to get comfortable. If the Aggies have to play from behind early, it cold get ugly fast in Pasadena.
9/9 Georgia at Notre Dame: The last and only time these two teams have ever met was in the 1981 Sugar Bowl where a freshman RB named Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to a 17-10 victory and the national title. For Georgia and the SEC this is a big game. A win over ND lifts the SEC and throws ND's season into chaos. ND's Brian Kelly has conducted a staff purge and is looking to return the Irish to form after a miserable 4-8 showing last year. The big matchup to watch in this game is Notre Dame's OL v. Georgia's defensive front. Each side of this matchup returns all but one starter. ND's OL is big and talented, while Georgia's DL is strong and their LB corps may be one of the nation's best. Whatever side wins this battle, should win the game.
9/16 Mississippi at California: Talk about a culture clash! I would love to see the looks on the Ole Miss fans as they take a stroll on Telegraph Avenue in the People's Republic of Berkeley. I would also like to see those same faces when they are told that Cal's Memorial Stadium sits right on an earthquake fault. For the Rebels this game is a first in many ways. This is their first game v. a Pac 12 team...ever. Going all the way back to the first incarnation of the Pacific Coast Conference, the Rebels have never played a league member. This only their second game v. a California school ever too. Back in 1971, Ole Miss hosted Long Beach State. They beat the 49ers, 29-13, behind the dual QB tandem of Kenny Lyons and Norris Weese. Stars for the LBSU side that day were RB Terry Metcalf and QBs JIm Fassel and Randy Drake. Both these teams come off of 5-7 records form last year and have new HCs. The two squads also share a a similar number of returning starters and defenses that gave up yardage by the acre last year. This game could be a fun-to-watch shootout or just an ugly, error filled affair. I give Cal the edge for being at home, but that's about all. I think it's a pickem game.
Top Five Conference Games
9/16- Tennessee at Florida: Last year the Volunteers snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Gators with 38-28 win in Knoxville. This year the Vols will be hard pressed to win at Gainesville. The Vols trip to Florida will be their third game in 13 days to start the season. Tennessee face Georgia Tech in Atlanta on 9/4 then hosts Indiana State on 9/9. Florida has a similar schedule, but will have two more days of rest entering the game. This game boils down to just how well Tennessee handles this timeline. This could be a really great game or Tennessee could just flat run out of gas and get blown away in the second half.
10/14- Auburn at LSU: This game shapes up to the be a playoff game for the right to face Alabama for the division crown. LSU has sorely lacked a passing game the last few years. One of the smartest things Ed Orgeron did when he took over as the interim HC was to send OC Cam Cameron packing along with Les Miles, (Cameron is one of the most overrated coaches of all-time.) Orgeron went out after the season and hired Matt Canada away from Pitt to be his OC. Canada's rep is that of an new-era offensive guru. If he can at least bring LSU's offense into the early 2000s it would make them a tough team. Auburn believes this is their year to dethrone Bama and play for the SEC crown. 15 starters return from last year's 8-5 Tigers. Auburn is a young team with experience as only five of their projected starting 22 are seniors. Many have slated AU has a team on the rise. I think those assessments may be true.
10/28- Georgia v. Florida (EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL): So, for another year this game will be played at The Jaguars him field by two teams better than the Jaguars. With Tennessee facing both of these teams in September, this may be the game that decides the SEC East race. If Florida wins they have smooth sailing the rest the way with just road trips doormats Missouri and South Carolins left in SEC play. Georgia still has a trip to Auburn to go with home dates with South Carolina and Kentucky. So, the Bulldogs would have a tougher time holding their advantage if they win. Should be a good one at the cocktail party this year.
11/11- Arkansas at LSU: The Razorbacks will be a fair-to-midland bunch this year. They will be good enough to scare a few folks and take advantage of their schedule. This game falls between road trips to Alabama and Tennessee for the Tigers. It's your basic trap game. This is also a Hogs squad that has taken two of the last three from the Bayou Bengals. Don't be surprised to see an upset here.
11/25- Alabama at Auburn: If Auburn lives up to the billing, this game will be for a trip to the SEC title game long with all the bragging rights usually associated with the Iron Bowl. If this comes to pass, I'm sure a ton of guards will be assigned to Toomer's Corner.
SEC Scheduling Observations
...Tough Double; On 9/30 and 10/7 Ole Miss makes road trips to Alabama an Auburn.
...Batting .250; Kentucky has an SEC worst record of 20-60 in conference play over the last 10 seasons. The Curse of Bear Bryant is alive and well in Lexington.
...FSU double; Alabama opens up with Florida State on 9/2, then hosts Fresno State on 9/9.
...Well, they looked FCS; Arkansas like like they had an FCS opponent in Coastal Carolina. Well, the Chanticleers have made the transition and will be play in the FBS as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2017.
...Bobby Lamb's phone will ring; Why will his phone ring? Who is he? He is the HC at Mercer University. Mercer takes on both Auburn and Alabama this year. I'm sure he'll be a popular interview during Iron Bowl week.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
The smell of BBQ's in the neighborhood on a Sunday is a beautiful thing.
I like my new TV.
I miss Laura Scudder's Sour Cream and Onion Potato chips.
Until next time folks, remember that a dull fall camp is a good fall camp.
-The Commissioner
Monday, July 31, 2017
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Schedules Part I
Hey All,
Its time to start looking at the schedules of the power five conferences of the FBS. Let's start with the ACC and the Big XII. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
The ACC
Conference Members:
Atlantic Division- Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Coastal Division- Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech.
The league remains unchanged for 2016.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/2- Florida State v. Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff, Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA): So, if you're the ACC coming off a National Title game win over Alabama, why not send out a potentially loaded Seminole team to take it to Alabama and knock the SEC down again to start the season? FSU would love to show everyone they are back with a win here. I would think that Nick "Darth" Saban has been aching to hit the field again after that title game defeat. I look for defense to rule in this game that's been circled on a lot of folks' calendars for awhile.
9/2- California at North Carolina: This doesn't seem like a game that would make the cut here, but it does for a few reasons. First, the ACC doesn't have a real strong non conference slate. Second, UNC getting a Pac 12 team to travel clear across the country doesn't happen much. Three, the Tar Heels and the ACC would like to have a win over a Pac 12 school on their resume.
9/9- Auburn at Clemson: Grass covered steps, Howard's Rock and a frenzied orange and purple clad packed house awaits Auburn at Death Valley. However, Clemson will be without Deshaun Watson who has gone on to the Sunday league. That may be the big difference in this game. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham is in his third year under center. His experience means a lot in a tough road environment. Is it enough to pull off the upset? The folks at Auburn think so.
9/9 -Pitt at Penn State: Last year, Panther DB Ryan Lewis intercepted a pass from Trace McSorley on the Pitt 20-yard line with about a minute to play to halt the Nittany Lions comeback bid. This year, the game shifts to Happy Valley. Pittsburgh will bring a young squad to face the experienced Lions. If it gets ugly early, it won't look good for the ACC.
9/16- Oklahoma State at Pitt: Talk about an opportunity for the young Panthers. If they pull an upset here, they will have a full head of steam heading into league play. An Okie State loss would really hurt the Big XII. The Pokes are supposed to be the number one challenger for the league crown. A crown that seems to be a bit easier to get because of Bob Stoops' sudden retirement from OU.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/16, 10/21, 11/11 or basically games 1A-1B-1C: This is the Atlantic Division three-way round robin for the ACC division crown between Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. Clemson is the defending champ, FSU wants to reclaim dominance in the league, and Louisville is hoping to finally clear this hurdle and go after their own title dreams. Louisville hosts Clemson on 9/16 where the loser will definitely be behind the eight ball with a lot of football left to play.
11/4- Virginia Tech at Miami: The Hokies easily handled the 'Canes last season in Blacksburg. This year, The U is the favorite to win the Coastal division. This game looks to break down to a defensive battle where whoever makes the least mistakes will win. Miami is pulling out all the stops for this one. It's their homecoming game and many former 'Canes are expected to be back to urge their Alma Mater on.
11/11- Notre Dame at Miami: Remember, ND's loose affiliation with the league makes this a conference clash. The Irish haven't been to Miami since 1989 and haven't won here since 1977. If ND has a good season, this could be a de facto playoff elimination game. Miami will be coming off their big game with VaTech the week prior while ND rolls in after taking on Wake Forest.
ACC Scheduling Observations
...The ND Four +1; Notre Dame's four ACC opponents this year under their friends with bowl benefits setup with the ACC are home games with NC State and Wake Forest to go with road games at North Carolina and Miami. ND's now annual tilt with Boston College isn't part of this plan. Oh, and ND will play both Miami's this year. In addition to the Hurricanes, the Redhawks from Miami of Ohio will play at South Bend on 9/30.
...Grass without a Doctor's note; The ACC Coastal Division is the last bastion of real grass in college football. 89%, of their games will be played on the natural stuff. Oh, and there is not a team the FBS this year that will play all their games on natural grass. However, there are 17 teams that will play all their games on the fake stuff. Of those 17 teams, three are from the Power Five conferences. Those three are K-State, TheeOSU, and Wazzu.
...A 0 for November; Virginia's November slate is a tough one to say the least. The Wahoos host GaTEch on 11/4 then make back-to-back road trips to Louisville and Miami on 11/11 an 11/18. They then return home to host VaTech on 11/24.
...Brain Bowls; Duke hosts Northwestern and Rice will take on Stanford this year. A GRE seminar will be held at halftime of these games instead the usual halftime shows.
...Sidelines on Yawkey way; As part of a three game series this season, Fenway Park will host a game between Boston College and UConn on 11/18. The other two games will be played on 11/10 and 11/11 where Brown will take on Dartmouth and Umass will face Maine. I think a tailgate with New England Clam Chowder would be great for any one of these games.
The Big XII
The ACC
Conference Members:
Atlantic Division- Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Coastal Division- Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech.
The league remains unchanged for 2016.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/2- Florida State v. Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff, Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA): So, if you're the ACC coming off a National Title game win over Alabama, why not send out a potentially loaded Seminole team to take it to Alabama and knock the SEC down again to start the season? FSU would love to show everyone they are back with a win here. I would think that Nick "Darth" Saban has been aching to hit the field again after that title game defeat. I look for defense to rule in this game that's been circled on a lot of folks' calendars for awhile.
9/2- California at North Carolina: This doesn't seem like a game that would make the cut here, but it does for a few reasons. First, the ACC doesn't have a real strong non conference slate. Second, UNC getting a Pac 12 team to travel clear across the country doesn't happen much. Three, the Tar Heels and the ACC would like to have a win over a Pac 12 school on their resume.
9/9- Auburn at Clemson: Grass covered steps, Howard's Rock and a frenzied orange and purple clad packed house awaits Auburn at Death Valley. However, Clemson will be without Deshaun Watson who has gone on to the Sunday league. That may be the big difference in this game. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham is in his third year under center. His experience means a lot in a tough road environment. Is it enough to pull off the upset? The folks at Auburn think so.
9/9 -Pitt at Penn State: Last year, Panther DB Ryan Lewis intercepted a pass from Trace McSorley on the Pitt 20-yard line with about a minute to play to halt the Nittany Lions comeback bid. This year, the game shifts to Happy Valley. Pittsburgh will bring a young squad to face the experienced Lions. If it gets ugly early, it won't look good for the ACC.
9/16- Oklahoma State at Pitt: Talk about an opportunity for the young Panthers. If they pull an upset here, they will have a full head of steam heading into league play. An Okie State loss would really hurt the Big XII. The Pokes are supposed to be the number one challenger for the league crown. A crown that seems to be a bit easier to get because of Bob Stoops' sudden retirement from OU.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/16, 10/21, 11/11 or basically games 1A-1B-1C: This is the Atlantic Division three-way round robin for the ACC division crown between Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. Clemson is the defending champ, FSU wants to reclaim dominance in the league, and Louisville is hoping to finally clear this hurdle and go after their own title dreams. Louisville hosts Clemson on 9/16 where the loser will definitely be behind the eight ball with a lot of football left to play.
11/4- Virginia Tech at Miami: The Hokies easily handled the 'Canes last season in Blacksburg. This year, The U is the favorite to win the Coastal division. This game looks to break down to a defensive battle where whoever makes the least mistakes will win. Miami is pulling out all the stops for this one. It's their homecoming game and many former 'Canes are expected to be back to urge their Alma Mater on.
11/11- Notre Dame at Miami: Remember, ND's loose affiliation with the league makes this a conference clash. The Irish haven't been to Miami since 1989 and haven't won here since 1977. If ND has a good season, this could be a de facto playoff elimination game. Miami will be coming off their big game with VaTech the week prior while ND rolls in after taking on Wake Forest.
ACC Scheduling Observations
...The ND Four +1; Notre Dame's four ACC opponents this year under their friends with bowl benefits setup with the ACC are home games with NC State and Wake Forest to go with road games at North Carolina and Miami. ND's now annual tilt with Boston College isn't part of this plan. Oh, and ND will play both Miami's this year. In addition to the Hurricanes, the Redhawks from Miami of Ohio will play at South Bend on 9/30.
...Grass without a Doctor's note; The ACC Coastal Division is the last bastion of real grass in college football. 89%, of their games will be played on the natural stuff. Oh, and there is not a team the FBS this year that will play all their games on natural grass. However, there are 17 teams that will play all their games on the fake stuff. Of those 17 teams, three are from the Power Five conferences. Those three are K-State, TheeOSU, and Wazzu.
...A 0 for November; Virginia's November slate is a tough one to say the least. The Wahoos host GaTEch on 11/4 then make back-to-back road trips to Louisville and Miami on 11/11 an 11/18. They then return home to host VaTech on 11/24.
...Brain Bowls; Duke hosts Northwestern and Rice will take on Stanford this year. A GRE seminar will be held at halftime of these games instead the usual halftime shows.
...Sidelines on Yawkey way; As part of a three game series this season, Fenway Park will host a game between Boston College and UConn on 11/18. The other two games will be played on 11/10 and 11/11 where Brown will take on Dartmouth and Umass will face Maine. I think a tailgate with New England Clam Chowder would be great for any one of these games.
The Big XII
Conference Members: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia
The league remains unchanged from 2016. There were meetings held to discuss expansion, but that interest died quickly and the league shelved the idea for the foreseeable future. However, the league will play a championship game this year.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/3- Oklahoma at TheeOSU: Bob Stoops v. Urban Meyer- the rematch! That was going to be a good storyline this fall. Then, Stoops up and resigned from OU on June 7th. June is an unusual time for a HC to resign. Stoops is being lauded as "going out on his own terms" and that he'll have "more time to spend with his family." After discussing the matter with several of my cohorts it seems that maybe the fallout form the Joe Mixon debacle was still weighing heavily on the OU administration. I think Stoops was given a golden parachute. As for the game, OU is looking for a little revenge after the way the Buckeyes spanked them in Norman last year, 45-24. OC Lincoln Riley is now the HC and his first road game will be at The Horseshoe. Good Luck, Lincoln.
9/3- West Virginia v. Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, MD): This is the first game between these old Big East foes since the Hokies beat the Mountaineers, 34-17 at WVU back in 2005. Hokie HC Justin Fuente lived up to the hype around his hire by leading his squad to a 10-4 record in his first season. The Mountaineers are coming off a 10-3 campaign, but most of the guys who achieved that mark last year are gone. The Mountaineers have only eight returning starters and a game like this isn't ideal for an inexperienced squad to make their debut. However, VaTech is facing some demons of their own here. They haven't won a neutral site game in 14 years.
9/9- TCU at Arkansas: These two teams met last year for the first time since their Southwest Conference days. The game did not disappoint. TCU came back from a 20-7 deficit to grab a 28-20 lead thanks to three TD runs by Kenny Hill. The Hogs scrambled to tie the game with a little over a minute to play. Arkansas forced a TCU FG in the second OT, then grabbed the W when Austin Allen ran five yards for a TD. If this year's game is half as exciting as last year's, it will be a treat to watch.
9/16- Texas at USC: The last time the Longhorns and the Trojans hooked up at the Coliseum some guys named Royal and McKay were the HCs. It's also the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006 National Title Game. Texas will be coming off a pair of home warmups with Maryland and San Jose State. USC will enter this one after facing Stanford in a critical Pac 12 early season tilt. Will the Trojans come out physically spent? Will Texas come out flat after two cupcakes? If the teams avoid those pitfalls, it could a great game.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/23- Oklahoma at Baylor: This game wasn't in the running for this list couple of months back, but Bob Stoops' sudden abdication has necessitated its' mention. It is the conference opener for a pair of teams that will still be finding their way under new leaders. OU under Lincoln Riley will be eager to notch that first league win to make it look like business as usual in Norman. Meanwhile, Matt Rhule will be doing his best to put out the dumpster fire that is Baylor Football and win games in the process. An upset here by the Bears would signal blood in the water for others taking on the Sooners this year.
9/23- TCU at Oklahoma State: These two squads have been tabbed as the two teams right behind OU to take the league title if the Sooners falter. The key matchup in this game will be TCU's experienced offense v Okie State's young defense. TCU QB Kenny Hill's first year playing in Ft.Worth was a mixed bag. In 2016 Hill, a transfer from Texas A&M competed 67% if his passes, but also had a habit of finding the other guys too. His 13 interceptions led the league last year and also got him pulled from a few games. As for Okie State, the offensive seems to run through QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph will break most of the QB record at OSU. OSU needs RB Justice Hill to take pressure off Rudolph by having a big season.
11/4- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: It's hard to call this a rivalry game when OU holds a 86-18-7 lead in the series. However, if the pundits are correct, this will determine who will be on top of the ladder gong into the final three weeks of the season and have the inside track to the Big XII title game. I honestly think the loser here may end up watching the league title game instead of playing in it.
11/11- TCU at Oklahoma: For both squads this will either be the game that gives them a stranglehold on the top spot in the league or sends the league standings into chaos with two league games left.
11/18- TCU at Texas Tech: The Horned Frogs have lost three of the last five years to the Red Raiders. Throw out the 82-27 blowout win by TCU in 2014 and the average margin of victory in in the last few years is just five points. After taking on the Sooners a week earlier, TCU could enter this game against TT's Air-Raid Offense a little flat. If the Frogs are flat, then Texas Tech could pull off the upset.
Big XII Scheduling Observations
...Someone wearing purple will win; Kansas State plays two other schools that sport purple. The Wildcats open up with FCS power Central Arkansas on 9/2 (Upset Alert Here!) Then, on 10/14 they host TCU.
...More than three; The modern standard for waiting for a HC to turn around a program is three years. KU's David Beaty deserves another two years just to dig out of the mess left for him by Mr. Schematic Advantage himself, Charlie Weis.
...A lousy slate; Here's who the Oklahoma season seat holder gets to see come to Norman this year: UTEP, Tulane, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia.
...Four the hard way; Texas will know just how good they are after a four week stretch where they face OU at the Cotton Bowl, host Okie State, then hit the road to Baylor and TCU.
...Fearless prediction; Iowa State will win four games this year.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
My old great Plasma TV died this past week. I'd had it for about 15 years and was pretty bummed over it's demise until my wife asked if wanted to hold a memorial service for it. I then laughed and proceeded to start getting over it.
The dog days of summer are here.
Sometimes, there's nothing better than just staring out at the ocean and watching the sailboats go by.
Until next tome folks, remember that schedules help make seasons.
-The Commissioner
9/3- West Virginia v. Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, MD): This is the first game between these old Big East foes since the Hokies beat the Mountaineers, 34-17 at WVU back in 2005. Hokie HC Justin Fuente lived up to the hype around his hire by leading his squad to a 10-4 record in his first season. The Mountaineers are coming off a 10-3 campaign, but most of the guys who achieved that mark last year are gone. The Mountaineers have only eight returning starters and a game like this isn't ideal for an inexperienced squad to make their debut. However, VaTech is facing some demons of their own here. They haven't won a neutral site game in 14 years.
9/9- TCU at Arkansas: These two teams met last year for the first time since their Southwest Conference days. The game did not disappoint. TCU came back from a 20-7 deficit to grab a 28-20 lead thanks to three TD runs by Kenny Hill. The Hogs scrambled to tie the game with a little over a minute to play. Arkansas forced a TCU FG in the second OT, then grabbed the W when Austin Allen ran five yards for a TD. If this year's game is half as exciting as last year's, it will be a treat to watch.
9/16- Texas at USC: The last time the Longhorns and the Trojans hooked up at the Coliseum some guys named Royal and McKay were the HCs. It's also the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006 National Title Game. Texas will be coming off a pair of home warmups with Maryland and San Jose State. USC will enter this one after facing Stanford in a critical Pac 12 early season tilt. Will the Trojans come out physically spent? Will Texas come out flat after two cupcakes? If the teams avoid those pitfalls, it could a great game.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/23- Oklahoma at Baylor: This game wasn't in the running for this list couple of months back, but Bob Stoops' sudden abdication has necessitated its' mention. It is the conference opener for a pair of teams that will still be finding their way under new leaders. OU under Lincoln Riley will be eager to notch that first league win to make it look like business as usual in Norman. Meanwhile, Matt Rhule will be doing his best to put out the dumpster fire that is Baylor Football and win games in the process. An upset here by the Bears would signal blood in the water for others taking on the Sooners this year.
9/23- TCU at Oklahoma State: These two squads have been tabbed as the two teams right behind OU to take the league title if the Sooners falter. The key matchup in this game will be TCU's experienced offense v Okie State's young defense. TCU QB Kenny Hill's first year playing in Ft.Worth was a mixed bag. In 2016 Hill, a transfer from Texas A&M competed 67% if his passes, but also had a habit of finding the other guys too. His 13 interceptions led the league last year and also got him pulled from a few games. As for Okie State, the offensive seems to run through QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph will break most of the QB record at OSU. OSU needs RB Justice Hill to take pressure off Rudolph by having a big season.
11/4- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: It's hard to call this a rivalry game when OU holds a 86-18-7 lead in the series. However, if the pundits are correct, this will determine who will be on top of the ladder gong into the final three weeks of the season and have the inside track to the Big XII title game. I honestly think the loser here may end up watching the league title game instead of playing in it.
11/11- TCU at Oklahoma: For both squads this will either be the game that gives them a stranglehold on the top spot in the league or sends the league standings into chaos with two league games left.
11/18- TCU at Texas Tech: The Horned Frogs have lost three of the last five years to the Red Raiders. Throw out the 82-27 blowout win by TCU in 2014 and the average margin of victory in in the last few years is just five points. After taking on the Sooners a week earlier, TCU could enter this game against TT's Air-Raid Offense a little flat. If the Frogs are flat, then Texas Tech could pull off the upset.
Big XII Scheduling Observations
...Someone wearing purple will win; Kansas State plays two other schools that sport purple. The Wildcats open up with FCS power Central Arkansas on 9/2 (Upset Alert Here!) Then, on 10/14 they host TCU.
...More than three; The modern standard for waiting for a HC to turn around a program is three years. KU's David Beaty deserves another two years just to dig out of the mess left for him by Mr. Schematic Advantage himself, Charlie Weis.
...A lousy slate; Here's who the Oklahoma season seat holder gets to see come to Norman this year: UTEP, Tulane, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia.
...Four the hard way; Texas will know just how good they are after a four week stretch where they face OU at the Cotton Bowl, host Okie State, then hit the road to Baylor and TCU.
...Fearless prediction; Iowa State will win four games this year.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
My old great Plasma TV died this past week. I'd had it for about 15 years and was pretty bummed over it's demise until my wife asked if wanted to hold a memorial service for it. I then laughed and proceeded to start getting over it.
The dog days of summer are here.
Sometimes, there's nothing better than just staring out at the ocean and watching the sailboats go by.
Until next tome folks, remember that schedules help make seasons.
-The Commissioner
Sunday, July 9, 2017
The Coaching Carousel
Hey All,
As all of your tans deepen and the cold beverages flow while you dine on great summer barbecue, I'm sending all of you your first summer reading assignment for the coming football season. It's time for another trip on the Coaching Carousel. We will really miss you, Frank Deford.
Baylor
OUT: Jim Grobe
IN: Matt Rhule
Last year when the sexual misconduct and other disciplinary issues of the Baylor football program became known, then HC Art Briles was fired and Jim Grobe, the old Wake Forest HC came out of retirement to help stabilize the Baylor program. Grobe was basically a figurehead as just about all of Briles' staff was retained. Jim Grobe and everyone else on the staff were let go at the end of the 2016 season. Temple HC Matt Rhule then left Philadelphia for Waco. Rhule had just led Temple to their first conference crown since 1967. Rhule was lauded as a man who "shared our values" according to Bears AD Mark Rhoades. Rhule may have some good values, but one of the assistants he brought in didn't. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Brandon Washington was arrested for solicitation at a hotel near the BU campus last February 4th. That's not a good look for a team already suffering from sex-scandals. Rhule is a good coach he should be able to win games in Waco. However, the most important thing Rhule can do is rehab the program's image first.
California
OUT: Sonny Dykes
IN: Justin Wilcox
Back in 2012, The Golden Bears parted ways with Jeff Tedford and brought in Dykes, a Mike Leach disciple to crank up the Cal offense. That was what Dykes did with Jeff Goff throwing his arm off most of the time. After going 8-5 in 2015 with a win in the Armed Forces bowl over Air Force, Dykes let it be known that he wasn't thrilled being in Berkeley. He mainly wasn't thrilled because the AD that hired him, Sandy Barbour left for Penn State after his first year at the helm. Dykes never really got along with new AD Michael Williams. Dykes then spoke openly with other schools about their HC jobs. Baylor was the most notable on the list of teams Dykes spoke with. The friction between Dykes and the admin at Berkeley grew. One of the main reasons was Dykes' realization that Berkeley wasn't like his home state of Texas. (Ummmmmm, Duhhhhhhh!) Dykes was then fired last January 8th. Which is really not a good time to fire your HC. So, who was left out there as a candidate? None other than Justin Wilcox. The name Wilcox makes Trojan fans angry as he came to SC as part of Steve Sarkisian's staff from Washington. His porous defenses left him no supporters in the Trojan family outside of Pat Haden and when he was fired by Clay Helton, shouts of joy were heard from the Trojan faithful. Trojan fans can only hope that his defenses keep up their less than stellar efforts in Strawberry Canyon.
Cincinnati
OUT: Tommy Tuberville
IN: Luke Fickell
With his resignation at the end of last season, the four decade career of Tommy Tuberville looks to be at an end. Seeing Tommy leave so peacefully from a place makes me think of the times that he didn't. Let's look back at two of those. In his first HC gig at Ole Miss, (1995-98), he made the statement, "They'll have to carry out me of here in a pine box." when asked about leaving Ole Miss for another job. Two days later, he left the Rebels for Auburn. Then 14 years later when he was the HC of Texas Tech, he left a recruiting dinner before the entrees arrived. During this disappearance, he handed in his resignation and took off for Cincinnati. In his stint with the Bearcats, he turned in back-to-back 9-4 seasons before faltering the last two years to 7-6 and 4-8. With his resignation in hand, UC went out and grabbed one off the hottest coordinators in the game to lead them. Luke Fickell is an Ohio lifer. Outside of one year as a NG for the Saints his entire football life has been in the Buckeye state. He played NG at Ohio State for John Cooper, then was a GA for Cooper, coached DL at Akron for two seasons, then was hired on Jim Tressel's staff back at Theee OSU. He remained on staff when Urban Meyer took over for Tressel and worked his way up to CO-DC/LB coach for the Buckeyes. There is a wealth of football talent in Ohio and if Fickell can work his connections, he can build Cincy up into a winner again, then leave them for a Big Ten job.
Connecticut
OUT: Bob Diaco
IN: Randy Edsall
Bob Diaco's Husky squads underachieved to the tune of an 11-26 record in his three years. The final four games of 2016 were especially bad with the Huskies going 0-4 and being outscored 130-16. he was let go and the UCONN admin turned to a familiar face in their coaching search. Thomas Wolfe discussed how one can't go home again a century for so ago. Now Randy Edsall will test out that theory this season. Edsall left the Huskies after the 2010 season to pursue the greener pastures of a power five conference HC gig at Maryland. His teams did not do well, with a couple of 7-6 records and a pair of bowl losses as the highlight of his time with the Terps. He was fired six games into the 2015 campaign after a 49-28 loss at Theee Ohio State. Edsall spent 2016 as a special projects research assistant for the Detroit Lions. Now, that he has been brought back to active coaching, he needs to make UCONN competitive quickly in the AAC in order to have a happy homecoming.
Florida Atlantic
OUT: Charlie Partridge
IN: Lane Kiffin
Insert assorted bird references here. Partridge was booted from the nest by the Owls administration after his teams failed to take wing. In three seasons his squads posted a 9-27 record and went 3-9 in each of those seasons. So who did the Admin hire to take his place? A man who has received his share of birds across the nation, Lane Kiffin. It seems like Kiffin has been around forever, which is a pretty big accomplishment in coaching circles for a for a guy that's just 42 years old. Remember this is already his third HC gig. He's been the HC of the Oakland Raiders, USC, and Tennessee. After Lane wore out his welcome as the OC at Alabama, Nick Saban was happy to send him off to the Sunshine State. Can Kiffin turn around the fortunes of the Owls? Can he stay out of his own way?
Only time will, but history isn't on his side. Maybe he'll lead FAU to the Sun Bowl and will get to wear a cool sombrero again.
Fresno State
OUT: Tim DeRuyter
IN: Jeff Tedford
Nobody rooted for DeRuyter as the Bulldogs went downhill the last few seasons. When FSU hit the 1-7 mark last year, DeRuyter was shown the door. Fresno AD Jim Bartko summed up what fans want in the central valley when he told the Fresno Bee of DeRyuter's firing, "Not an easy day. Football fever runs deep in the Valley. David Carr, Derek Carr, Trent Dilfer, many others. Jim Sweeney. Pat Hill. We expect great things out of it." So, who did Bartko turn to after the season ended under interim HC Eric Kiesau? They turned to former Cal HC Jeff Tedford. Tedford served as the QB coach in 1992 then as the QB coach/OC for the Bulldogs from 1993-97 under HC Jim Sweeney. Tedford's staff hires look to be solid as his OC will be Kalen DeBoer who helped turn Eastern Michigan from an also ran in the MAC into a bowl team and his DC is Orlando Steinauer who went from a fine player in the CFL to one of the leagues better DCs. He comes to FSU from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the northern league where he held the same position. This rebuild won't happen fast as Tedford will have to dig his way out of some pretty bad recruiting classes the last few seasons.
Georgia State
OUT: Trent Miles
IN: Shawn Elliott
GSU is one of the newborns of college football. A 2006 study sanctioned by the school told the admin that a football program could be started and that they would field a competitive team at the FBS level in a few years. So, the green light was given to starting a team. GSU started playing games in 2010 and for three seasons toiled in the FCS under the guidance of Bill Curry. Curry then handed the program off to Trent Miles who would lead the team into the FBS. Miles came from Indiana State where he had some success. He never found that success at GSU. He was fired near the end of the 2016 season with an overall record of 9-38, with six of those wins coming in his first season. Into the breach steps Shawn Elliott. Elliott's ties to GSU AD Charlie Cobb were a factor in him getting the job. He and Cobb worked together at Appalachian State where Elliott also played his college ball. However, when it came time for App State to select a new HC in 2012, Cobb selected Scott Satterfield over Elliott. So what makes him a good pick now? He's been on the South Carolina staff since 2010 serving a variety of positions under both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp. Did that additional experience help or did Cobb need a guy he was familiar with who would work cheap? I think both. How cheap is cheap? pretty cheap by FBS standards. $515,000 is near the bottom of the ladder in the FBS. 515K isn nothing to sneeze at, but when Michigan's Jim Harbaugh is getting nine million a year, it ain't much.
Houston
OUT: Tom Herman
IN: Major Applewhite
Houston's chances of holding on to the hot coaching property known as Tom Herman died when the Big XII decided not to expand the league last fall. So the Texas full circle occurred when Herman left for the burnt orange pastures of Austin while former Texas QB, assistant coach and and current UH OC Major Applewhite was hired to run the Cougars. Applwehite had a notable career as a QB at Texas with a great deal of headlines involving his battle for the starting job with Chris Simms. His Coaching career has been pretty much limited to the state of Texas except for one year stints at Syracuse and Alabama. From 2008-2013 He held a variety of spots at Texas ranging from Assistant HC to OC/QB coach. Applewhite must continue Herman's success to keep his job. If there is any doubt what's expected of him, UH President Renu Khator said it all when she was quoted in an SB nation article. "The winning is defined at University of Houston as 10 and 2. We'll fire coaches at 8 and 4." The quote was played off as a joke at a holiday party at Khator's home. We'll see if it was a joke soon. Good Luck, Major.
Fun Fact: The University of Houston's teams are known as the Cougars because one of their physical education instructors, John R. Bender was once the head football coach of Washington State. He loved the nickname and bestowed the name on the Houston's athletic teams.
Indiana
OUT: Kevin Wilson
IN: Tom Allen
Kevin Wilson over the course of six seasons turned Indiana from a loser into a bowl team, with two appearances in their last two years. Evidently, he also had a less modern and more Frank Kush-like way of treating his players. One of those players, Nick Carovillano told his father about Wilson's mistreatment of injured players and that started the ball roiling on investigations of Wilson when the elder Carovillano brought his son's problems to AD Fred Glass. The Chicago Tribune quoted Nick Carovillano as he described the way Wilson talked to inured players. Wilson would tell them that he's "paying $70,000 a year for you to sit on your ass." He also said that Wilson would just belittle and berate injured players until they felt guilty enough to play injured. After the initial investigations, IU put the coaching staff on notice about the treatment of injured players. Then, last November, the same type of allegations surfaced again from different players and Wilson was fired. IU then turned to DC Tom Allen to lead the team into their bowl game.. The Hoosiers lost the game, dropping a 26-24 decision to Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl. Allen was then named the HC in January. Allen did change over a good deal of the coaching staff and landed a good OC when he hired Mike DeBord. DeBord is a Big Ten veteran and could really help IU's offense. IU has enough talent in to go bowling for a third straight year in the strong Big Ten East. If Allen can accomplish that under the microscope he'll be under all year, then IU did hire the right man.
LSU
OUT: Les Miles
IN: Ed Orgeron
After many premature reports of his demise, Les Miles and LSU did really part ways after four games last season. Miles and OC Cam Cameron were dismissed after the Tigers started 2016 at 2-2 with the final game being a painful 18-13 loss to Auburn. Ed Oregon took over as the interim HC. He went 5-2 for the rest of the regular season and the admin at LSU removed the interim title. In his first game as the HC, his squad whipped Louisville, 29-9 in the Citrus Bowl. Coach O has had a long career since starting out as a GA at Northwestern State (LA) back in 1984. Most Trojan fans were happy to see Coach O get the HC job at LSU and they also wonder what would have happened had Oregon gotten the USC HC job after serving as the interim HC when Lane Kiffin was fired back in 2013. Oregon's passion for the game creates a bond with his players that is second to none. Now, if Oregon puts together a good offense to go with LSU's strong defenses, the Bayou Bengals may start truly challenging Bama's stranglehold on the SEC West.
Minnesota
OUT: Tracy Claeys
IN: P.J. Fleck
The way Tracy Claeys HC career ended at Minnesota is a story worth telling. The Golden Gophers had competed an 8-4 regular season and had accepted an invite to take on Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. Then, the Gophers hit the fan. Last December 13th, 10 players were suspended from all team activities by the UM administration for a sexual assault incident on September 2, 2016. In-between these two dates, several of the players had served suspensions due to the incident. When the Holiday Bowl suspensions came down, the rest of the team threatened to boycott the Holiday Bowl. They said they were standing up for their teammates who they feel "didn't get due process." Claeys backed his players. However, neither Claeys nor his players had really bothered to read the report on the incident. The UM administration then released their report of the assault to to the media. The players quickly withdrew their support of their teammates as the graphic details were made known. Claeys was left out to dry on the wrong side of a bad situation to face an AD who didn't hire him and a low buyout. Firing Claeys was a no-brainer for UM AD Mark Coyle. Coyle then really nabbed a great hire when he plucked P.J. Fleck from Western Michigan. All Fleck did in Kalamazoo was turn the Broncos into a team that went 13-1 last year. The one loss was a tight one to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. The young, energetic Fleck is a HC on the rise and if he can do for Minnesota what he did for WMU, the Gophers will shakeup the Big Ten West. Are you listening, Badgers, Wildcats, Hawkeyes, Cornhuskers, Boilermakers and Illini?
Nevada
OUT: Brian Polian
IN: Jay Norvell
Talk about ups and downs in college football. Polian and the rest of the Nevada football team had met last November 27th to paint the Fremont Cannon blue after reclaiming the trophy in a 45-10 whipping of rival UNLV. A short while later that day they were called to a team meeting to be told that their HC had been fired. Brian Polian posted a 23-27 record at Nevada with a pair of bowl appearances in four seasons, but it just wasn't enough to keep his job. The firing was spun as a "mutual parting" by the Nevada admin. Funny, I don't know many HC's that would have called it a "mutual parting." So, with that awkward send off, Polian is gone and the next man up is Jay Norvell. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Novel interviewed so well, he was offered the job before he could leave town. Norvell has a long career as an assistant with stops at Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. He also coached in the NFL with the Raiders and Colts. His whole career has been on the offensive side of the ball as primarily a WR and TE coach. This past season he work at ASU as the WR coach and Passing Game Coordinator. Norvell brings a lot of experience to the job and has inherited a decent team. It is hoped by Nevada's admin that his experience will produce a winner in the biggest little city.
Oregon
OUT: Mark Helfrich
IN: Willie Taggart
After Chip Kelly left sugar daddy Phil Knight and an immense wardrobe of Nike gear in Eugene for the challenge of the NFL, his OC Mark Helfrich was hired to keep Oregon's winning ways going. Helfrich was an easy choice. He grew up in Coos Bay, played and coached at Southern Oregon and had coached at Boise State, Arizona State and Colorado before coming home to the Ducks. His offenses were pretty prolific and the good play continued when he took over as the HC. Having Marcus Mariota at QB didn't hurt. The Ducks whipped Florida State in the 2015 Rose Bowl to advance to the national title game. The Ducks were manhandled by Ohio State in the NC game and some small chinks started to show in the Ducks armor. The Ducks had a "disappointing" 2015 season, (9-4), which saw them being outmuscled in a 31-28 loss to Michigan State. Then a giant red flag went up when Utah came to Eugene and did everything to the Quack Attack except pluck Puddles in a 62-20 thrashing. The Ducks would go on to lose a double OT thriller to WSU, then get crushed in one of the worst collapses in bowl game history when TCU came back from a 31-0 halftime deficit to beat UO 47-41 in triple OT. Then 2016 happened. just about everyone who had been waiting to slap the Ducks around, did just that. In a three week span, UO gave 173 points, which included a 70-21 shellacking by Washington that wasn't as close as the score indicates. With Helfrich's fate sealed, the Duck braintrust, which is really just Phil Knight and someone posing as the Oregon AD, went looking for a new leader. That's where Willie Taggart came in. While many were listed as being interested in the job, only a few were willing to put up with a booster who calls almost all of the shots and even has a set of coaches headphones in his private box so he can listen in on the play calls. Taggart came to UO from USF, but he's really a Western Kentucky man. He played QB for and spent most of his coaching career with the Hilltoppers. He did spend a couple of years at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh where he was Toby Gearhart's RB coach. When he got to Eugene his tenure did not start well when his strength and conditioning coach, Irele Oderinde, ran a workout so intense that three players were hospitalized with potential kidney damage from rhabdomyolysis. Oderinde was suspended for a month and according to Taggart the workouts were "modified." If Taggart can keep from injuring his players, the Ducks have 17 returning starters and could easily bounce back to the top of the Pac 12 North. One hurdle to that return is having to play both Washington and Stanford on the road.
Purdue
OUT: Darrell Hazell
IN: Jeff Brohm
Darrell Hazell came into West Lafayette as the man who turned MAC doormat Kent State into a winner. Hazell never found that same magic with PU and he entered the 2016 season with a 6-31 record. The Boilermakers got off to a 3-2 start last season, but that wasn't enough to please new AD Mike Bobinski who fired Hazell after the fifth game. PU then lost their final six games under interim HC Gerad Parker to finish the year. Bobinski then went out and plucked Jeff Brohm away from Western Kentucky as what has been described by most of the college football world as a "homerun hire." Purdue may have stumbled into this good fortune as the only other open job in the Power Five at the time was the dumpster fire known as Baylor. Brohm comes from Western Kentucky where his teams were known for high powered offenses and swiss cheese defenses. Brohm will need to assemble a much better defensive staff than he has ever had in order to turn PU around. Brohm also has to deal with a facilities gap and a small fan base as obstacles to winning.
San Jose State
OUT: Ron Carragher
IN: Brent Brennan
After almost dropping the program 13 years ago, SJSU got up off the deck and worked their way into the Mountain West Conference. Then in 2012 , they went 11-2 under current Colorado HC Mike MacIntyre. It was thought the program was left in capable hands when Ron Carragher took over the team. Carragher's squads did not build on previous success going just 19-30 over the last four years and he was shown the door. SJSU then turned to a familiar name in Brent Brennan for the HC job. Brennan coached under both Dick Tomey and Mike MacIntyre from 2005-10 and for the last five seasons was the WR coach at Oregon State. One of the first moves Brennan made raised some eyebrows when he hired Andrew Sowder as his OC. Sowder is now the youngest OC in the FBS at 28 years old. Sowder learned some of his football from Bowling Green HC Dino Babers and was an assistant WR coach at Texas on Charlie Strong's staff. If Brennan's youth movement takes hold, the Spartans could be competitive again soon in the MWC. One side note is that Brennan is familiar wearing blue and gold. He lettered as a WR on UCLA's 1993 Rose Bowl team and his dad played at SJSU in the late 1960s.
South Florida
OUT: Willie Taggart
IN: Charlie Strong
How it came to be that Charlie Strong is the HC at USF in 2017 can only be understood if we rewind the clock back to 1995 when Jim Leavitt was tabbed to run USF's brand new program. How new? So new that Leavitt recruited a full class of kids in 1996 so they could start playing games for real in 1997. Leavitt brought the program from a then 1-AA independent to C-USA and then to the Big East. He had built up a 95-57 record over 13 seasons and led his squads to five bowl appearances. Leavitt was then fired in January of 2010 when an investigation showed that not only did Leavitt hit one of his players during the halftime of the 2009 Louisville game, he interfered with the investigation that followed. So, in came Skip Holtz who had a fine first season with Leavitt's recruits, then it all went downhill. Holtz was dismissed with a 16-21 record. Willie Taggart was then handed the reins to the program. Taggart came from Western Kentucky where he took the team from doormat to midland before accepting the USF job. USF went 2-10 in his first season and steadily went up from there with the Bulls going 10-2 in 2016. Taggart seized his chance to head to a power five school and left the rain of South Florida for the rain at Oregon. That left the job open for Charlie Strong. Strong was had only been unemployed for 19 days following his dismissal from Texas before being named the new USF HC. Strong's fire to lead another program was still burning when he was asked by CBS writer Dennis Dodd about staying off the field for awhile. Strong replied, "I'm not going to give Texas that pleasure." Strong was smart to seize this opportunity as he inherits a team that is loaded. The Bulls have 16 returning starters with nine of those on defense. Don't be surprised if this bunch crashes the New Year's Bowl party in 2017.
Temple
OUT: Matt Rhule
IN: Geoff Collins
Temple football has never been a bastion of great football. Remember this is the only school that was voted out of a power conference. That happened back in 2002 when the Owls were voted out of the Big East. So, when Matt Rhule led the Owls to a 10-3 regular season and their first conference title since 1967, it was a very big deal in Philadelphia. Rhule then decided to capitalize on that success and head to the banks of the Brazos at Baylor. The Owls then lost their bowl game with special teams coach Ed Foley at the helm, 34-26 to Wake Forest. The powers to be at Temple then went out and got a coach from the SEC to cross the Mason-Dixon line. Geoff Collins Has spent the last six season as a DC. From 2011-14 he coached at Mississippi State and the 2015-16 seasons he roamed the sidelines at Florida. Collins has inherited a pretty good team, but with only four starters returning on defense, Collins may not lead the Owls to the success they had last year, but with some breaks another bowl game could be had by the Owls,
Texas
OUT: Charlie Strong
IN: Tom Herman
To say that Charlie Strong's time as the HC of the Longhorns was a tad stormy is an understatement. Strong was not left a full cupboard by any means by Mack Brown. Strong's attempts to mold the program in his own way always seemed to have a steady stream of critics. Oh, and Strong's being the first African American HC at Texas also drew ire from a group of the Texas faithful the same way some groups of Notre Dame fans went after Ty Willingham when he was hired close to a decade ago. It is quite apparent when these things happen that winning solves everything. However Strong didn't win. The low point of the losing occurred right before Strong was fired. Texas lost to Big 12 bottom feeder Kansas, 24-21 in week 12. So, with Strong gone, the Longhorns scooped up the hottest coaching property in football when they hired Tom Herman away from Houston. All Herman did in his first HC gig was guide the Cougars to a 22-3 record with a huge 33-23 win over Oklahoma last year. Herman is known for teams with powerful offenses and highly motivated defenses that get the job done. If Herman hits it right, he could be on his way to bonafide Texas hero status.
Western Kentucky
OUT: Jeff Brohm
IN: Mike Sanford, Jr.
Jeff Brohm left the Hilltoppers for the Big Ten. WKU didn't waste time and hired a familiar name to be their next HC. If the name Mike Sanford sounds familiar to Trojan fans, it should. Mike Sanford, Sr. was a backup QB at USC from 1973-76 and was a GA at SC in 1977 and then later served as SC's WR coach from 1989-96. He's had a long career that included assistant coaching gigs at Army, Long Beach State, Notre Dame, Utah, Louisville and Stanford. He also was the HC at UNLV and Indiana State where he complied a less than stellar 34-73 record. So, why am I talking about Mike Sr., when Mike Jr. got the job? Well, because Jr. hired Sr. to be his RB and ST coach. Mike jr. worked as a GA back in 2005 for his dad then did two tours of duty with Stanford and was WKU's QB Coach in 2010. He comes to WKU from Notre Dame where he was Brian Kelly's OC.QB Coach. Jr. inherits a squad that has only 10 returning starters and just four off those on the offensive side of the ball. Several preseason publications feel that Jr. could win the C-USA East with the talent he has been left with, even if it is inexperienced talent. Oh, and I can't blame the kid for hiring his dad. If I were in his position, I'd do the same thing. Hope it works out better for him than Lane Kiffin.
Western Michigan
OUT: P.J. Fleck
IN: Tim Lester
P.J. Fleck took his gal and his family out of Kalamazoo and headed to the land of 10,000 lakes to lead the Golden Gophers. He did a great job leading the Broncos from 1-11 in 2013 to 13-1 in 2016 with a tough loss to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. The WMU leadership turned to former star QB Tim Lester to fill the void. Lester was the QB for WMU from 1996-99 and just may be one of the few players to play in the XFL, Arena football league and the Arena Football League 2. He retuned as the QB Coach of the Broncos from 2005-06. He had a mildly successful run as the HC at D-II's Elmhurst college where he guided the team to its' very first playoff berth. He then spent time as the QB/RC/OC at Syracuse before spending last season at Purdue as their QB coach. Lester may have a tough go of it to start his tenure. He does have 12 returning starters, but his QB and top wideout have both graduated. Also, it doesn't help that WMU opens with road games at USC and Michigan State. The fans in Kalamazoo hope he continues what P.J. Fleck started.
Let's finish off this bit of summer reading with an installment of Three Notes About Nothing...
I've been spending time at OSH visiting the patio furniture I'd like to buy.
Trevor's at the Tracks is a great place to dine and just soak up the Los Rios district atmosphere in San Juan Capistrano.
I still love and looks forward to the MLB All-Star Game each year.
Until next time, remember that a great BBQ sauce is a key to great ribs.
-The Commissioner
As all of your tans deepen and the cold beverages flow while you dine on great summer barbecue, I'm sending all of you your first summer reading assignment for the coming football season. It's time for another trip on the Coaching Carousel. We will really miss you, Frank Deford.
Baylor
OUT: Jim Grobe
IN: Matt Rhule
Last year when the sexual misconduct and other disciplinary issues of the Baylor football program became known, then HC Art Briles was fired and Jim Grobe, the old Wake Forest HC came out of retirement to help stabilize the Baylor program. Grobe was basically a figurehead as just about all of Briles' staff was retained. Jim Grobe and everyone else on the staff were let go at the end of the 2016 season. Temple HC Matt Rhule then left Philadelphia for Waco. Rhule had just led Temple to their first conference crown since 1967. Rhule was lauded as a man who "shared our values" according to Bears AD Mark Rhoades. Rhule may have some good values, but one of the assistants he brought in didn't. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Brandon Washington was arrested for solicitation at a hotel near the BU campus last February 4th. That's not a good look for a team already suffering from sex-scandals. Rhule is a good coach he should be able to win games in Waco. However, the most important thing Rhule can do is rehab the program's image first.
California
OUT: Sonny Dykes
IN: Justin Wilcox
Back in 2012, The Golden Bears parted ways with Jeff Tedford and brought in Dykes, a Mike Leach disciple to crank up the Cal offense. That was what Dykes did with Jeff Goff throwing his arm off most of the time. After going 8-5 in 2015 with a win in the Armed Forces bowl over Air Force, Dykes let it be known that he wasn't thrilled being in Berkeley. He mainly wasn't thrilled because the AD that hired him, Sandy Barbour left for Penn State after his first year at the helm. Dykes never really got along with new AD Michael Williams. Dykes then spoke openly with other schools about their HC jobs. Baylor was the most notable on the list of teams Dykes spoke with. The friction between Dykes and the admin at Berkeley grew. One of the main reasons was Dykes' realization that Berkeley wasn't like his home state of Texas. (Ummmmmm, Duhhhhhhh!) Dykes was then fired last January 8th. Which is really not a good time to fire your HC. So, who was left out there as a candidate? None other than Justin Wilcox. The name Wilcox makes Trojan fans angry as he came to SC as part of Steve Sarkisian's staff from Washington. His porous defenses left him no supporters in the Trojan family outside of Pat Haden and when he was fired by Clay Helton, shouts of joy were heard from the Trojan faithful. Trojan fans can only hope that his defenses keep up their less than stellar efforts in Strawberry Canyon.
Cincinnati
OUT: Tommy Tuberville
IN: Luke Fickell
With his resignation at the end of last season, the four decade career of Tommy Tuberville looks to be at an end. Seeing Tommy leave so peacefully from a place makes me think of the times that he didn't. Let's look back at two of those. In his first HC gig at Ole Miss, (1995-98), he made the statement, "They'll have to carry out me of here in a pine box." when asked about leaving Ole Miss for another job. Two days later, he left the Rebels for Auburn. Then 14 years later when he was the HC of Texas Tech, he left a recruiting dinner before the entrees arrived. During this disappearance, he handed in his resignation and took off for Cincinnati. In his stint with the Bearcats, he turned in back-to-back 9-4 seasons before faltering the last two years to 7-6 and 4-8. With his resignation in hand, UC went out and grabbed one off the hottest coordinators in the game to lead them. Luke Fickell is an Ohio lifer. Outside of one year as a NG for the Saints his entire football life has been in the Buckeye state. He played NG at Ohio State for John Cooper, then was a GA for Cooper, coached DL at Akron for two seasons, then was hired on Jim Tressel's staff back at Theee OSU. He remained on staff when Urban Meyer took over for Tressel and worked his way up to CO-DC/LB coach for the Buckeyes. There is a wealth of football talent in Ohio and if Fickell can work his connections, he can build Cincy up into a winner again, then leave them for a Big Ten job.
Connecticut
OUT: Bob Diaco
IN: Randy Edsall
Bob Diaco's Husky squads underachieved to the tune of an 11-26 record in his three years. The final four games of 2016 were especially bad with the Huskies going 0-4 and being outscored 130-16. he was let go and the UCONN admin turned to a familiar face in their coaching search. Thomas Wolfe discussed how one can't go home again a century for so ago. Now Randy Edsall will test out that theory this season. Edsall left the Huskies after the 2010 season to pursue the greener pastures of a power five conference HC gig at Maryland. His teams did not do well, with a couple of 7-6 records and a pair of bowl losses as the highlight of his time with the Terps. He was fired six games into the 2015 campaign after a 49-28 loss at Theee Ohio State. Edsall spent 2016 as a special projects research assistant for the Detroit Lions. Now, that he has been brought back to active coaching, he needs to make UCONN competitive quickly in the AAC in order to have a happy homecoming.
Florida Atlantic
OUT: Charlie Partridge
IN: Lane Kiffin
Insert assorted bird references here. Partridge was booted from the nest by the Owls administration after his teams failed to take wing. In three seasons his squads posted a 9-27 record and went 3-9 in each of those seasons. So who did the Admin hire to take his place? A man who has received his share of birds across the nation, Lane Kiffin. It seems like Kiffin has been around forever, which is a pretty big accomplishment in coaching circles for a for a guy that's just 42 years old. Remember this is already his third HC gig. He's been the HC of the Oakland Raiders, USC, and Tennessee. After Lane wore out his welcome as the OC at Alabama, Nick Saban was happy to send him off to the Sunshine State. Can Kiffin turn around the fortunes of the Owls? Can he stay out of his own way?
Only time will, but history isn't on his side. Maybe he'll lead FAU to the Sun Bowl and will get to wear a cool sombrero again.
Fresno State
OUT: Tim DeRuyter
IN: Jeff Tedford
Nobody rooted for DeRuyter as the Bulldogs went downhill the last few seasons. When FSU hit the 1-7 mark last year, DeRuyter was shown the door. Fresno AD Jim Bartko summed up what fans want in the central valley when he told the Fresno Bee of DeRyuter's firing, "Not an easy day. Football fever runs deep in the Valley. David Carr, Derek Carr, Trent Dilfer, many others. Jim Sweeney. Pat Hill. We expect great things out of it." So, who did Bartko turn to after the season ended under interim HC Eric Kiesau? They turned to former Cal HC Jeff Tedford. Tedford served as the QB coach in 1992 then as the QB coach/OC for the Bulldogs from 1993-97 under HC Jim Sweeney. Tedford's staff hires look to be solid as his OC will be Kalen DeBoer who helped turn Eastern Michigan from an also ran in the MAC into a bowl team and his DC is Orlando Steinauer who went from a fine player in the CFL to one of the leagues better DCs. He comes to FSU from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the northern league where he held the same position. This rebuild won't happen fast as Tedford will have to dig his way out of some pretty bad recruiting classes the last few seasons.
Georgia State
OUT: Trent Miles
IN: Shawn Elliott
GSU is one of the newborns of college football. A 2006 study sanctioned by the school told the admin that a football program could be started and that they would field a competitive team at the FBS level in a few years. So, the green light was given to starting a team. GSU started playing games in 2010 and for three seasons toiled in the FCS under the guidance of Bill Curry. Curry then handed the program off to Trent Miles who would lead the team into the FBS. Miles came from Indiana State where he had some success. He never found that success at GSU. He was fired near the end of the 2016 season with an overall record of 9-38, with six of those wins coming in his first season. Into the breach steps Shawn Elliott. Elliott's ties to GSU AD Charlie Cobb were a factor in him getting the job. He and Cobb worked together at Appalachian State where Elliott also played his college ball. However, when it came time for App State to select a new HC in 2012, Cobb selected Scott Satterfield over Elliott. So what makes him a good pick now? He's been on the South Carolina staff since 2010 serving a variety of positions under both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp. Did that additional experience help or did Cobb need a guy he was familiar with who would work cheap? I think both. How cheap is cheap? pretty cheap by FBS standards. $515,000 is near the bottom of the ladder in the FBS. 515K isn nothing to sneeze at, but when Michigan's Jim Harbaugh is getting nine million a year, it ain't much.
Houston
OUT: Tom Herman
IN: Major Applewhite
Houston's chances of holding on to the hot coaching property known as Tom Herman died when the Big XII decided not to expand the league last fall. So the Texas full circle occurred when Herman left for the burnt orange pastures of Austin while former Texas QB, assistant coach and and current UH OC Major Applewhite was hired to run the Cougars. Applwehite had a notable career as a QB at Texas with a great deal of headlines involving his battle for the starting job with Chris Simms. His Coaching career has been pretty much limited to the state of Texas except for one year stints at Syracuse and Alabama. From 2008-2013 He held a variety of spots at Texas ranging from Assistant HC to OC/QB coach. Applewhite must continue Herman's success to keep his job. If there is any doubt what's expected of him, UH President Renu Khator said it all when she was quoted in an SB nation article. "The winning is defined at University of Houston as 10 and 2. We'll fire coaches at 8 and 4." The quote was played off as a joke at a holiday party at Khator's home. We'll see if it was a joke soon. Good Luck, Major.
Fun Fact: The University of Houston's teams are known as the Cougars because one of their physical education instructors, John R. Bender was once the head football coach of Washington State. He loved the nickname and bestowed the name on the Houston's athletic teams.
Indiana
OUT: Kevin Wilson
IN: Tom Allen
Kevin Wilson over the course of six seasons turned Indiana from a loser into a bowl team, with two appearances in their last two years. Evidently, he also had a less modern and more Frank Kush-like way of treating his players. One of those players, Nick Carovillano told his father about Wilson's mistreatment of injured players and that started the ball roiling on investigations of Wilson when the elder Carovillano brought his son's problems to AD Fred Glass. The Chicago Tribune quoted Nick Carovillano as he described the way Wilson talked to inured players. Wilson would tell them that he's "paying $70,000 a year for you to sit on your ass." He also said that Wilson would just belittle and berate injured players until they felt guilty enough to play injured. After the initial investigations, IU put the coaching staff on notice about the treatment of injured players. Then, last November, the same type of allegations surfaced again from different players and Wilson was fired. IU then turned to DC Tom Allen to lead the team into their bowl game.. The Hoosiers lost the game, dropping a 26-24 decision to Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl. Allen was then named the HC in January. Allen did change over a good deal of the coaching staff and landed a good OC when he hired Mike DeBord. DeBord is a Big Ten veteran and could really help IU's offense. IU has enough talent in to go bowling for a third straight year in the strong Big Ten East. If Allen can accomplish that under the microscope he'll be under all year, then IU did hire the right man.
LSU
OUT: Les Miles
IN: Ed Orgeron
After many premature reports of his demise, Les Miles and LSU did really part ways after four games last season. Miles and OC Cam Cameron were dismissed after the Tigers started 2016 at 2-2 with the final game being a painful 18-13 loss to Auburn. Ed Oregon took over as the interim HC. He went 5-2 for the rest of the regular season and the admin at LSU removed the interim title. In his first game as the HC, his squad whipped Louisville, 29-9 in the Citrus Bowl. Coach O has had a long career since starting out as a GA at Northwestern State (LA) back in 1984. Most Trojan fans were happy to see Coach O get the HC job at LSU and they also wonder what would have happened had Oregon gotten the USC HC job after serving as the interim HC when Lane Kiffin was fired back in 2013. Oregon's passion for the game creates a bond with his players that is second to none. Now, if Oregon puts together a good offense to go with LSU's strong defenses, the Bayou Bengals may start truly challenging Bama's stranglehold on the SEC West.
Minnesota
OUT: Tracy Claeys
IN: P.J. Fleck
The way Tracy Claeys HC career ended at Minnesota is a story worth telling. The Golden Gophers had competed an 8-4 regular season and had accepted an invite to take on Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. Then, the Gophers hit the fan. Last December 13th, 10 players were suspended from all team activities by the UM administration for a sexual assault incident on September 2, 2016. In-between these two dates, several of the players had served suspensions due to the incident. When the Holiday Bowl suspensions came down, the rest of the team threatened to boycott the Holiday Bowl. They said they were standing up for their teammates who they feel "didn't get due process." Claeys backed his players. However, neither Claeys nor his players had really bothered to read the report on the incident. The UM administration then released their report of the assault to to the media. The players quickly withdrew their support of their teammates as the graphic details were made known. Claeys was left out to dry on the wrong side of a bad situation to face an AD who didn't hire him and a low buyout. Firing Claeys was a no-brainer for UM AD Mark Coyle. Coyle then really nabbed a great hire when he plucked P.J. Fleck from Western Michigan. All Fleck did in Kalamazoo was turn the Broncos into a team that went 13-1 last year. The one loss was a tight one to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. The young, energetic Fleck is a HC on the rise and if he can do for Minnesota what he did for WMU, the Gophers will shakeup the Big Ten West. Are you listening, Badgers, Wildcats, Hawkeyes, Cornhuskers, Boilermakers and Illini?
Nevada
OUT: Brian Polian
IN: Jay Norvell
Talk about ups and downs in college football. Polian and the rest of the Nevada football team had met last November 27th to paint the Fremont Cannon blue after reclaiming the trophy in a 45-10 whipping of rival UNLV. A short while later that day they were called to a team meeting to be told that their HC had been fired. Brian Polian posted a 23-27 record at Nevada with a pair of bowl appearances in four seasons, but it just wasn't enough to keep his job. The firing was spun as a "mutual parting" by the Nevada admin. Funny, I don't know many HC's that would have called it a "mutual parting." So, with that awkward send off, Polian is gone and the next man up is Jay Norvell. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Novel interviewed so well, he was offered the job before he could leave town. Norvell has a long career as an assistant with stops at Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. He also coached in the NFL with the Raiders and Colts. His whole career has been on the offensive side of the ball as primarily a WR and TE coach. This past season he work at ASU as the WR coach and Passing Game Coordinator. Norvell brings a lot of experience to the job and has inherited a decent team. It is hoped by Nevada's admin that his experience will produce a winner in the biggest little city.
Oregon
OUT: Mark Helfrich
IN: Willie Taggart
After Chip Kelly left sugar daddy Phil Knight and an immense wardrobe of Nike gear in Eugene for the challenge of the NFL, his OC Mark Helfrich was hired to keep Oregon's winning ways going. Helfrich was an easy choice. He grew up in Coos Bay, played and coached at Southern Oregon and had coached at Boise State, Arizona State and Colorado before coming home to the Ducks. His offenses were pretty prolific and the good play continued when he took over as the HC. Having Marcus Mariota at QB didn't hurt. The Ducks whipped Florida State in the 2015 Rose Bowl to advance to the national title game. The Ducks were manhandled by Ohio State in the NC game and some small chinks started to show in the Ducks armor. The Ducks had a "disappointing" 2015 season, (9-4), which saw them being outmuscled in a 31-28 loss to Michigan State. Then a giant red flag went up when Utah came to Eugene and did everything to the Quack Attack except pluck Puddles in a 62-20 thrashing. The Ducks would go on to lose a double OT thriller to WSU, then get crushed in one of the worst collapses in bowl game history when TCU came back from a 31-0 halftime deficit to beat UO 47-41 in triple OT. Then 2016 happened. just about everyone who had been waiting to slap the Ducks around, did just that. In a three week span, UO gave 173 points, which included a 70-21 shellacking by Washington that wasn't as close as the score indicates. With Helfrich's fate sealed, the Duck braintrust, which is really just Phil Knight and someone posing as the Oregon AD, went looking for a new leader. That's where Willie Taggart came in. While many were listed as being interested in the job, only a few were willing to put up with a booster who calls almost all of the shots and even has a set of coaches headphones in his private box so he can listen in on the play calls. Taggart came to UO from USF, but he's really a Western Kentucky man. He played QB for and spent most of his coaching career with the Hilltoppers. He did spend a couple of years at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh where he was Toby Gearhart's RB coach. When he got to Eugene his tenure did not start well when his strength and conditioning coach, Irele Oderinde, ran a workout so intense that three players were hospitalized with potential kidney damage from rhabdomyolysis. Oderinde was suspended for a month and according to Taggart the workouts were "modified." If Taggart can keep from injuring his players, the Ducks have 17 returning starters and could easily bounce back to the top of the Pac 12 North. One hurdle to that return is having to play both Washington and Stanford on the road.
Purdue
OUT: Darrell Hazell
IN: Jeff Brohm
Darrell Hazell came into West Lafayette as the man who turned MAC doormat Kent State into a winner. Hazell never found that same magic with PU and he entered the 2016 season with a 6-31 record. The Boilermakers got off to a 3-2 start last season, but that wasn't enough to please new AD Mike Bobinski who fired Hazell after the fifth game. PU then lost their final six games under interim HC Gerad Parker to finish the year. Bobinski then went out and plucked Jeff Brohm away from Western Kentucky as what has been described by most of the college football world as a "homerun hire." Purdue may have stumbled into this good fortune as the only other open job in the Power Five at the time was the dumpster fire known as Baylor. Brohm comes from Western Kentucky where his teams were known for high powered offenses and swiss cheese defenses. Brohm will need to assemble a much better defensive staff than he has ever had in order to turn PU around. Brohm also has to deal with a facilities gap and a small fan base as obstacles to winning.
San Jose State
OUT: Ron Carragher
IN: Brent Brennan
After almost dropping the program 13 years ago, SJSU got up off the deck and worked their way into the Mountain West Conference. Then in 2012 , they went 11-2 under current Colorado HC Mike MacIntyre. It was thought the program was left in capable hands when Ron Carragher took over the team. Carragher's squads did not build on previous success going just 19-30 over the last four years and he was shown the door. SJSU then turned to a familiar name in Brent Brennan for the HC job. Brennan coached under both Dick Tomey and Mike MacIntyre from 2005-10 and for the last five seasons was the WR coach at Oregon State. One of the first moves Brennan made raised some eyebrows when he hired Andrew Sowder as his OC. Sowder is now the youngest OC in the FBS at 28 years old. Sowder learned some of his football from Bowling Green HC Dino Babers and was an assistant WR coach at Texas on Charlie Strong's staff. If Brennan's youth movement takes hold, the Spartans could be competitive again soon in the MWC. One side note is that Brennan is familiar wearing blue and gold. He lettered as a WR on UCLA's 1993 Rose Bowl team and his dad played at SJSU in the late 1960s.
South Florida
OUT: Willie Taggart
IN: Charlie Strong
How it came to be that Charlie Strong is the HC at USF in 2017 can only be understood if we rewind the clock back to 1995 when Jim Leavitt was tabbed to run USF's brand new program. How new? So new that Leavitt recruited a full class of kids in 1996 so they could start playing games for real in 1997. Leavitt brought the program from a then 1-AA independent to C-USA and then to the Big East. He had built up a 95-57 record over 13 seasons and led his squads to five bowl appearances. Leavitt was then fired in January of 2010 when an investigation showed that not only did Leavitt hit one of his players during the halftime of the 2009 Louisville game, he interfered with the investigation that followed. So, in came Skip Holtz who had a fine first season with Leavitt's recruits, then it all went downhill. Holtz was dismissed with a 16-21 record. Willie Taggart was then handed the reins to the program. Taggart came from Western Kentucky where he took the team from doormat to midland before accepting the USF job. USF went 2-10 in his first season and steadily went up from there with the Bulls going 10-2 in 2016. Taggart seized his chance to head to a power five school and left the rain of South Florida for the rain at Oregon. That left the job open for Charlie Strong. Strong was had only been unemployed for 19 days following his dismissal from Texas before being named the new USF HC. Strong's fire to lead another program was still burning when he was asked by CBS writer Dennis Dodd about staying off the field for awhile. Strong replied, "I'm not going to give Texas that pleasure." Strong was smart to seize this opportunity as he inherits a team that is loaded. The Bulls have 16 returning starters with nine of those on defense. Don't be surprised if this bunch crashes the New Year's Bowl party in 2017.
Temple
OUT: Matt Rhule
IN: Geoff Collins
Temple football has never been a bastion of great football. Remember this is the only school that was voted out of a power conference. That happened back in 2002 when the Owls were voted out of the Big East. So, when Matt Rhule led the Owls to a 10-3 regular season and their first conference title since 1967, it was a very big deal in Philadelphia. Rhule then decided to capitalize on that success and head to the banks of the Brazos at Baylor. The Owls then lost their bowl game with special teams coach Ed Foley at the helm, 34-26 to Wake Forest. The powers to be at Temple then went out and got a coach from the SEC to cross the Mason-Dixon line. Geoff Collins Has spent the last six season as a DC. From 2011-14 he coached at Mississippi State and the 2015-16 seasons he roamed the sidelines at Florida. Collins has inherited a pretty good team, but with only four starters returning on defense, Collins may not lead the Owls to the success they had last year, but with some breaks another bowl game could be had by the Owls,
Texas
OUT: Charlie Strong
IN: Tom Herman
To say that Charlie Strong's time as the HC of the Longhorns was a tad stormy is an understatement. Strong was not left a full cupboard by any means by Mack Brown. Strong's attempts to mold the program in his own way always seemed to have a steady stream of critics. Oh, and Strong's being the first African American HC at Texas also drew ire from a group of the Texas faithful the same way some groups of Notre Dame fans went after Ty Willingham when he was hired close to a decade ago. It is quite apparent when these things happen that winning solves everything. However Strong didn't win. The low point of the losing occurred right before Strong was fired. Texas lost to Big 12 bottom feeder Kansas, 24-21 in week 12. So, with Strong gone, the Longhorns scooped up the hottest coaching property in football when they hired Tom Herman away from Houston. All Herman did in his first HC gig was guide the Cougars to a 22-3 record with a huge 33-23 win over Oklahoma last year. Herman is known for teams with powerful offenses and highly motivated defenses that get the job done. If Herman hits it right, he could be on his way to bonafide Texas hero status.
Western Kentucky
OUT: Jeff Brohm
IN: Mike Sanford, Jr.
Jeff Brohm left the Hilltoppers for the Big Ten. WKU didn't waste time and hired a familiar name to be their next HC. If the name Mike Sanford sounds familiar to Trojan fans, it should. Mike Sanford, Sr. was a backup QB at USC from 1973-76 and was a GA at SC in 1977 and then later served as SC's WR coach from 1989-96. He's had a long career that included assistant coaching gigs at Army, Long Beach State, Notre Dame, Utah, Louisville and Stanford. He also was the HC at UNLV and Indiana State where he complied a less than stellar 34-73 record. So, why am I talking about Mike Sr., when Mike Jr. got the job? Well, because Jr. hired Sr. to be his RB and ST coach. Mike jr. worked as a GA back in 2005 for his dad then did two tours of duty with Stanford and was WKU's QB Coach in 2010. He comes to WKU from Notre Dame where he was Brian Kelly's OC.QB Coach. Jr. inherits a squad that has only 10 returning starters and just four off those on the offensive side of the ball. Several preseason publications feel that Jr. could win the C-USA East with the talent he has been left with, even if it is inexperienced talent. Oh, and I can't blame the kid for hiring his dad. If I were in his position, I'd do the same thing. Hope it works out better for him than Lane Kiffin.
Western Michigan
OUT: P.J. Fleck
IN: Tim Lester
P.J. Fleck took his gal and his family out of Kalamazoo and headed to the land of 10,000 lakes to lead the Golden Gophers. He did a great job leading the Broncos from 1-11 in 2013 to 13-1 in 2016 with a tough loss to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. The WMU leadership turned to former star QB Tim Lester to fill the void. Lester was the QB for WMU from 1996-99 and just may be one of the few players to play in the XFL, Arena football league and the Arena Football League 2. He retuned as the QB Coach of the Broncos from 2005-06. He had a mildly successful run as the HC at D-II's Elmhurst college where he guided the team to its' very first playoff berth. He then spent time as the QB/RC/OC at Syracuse before spending last season at Purdue as their QB coach. Lester may have a tough go of it to start his tenure. He does have 12 returning starters, but his QB and top wideout have both graduated. Also, it doesn't help that WMU opens with road games at USC and Michigan State. The fans in Kalamazoo hope he continues what P.J. Fleck started.
Let's finish off this bit of summer reading with an installment of Three Notes About Nothing...
I've been spending time at OSH visiting the patio furniture I'd like to buy.
Trevor's at the Tracks is a great place to dine and just soak up the Los Rios district atmosphere in San Juan Capistrano.
I still love and looks forward to the MLB All-Star Game each year.
Until next time, remember that a great BBQ sauce is a key to great ribs.
-The Commissioner
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