College Football

[lokisnow]

I don't really get the Tuberville situation. is this a case of snubbed boosters forcing a good coach out after an underperforming year?

[Kalbear]

[quote]The Cal game is the one that is tough. Here is the question: Should they have gone to Roper at half after Masoli threw that awful pick even if it was just for that game? I think perhaps they win that one.[/quote]No. I think that if they go to Johnson/Blount, they win that one. It was horrible conditions for throwing the ball. Cal doesn't have the best run defense. Just stick it down their throats. And have Masoli run too - he did fine running the ball against Cal.

[Gold Storm]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1608516' date='Dec 3 2008, 21.39']Saw that. I know they have been down the last few but man, he is not that far removed from a perfect year and he did own the Iron Bowl for years. I'm not saying things were all rosey down in Auburn, but this seems slightly premature to me.

Mike Leach of Texas Tech is looking at the Washington job. I think that would be a nice hire UW. I'm not sure if I would want it if I were Leach. UW is pretty far down. I bet he's salivating though at the prospect of coaching Locker. This is a guy with phenomenal physical skills who is a bit raw as a passer. He has a great arm and mechanics, he's just not very accurate yet. Whether Leach could improve him or not is an unknown but if Locker does make strides as a passer he could be one of the more dynamic players out there.

Still, I predict Leach will not take this job.[/quote]

If I was advising Leach, I would tell him not to get within 1000 miles of Washington. He would have to rebuild a program from the bottom up with a fan base and boosters who still think of Washington as a notional power. Stay with Tech. I think that Locker might transfer, he has been playing for the Dawgs for two years, and has been hurt both years. He could use the year he has too sit out to rest and repair his body. He has been the only playmaker for Washington and may not last there any longer. Locker would be a great fit at WVU, Florida (they always call him the Wet Cost Tebow, he can replace Tebow after his senior year), or maybe Michigan (Rich Rod will have more of his players and system in Michigan by then).

The Auburn thing is very surprising, he beat Alabama six years in a row and and made the Tigers into one of the better teams in the SEC. Granted, this was a bad year, but it was only one bad year. If I remember right, some boosters tried to get rid of him before and hire Bobby Petrino. I think they were finally able to force him out and now Pertino might leave his "dream job" at Arkansas and go to Auburn. That would be his forth coaching job in four years. :whip:

[S John]

Well I wouldnt mind seeing the back side of Billy Stewart, but there seems to be a lot of great jobs out there right now. I dont think firing Stewart was ever really on the table but its probably not the best year to be looking for a new coach anyway with openings at Syracuse, Washington, Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi State... probably some others that I left out.

I still think Rodriguez is a prick and a douche-bag and I wouldnt want him back now, but man, [i]nobody [/i]came out ahead in that whole thing. If he had stayed at West Virginia, both programs would be better off right now. Michigan has thier worst year EVER, and WVU is going to be lucky to get 8 wins and place third in the Big East after 3 straight 11 win seasons.

[WarGalley]

WTF?! When did they fire Tuberville? I'd hire him in a second..

[Rhom]

[quote name='WarGalley' post='1609097' date='Dec 4 2008, 11.58']WTF?! When did they fire Tuberville? I'd hire him in a second..[/quote]

Technically... I believe the term is that he "resigned."

The scroll on the bottom line of ESPN is that Auburn has sent out inquiries to Mike Leach as well. That would be borderline hilarious if they brought in Leach considering that he runs a variation of Tony Franklin's offense... you know, Tony Franklin... the guy they brought in to be offensive coordinator and then fired halfway through the season.

Chris Todd lost his QB job when Franklin was canned at Auburn, but he originally played for Leach out at Texas Tech and was in a serious competition for Graham Harrell for the starting QB job about 3 years ago. (They even shared some snaps at QB back in the early days.) It makes for some interesting drama.

[TheAardvark]

[quote name='WarGalley' post='1609097' date='Dec 4 2008, 10.58']WTF?! When did they fire Tuberville? I'd hire him in a second..[/quote]

Yesterday. It was first announced that he was fired, then later that he resigned. He was forced out, either way.

I don't know if I can in good conscience remain an Auburn fan if Petrino gets the job. He is probably the shadiest coach in D-1 (sorry, FBS), with nods to Rich Rodriguez and Nick Saban. Tuberville was no saint by any means, but Petrino is a completely different universe of shady.

Ugh. Please, someone, save us.

[SergioCQH]

[quote name='Celtigo' post='1608410' date='Dec 3 2008, 22.13']First off, shouldn't you be repping our 1-11/2-10 IAA Georgetown Hoyas?[/quote]

I haven't been out of my Gewirz room except to go to class and to accept deliveries. Torts exam on Tuesday...joy.

[Rhom]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1609483' date='Dec 4 2008, 16.16']ESPN said that Petrino has a clause in his contract that says he can't go to another SEC West team but that he is somehow still a candidate. How that is possible I don't know as they failed to explain any further.[/quote]

Please... Triskele... where have you been these last several years? Didn't you know that big time sports contracts are more like "suggestions" than real contracts? :lol:

[Bronn Stone]

Interesting column on the decision to by Ball State to turn down an invitation to play in the Humanitarian Bowl on Boise State's home field. A matchup of 12-0 minor conference teams would have been good for both, even though Ball State probably would have gotten their hats handed to them.

I just wish the column had been entitled "[url="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=jn-ballst120408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns"]No Balls State[/url]".

[L'Sana]

The soap opera gets more and more interesting...

[quote name='Triskele' post='1609483' date='Dec 4 2008, 14.16']ESPN said that Petrino has a clause in his contract that says he can't go to another SEC West team but that he is somehow still a candidate. How that is possible I don't know as they failed to explain any further.[/quote]

Why would any big-time program want Petrino as their coach? I could potentially see one of the smaller schools wanting him: you know he's going to leave in a couple of years, but in those years, he could give you a lot of success and get some national attention you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. But at a program like Auburn where the goal isn't just one good year? Why would you want a coach with a record for jumping ship at the slightest provocation?

I don't think they should have gotten rid of Tuberville. Yes, Auburn was down this year, but surely he had earned enough credit to see him through one bad year. It seems to me that the programs that stay with one coach tend to do better in the long run than the ones that need only a small provocation to fire one.

[quote]Well I wouldnt mind seeing the back side of Billy Stewart, but there seems to be a lot of great jobs out there right now. I dont think firing Stewart was ever really on the table but its probably not the best year to be looking for a new coach anyway with openings at Syracuse, Washington, Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi State... probably some others that I left out.[/quote]

I suspect that it was a mistake to hire Stewart, but once he was hired, I think WV has a responsibility to give him a fair chance. WV hasn't done that badly this year--4 losses, 3 of them very close. It's down from where they were, but a long way from horrible. If Stewart is fired, that says to any future coach:

1. 8-4 record is grounds for firing.
2. You don't get even one year to build the team before perfect results are expected.

Ask Nebraska how well that worked out for them...

[L'Sana]

[quote name='Bronn Stone' post='1609511' date='Dec 4 2008, 14.42']Interesting column on the decision to by Ball State to turn down an invitation to play in the Humanitarian Bowl on Boise State's home field. A matchup of 12-0 minor conference teams would have been good for both, even though Ball State probably would have gotten their hats handed to them.

I just wish the column had been entitled "[url="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=jn-ballst120408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns"]No Balls State[/url]".[/quote]


The column raised some good points, but just to play devil's advocate, shouldn't a similar cowardice argument apply to Boise State? They want to play another undefeated team, but only on their own home field? Of the dozens and dozens of bowl games, surely there is one not played in either Idaho or Indiana that could have taken these two teams. Why not play the game on a neutral field?

[Ken Stone]

[quote name='L'Sana' post='1609531' date='Dec 4 2008, 17.02']The column raised some good points, but just to play devil's advocate, shouldn't a similar cowardice argument apply to Boise State? They want to play another undefeated team, but only on their own home field? Of the dozens and dozens of bowl games, surely there is one not played in either Idaho or Indiana that could have taken these two teams. Why not play the game on a neutral field?[/quote]

Boise State doesn't determine where they play their bowl game. You get invited to a bowl game and you either accept or decline.

[S John]

[quote name='L'Sana' post='1609525' date='Dec 4 2008, 16.55']I suspect that it was a mistake to hire Stewart, but once he was hired, I think WV has a responsibility to give him a fair chance. WV hasn't done that badly this year--4 losses, 3 of them very close. It's down from where they were, but a long way from horrible. If Stewart is fired, that says to any future coach:

1. 8-4 record is grounds for firing.
2. You don't get even one year to build the team before perfect results are expected.

Ask Nebraska how well that worked out for them...[/quote]

Funny you should mention that cause right after I made that post I realized that I'm pretty spoiled to be bitching about 8-4... and youre right, in only one game were we solidly beat down (ECU). Against Colorado, Cincinnatti, and Pitt we were within one play of winning the game. Its just tough to go back from nothing less than a top 10 ranking to perennial 8 win seasons. Stewart reminds me a lot of our old coach Don Nehlen. Nehlen led us to two national championship appearances and an undefeated regular season, but those were peppered among 20+ years of 7-5, 8-4 seasons. Always a decent team, generally more well known for our defences, but never a great one. And its not just the record, Stewart has looked downright inept at times, and even in our wins we've looked pretty damn beatable.

Anyway, to balance the trash I talk about Stewart on here and in real life... I submit an interesting article about the situation from Scout.com. The guy does make some good points. I cant link it becuase its a pay site but I'll post some parts of it:


[quote](Snip).....Enter Bill Stewart, who certainly had time on his side when he was named interim coach after Rodriguez snuck out of town in the midst of a snowstorm. What the longtime assistant inherited was an angry team ready to prove that its success was about more than its head coach and hungry to erase the bad taste in its mouth that came from a loss to Pitt. Oh yeah, it also had Slaton, White, Schmitt, Reynaud and a veteran defense to lead that attack.

All Stewart had to do was keep the team focused, add in a few downfield passes that Oklahoma had not seen on tape and all of the sudden he was 1-0 with a Fiesta Bowl win as the WVU head coach. The next day, Stewart was named permanent head coach, and he commented that he was just, "in the right place at the right time."

Little did he know, the timing actually couldn't have been worse, at least in terms of perception. WVU fans, and even many of the so-called experts, were expecting nothing less than a national title in 2008. They focused on the fact that Pat White and Noel Devine were coming back and ignored the fact that the Mountaineers were losing their top running back, and the only ball-carrier with any size, a legendary fullback, who was also the unquestioned leader on and off the field, their top receiver and the bulk of their defense.

Fans praised Stewart for trying to implement a passing attack to keep defenses honest and avoid the fate his team suffered against Pitt the year before, but they forgot how much work his linemen, quarterback and receivers would need to pull this off.

By now, you know the rest of the story. West Virginia suffered two early losses to East Carolina and Colorado, and after regrouping to get back in the Big East race, it fell to Cincinnati and Pitt, both of which employed the defensive strategy of locking down the receivers, putting an extra safety in the box and forcing the Mountaineers to beat them with the pass. WVU's progression in that area had not come far enough, and mistakes in the passing game, combined with the inability to convert on short-yardage situations -- a problem that came about as a result of Rodriguez's deficiency of recruiting any size -- have led WVU to a 7-4 record with just one regular season game remaining.

Call me a homer if you wish, but I am here to tell you that Stewart and his coaching staff are doing the right things, and in the long run it will pay off. Stewart is not settling for mediocrity as many have suggested. In fact, he is doing just the opposite.

Stewart, along with the rest of the coaches on staff, wants to win it all, and he realizes that while a one-dimensional offense may get you nine or 10 wins a season, there is always going to be a team that steps in and shuts down that strength, leaving no option but to take a loss on the chin. So in order to avoid that fate, Stewart has tried to make the WVU offense more multiple. He has put in an offense that has an answer for almost any defense, and he is recruiting the players to fill the deficiencies that the Mountaineers have in running this new attack. He has brought in great assistants to help him out, and it is clear by his recruiting class that some of the best high school athletes out there are buying what he is selling, even if the "fans" at home are not. Unfortunately Stewart's task is one that will take one of the most valuable assets in the game of college football -- time.[/quote]

[Bronn Stone]

[quote name='Ken Stone' post='1609552' date='Dec 4 2008, 14.14']Boise State doesn't determine where they play their bowl game. You get invited to a bowl game and you either accept or decline.[/quote]

True. But I suspect that if they really wanted out of the Humanitarian and in to the Motor City, something could be worked out.

[Fez]

Doesn't really matter though, because tomorrow Ball State's undefeated season is gonna go down in flames. GO BULLS!



Its our first winning season in I-A, first MAC championship game, first... yadda yadda yadda. So many firsts, I can't even keep track of them all. All I know is that its been a fantastic season, and hope we can continue to build on it in the years to come. Com'on BCS schools, be idiots and don't offer Turner Gill a job (not that i'm positive he'd leave Buffalo anyway, despite it being the 'common sense' thing to do if he gets the right offer).

[S John]

[quote name='FezRock' post='1609625' date='Dec 4 2008, 18.33']Doesn't really matter though, because tomorrow Ball State's undefeated season is gonna go down in flames. GO BULLS!



Its our first winning season in I-A, first MAC championship game, first... yadda yadda yadda. So many firsts, I can't even keep track of them all. All I know is that its been a fantastic season, and hope we can continue to build on it in the years to come. Com'on BCS schools, be idiots and don't offer Turner Gill a job (not that i'm positive he'd leave Buffalo anyway, despite it being the 'common sense' thing to do if he gets the right offer).[/quote]

Best of luck to you guys Fez, I'll be pulling for you.

[lokisnow]

I am actually not at all surprised about this news, I expected Sarkisian to get one of the high profile jobs. in fact the other day I was thinking that if he took the washington job it'd lead the way towards Carroll acolytes eventually taking over the entire PAC10 (next step, Neuheisal gets fired in a year or two, possibly for some 'silly' corruption thing and Norm Chow takes over UCLA)


[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3746240"]http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3746240[/url]
[quote]USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will be named Washington coach, multiple sources told ESPN on Thursday night.

Sarkisian denied the report in a USC release.

"I have interviewed with Washington," said Sarkisian, who would replace Tyrone Willingham. "They've interviewed a lot of people. I'm one of a number of candidates, which I'm honored to be. Nothing is finalized in any way, shape or form. There's been some communication. Nothing has been put in writing."

University of Washington athletic director Scott Woodward had no comment on Thursday night on a report.[/quote]

I'm actually a bit pleased by this, I'm looking forward to a new Offensive coordinator after the Booty-drought years and a year of Sanchez-meh (still crossing my fingers Sanchez will take the draft this year and we can get a fresh start next year with a better QB.)

[lokisnow]

USC has an opening in their nonconference schedule in 2011 and 2012 (first week of the season). I'd love to see us do a home and home with the SEC.

how bad ass would it be to see LSU, Florida, Georgia or Alabama do a home and home with USC to kick off the season for those two years?

I'd suggest the big12 but other than Oklahoma, none of the teams are willing to schedule real non-conference opponents (the SEC schedules plenty of real non-conference opponents). and I doubt Oklahoma is willing to play USC again unless forced to.

it's easy enough to find USC's future schedule, [url="http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/usc-m-footbl-futurescheds.html"]a simple google search turns it up[/url], but it seems to be more of a pain to find the SEC teams future schedule, anyone know of a site that has all that info easily accessible?

[Rhom]

[quote name='FezRock' post='1609625' date='Dec 4 2008, 18.33']Doesn't really matter though, because tomorrow Ball State's undefeated season is gonna go down in flames. GO BULLS![/quote]

Fez, I don't know if you peruse the basketball thread or not... so I'll go off topic a bit here and let you know that I was thinking of you and pulling for the Bulls last night against UConn. Really thought you guys had 'em there for a while. :cheers:

ETA: I see that you did post in the bball thread.

On topic... the natives just up I-65 from me in Louisville are getting quite restless. When Mike Teel throws 6 touchdown passes in the first half... you can really tell that there's something not quite right with the Cardinals' football team. This was UofL's first losing season since 1997. Kragthorpe will be around next year, but I fully expect to see that job becoming available sooner rather than later.