College Football Week 21 – Et tu Brute
Puddles couldn’t quack the Nuts

The Ohio State Buckeyes won college football’s first Playoff Championship.  The Bucks beat the Ducks, 42-20. It’s Ohio State’s first national championship since the 2002 season, when the Buckeyes beat Miami (Florida) 31-24 in the BCS Championship.

Oregon received the ball on the opening kickoff.  The Ducks marched down the field in near perfection to take a 7-0 lead on their opening drive – 75 yards in 11 plays.  That turned out to be the best Oregon looked in the entire first half – the entire game for that matter.  The Ducks proceeded to put on a punting exhibition for the remainder of the half.

In spite of two fumbles, Ohio State went on to score 21 unanswered points by halftime.  Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott overpowered the Oregon defense.  The Ducks managed a field goal late in the second quarter and trailed the Buckeyes 21-10 at halftime. Twice in the first half, Oregon got in the red zone and failed to score a touchdown.  

After the Buckeyes received the second half kickoff, Oregon intercepted an Ohio State pass on the Buckeyes first drive. On the ensuing series, Oregon scored on a 70-yard pass from Marcus Mariota to Byron Marshall.  The Ducks’ touchdown cut Ohio State’s lead to four points.

On the Buckeyes next series, Ohio State fumbled and the Ducks recovered.  But again, Oregon failed to score a touchdown in the red zone and settled for a field goal.  The Buckeye lead was cut to 1 – 21-20.  Then Jones and Elliott took over, bulldozing their way down the field, flattening Oregon players as they went.  Ohio State scored on a nine-yard run by Elliott as time expired in the third quarter.  The Bucks were up, 28-20.

After that, Oregon ran out of steam, while Ohio State put up 14 more points in the fourth quarter to cap the score at 42-20.  The Buckeyes suffered four turnovers to one for Oregon and still won by 22 points.  Oregon’s one turnover came on the last play of the game.

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards.  In the semifinal game against Alabama, Elliott rushed for 230 yards. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota was 24-37-1 for 333 yards passing. The contest drew a crowd of 85,689 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

Not even TCU would beat Ohio State. But the Frogs would beat Florida State. In the final AP Poll, Ohio State was No. 1, Oregon finished second, TCU third, Alabama fourth and Michigan State and Florida State were tied for fifth.

Party hardy, Buckeyes!

In some after thoughts, there was too much time between the playoff semifinals and the championship game – 11 days.  People lost interest. The game should have been played on Friday, January 9 or Saturday, January 10.  My friend Sally Kirk Adkins said, “The process has been very NFLish.” I agree.

And what about next year?

Oregon will be good again, probably very good.  Ohio State will be good again too – like really good.  The Buckeyes will be the No. 1 team at preseason.  That’s my bet.

Both teams are reloading – not rebuilding. Oregon’s biggest reload will be at quarterback.  That’s assuming Marcus Mariota enters the NFL draft.  Most likely he will.  In the other positions – on offense and defense – the Ducks have most of their starters back.

Unlike Oregon, Ohio State won’t be looking for a new quarterback.  The Buckeyes biggest problem will be deciding which one to start – Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett.  And that’s assuming Braxton Miller transfers out.  If Miller stays, Ohio State has a bigger problem – but what a nice problem to have. Should Jones choose to enter the NFL draft, Miller may be prompted to stay.

Elsewhere, the Buckeyes will have half or more of their starters back on both offense and defense. The defense really should be strong.  It was a young group this season.  The offense looks scary.  When you combine running back Ezekiel Elliott with Jones or Barrett (or Miller) it’s downright frightening – for opponents.

The big difference on offense for Ohio State next year will be the coordinator.  The man who has driven the offense during Urban Meyer’s three years in Columbus – Tom Herman – is off to Texas.  In fact he may not be flying back to Ohio with the team.  Herman is the new head coach of the Houston Cougars.

Herman’s replacement at Ohio State – Tim Beck – is familiar with the Big Ten.  Beck has been Bo Pelini’s offensive coordinator at Nebraska since 2011.  A native of Youngstown, Ohio, he is essentially coming home.   

Meanwhile at Houston, Herman already has picked Major Applewhite to be his offensive coordinator.  Applewhite, a former Texas quarterback, has been an offensive coordinator at Rice under Todd Graham (2006) and at Alabama under Nick Saban (2007).  He was forced out after one season at Alabama.  Applewhite joined the Texas staff under Mack Brown in 2007 and became co-offensive coordinator for the Longhorns in 2011. He was out of coaching this past season.

Beck and Applewhite are just two of the many stories involving the movement and resurfacing of coordinators at the close of this season.  And it is extremely intertwined.  Let’s take a trip.

Before leaving Texas, two former Longhorn defensive coordinators – Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp – will be back directing defenses next season after each got a taste of being a head coach – brief as it was.  Chizik left the DC position at Texas after the 2006 season to become the head coach at Iowa State.

Following two losing seasons in Ames, he was hired to be the head coach at Auburn.  The Auburn gig lasted four years before Chizik was fired.  In the second of those four years, Auburn, with Cam Newton, won the national championship.  Out of coaching for two seasons, Chizik was named the defensive coordinator at North Carolina in December.  This could be a short gig too as Larry Fedora will enter the 2015 season on one of the hottest seats in the country.

Muschamp, the Florida coach for the past four seasons, will be the defensive coordinator at Auburn under Gus Malzahn in 2015.  Known as Will Mustake, Dawgchump and Baby Fat at Florida, Muschamp already has picked up a nickname at Auburn – Guschamp.

There’s a story going around that Steve Spurrier tried to get Muschamp to be the defensive coordinator at South Carolina.  But Muschamp wanted more money than was being offered.  If he couldn’t get more money, then he wanted it in his contract that he would replace Spurrier when the Head Ball Coach steps down.  South Carolina wouldn’t agree.  So, Muschamp signed with Auburn for $1.6 million plus bonuses and incentives. 

Another former Texas defensive coordinator is returning to one of his old stomping grounds.  In 2010, Manny Diaz became the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State under Dan Mullen.  The next season, Diaz became the DC at Texas when Muschamp left to become the coach at Florida.  Two games into the 2013 season, Mack Brown fired Diaz.  After a stint at Louisiana Tech under Skip Holtz this past season, Diaz returns to Miss State, again under Mullen, as the DC in 2015.

Diaz is back at Miss State because Geoff Collins left Starkville to become the defensive coordinator at Florida under new coach Jim McElwain.  This after Mullen threw Collins under the bus in his post-game presser, following Miss State’s season-ending loss to Ole Miss.  Mullen blamed the loss on the defense.

Joining Collins at Florida as the offensive coordinator is Doug Nussmeier.  He was the OC at Alabama, under Nick Saban (2012-2013), and at Michigan (2014), under Brady Hoke.    

And while on Florida and Michigan, D.J. Durkin, the Gators defensive coordinator the past two seasons is Jim Harbaugh’s new DC at Michigan.  Durkin was Florida’s interim coach in their 28-20 Birmingham Bowl win over East Carolina 10 days ago.  Meanwhile, Harbaugh named USC offensive line coach Tim Drevno the Wolverines new offensive coordinator.

Jim McElwain’s former school Colorado State hired Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to be its new coach.  Bobo is a former quarterback at Georgia.  In turn, Mark Richt hired Brian Schottenheimer as the Dawgs new OC. Schottenheimer, a former quarterback at Florida under Steve Spurrier, has most recently been the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams.

Elsewhere in the SEC, LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis up and left Baton Rouge to become Kevin Sumlin’s DC at Texas A&M.  This after Sumlin fired Mark Snyder. Sumlin also picked up Utah offensive coordinator Dave Christiansen to be the Aggies running backs coach and running game coordinator.  Back in Baton Rouge, word has it that Les Miles is going after Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators at the end of the season.  Mason hired Wisconsin offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig as Vandy’s new OC.  Meanwhile, Mason decided, what the heck, to coach the defense himself.

Brett Bielema is hurting at Arkansas and has some shoes to fill.  The Razorbacks offensive coordinator Jim Chaney left for the same position at Pitt.  Bielema’s linebackers coach – Randy Shannon – is the new assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Florida.  Shannon is a former head coach at Miami (Florida).

Kentucky hired West Virginia offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson when Neal Brown, the Wildcats’ OC, left to become the head coach at Troy. Baylor promoted Kendall Briles to offensive coordinator when Philip Montgomery left the Bears to become the head coach of Tulsa. Kendall is the son of Baylor head coach Art Briles.

Also in the Big 12, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops fired his two offensive coordinators – Jay Norvell and Josh Heupel.  Heupel is a former Sooner quarterback.  Stoops then hired East Carolina’s Lincoln Riley to be the new OC in Norman. Back in the SEC, Missouri hired Memphis defensive coordinator Barry Odom when Dave Steckel, the Tigers’ DC, left to become the head coach at Missouri State.

Clemson’s heralded offensive coordinator Chad Morris left the Tigers to become the head coach of SMU.

And back to the Big Ten where this all started, new Nebraska coach Mike Riley named New York Giants quarterbacks coach Danny Langford as the Huskers offensive coordinator.  Langford was Riley’s OC at Oregon State prior to last season. On the other side of the ball, Riley named his DC at Oregon State – Mike Banker – to the same position at Nebraska.

Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi left East Lansing to become the head coach at Pitt. And former Purdue coach Danny Hope is the new offensive coordinator at South Florida.

So far, the only loser in this migration of coordinators is Kurt Roper – Florida’s offensive coordinator this past season.  It was a dangerous move when Roper left Duke last year for Florida, knowing that Will Muschamp was on the hottest seat in the country.  But, stay tuned! 

More and more, coordinators – offensive and defensive – are becoming key to the success, or lack thereof, of head coaches.  And they are being paid more and more too.

Meanwhile, out in College Station, Texas A&M lost its thrill on Kenny Hill.  The Aggie quarterback has been granted his request to transfer.

And Braxton Miller? After the championship game, Miller said he hasn’t decided whether he will return to the Buckeyes next season.  While Cardale Jones said he may enter the NFL draft.

The final issue of College Football Week for this season will be posted Monday, January 19.

Touchdown Tom
January 13, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Review

FCS Championship Game

North Dakota State 29, Illinois State 27


Quotes of the Week

“Jameis Winston declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, meaning college football’s problem just became the NFL’s,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.
        
“Georgia always has a whole bunch of good players.  They’ve probably been the most consistent team in the East.  Well, maybe they haven’t been. Heck, we’ve beat them four out of five years, haven’t we?,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Oklahoma fired co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. OU’s other co-defensive coordinator – Jay Norwell – was fired earlier….  Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is the new DC at Mississippi State.  Diaz was previously the defensive coordinator at Miss State before leaving for Texas after the 2011 season to replace Will Muschamp.

Georgia hired Brian Schottenheimer as its new offensive coordinator….  Former Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is Jim Harbaugh’s DC at Michigan….  Major Applewhite is the new offensive coordinator at Houston. The former Texas quarterback has coached at Rice, Syracuse, Alabama and Texas.  Applewhite was out of coaching this past season.

Vincent Testaverde, the son of Heisman winner Vinny Testaverde, is transferring from Texas Tech to his father’s school – Miami (Florida).  Vincent, also a quarterback, can play immediately because he was a walk-on at Texas Tech….  Arkansas offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is leaving the Razorbacks to become the OC at Pitt….  East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley is the new OC at Oklahoma….  LSU and BYU will meet in their 2017 season opener in Houston.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.
Not directly college football related, but in mid-January as college football fans were about to put the lid on another great season and shift their attention to college basketball, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “Don’t Fence Me In” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” by The Andrews Sisters

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” by B.J. Thomas

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by Elton John

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “Like a Virgin” by Madonna

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were seven passings of note last week – Bess Myerson, Allie Sherman, Stu Miller, Jethro Pugh, Rod Taylor, J.P. Parise, and Anita Ekberg.

Bess Myerson, a New York favorite who basked in the public eye for decades, as Miss America in 1945, as a television personality in the 1950s and 1960s, as a force in public affairs and finally as a player in a shattering municipal scandal, died four weeks ago at her home in Santa Monica, California.  She was 90. Myerson was one of a select group of American figures to parlay pop culture celebrity into positions of influence in the public square. Bess Myerson was born in New York City on July 16, 1924. She graduated from Hunter College with honors. For eight years, she appeared on the TV game show “The Big Payoff.” Then for nine years she was on “I’ve Got a Secret.” She was the first and only Jewish Miss America.

Allie Sherman, a left-handed quarterback in college who went on to coach the New York Giants to three consecutive title games (1961-1963) in his first three seasons as their coach, died last week at his home in New York City. He was 91.  Alex Sherman was born in New York City on February 10, 1923.  He graduated cum laude from Brooklyn College where he played football – first as a tailback, then as a quarterback.  Following college, he was the backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles for five years. Sherman coached the Giants from 1961 through 1968, but his best seasons were the first three. 

Stu Miller, a former New York/San Francisco Giants pitcher who committed perhaps the most famous balk in baseball history at windy Candlestick Park in San Francisco, died last week at his home in Cameron Park, California.  He was 87. In the 1961 All-Star Game, Miller relieved Sandy Koufax.  Just as he was ready to pitch, a strong gust of wind came along and caused him to wave back and forth like a tree.  The entire American League bench hollered balk.  Miller, knowing it was a balk, went ahead and pitched.  Rocky Colavito swung and missed.  But the umpire signaled a balk and motioned the runners on first and second to advance to the next base. Still, the National League managed to win the game in the 10th inning and Miller got the victory.  But a headline the next day proclaimed “Miller Blown Off Mound.” Stuart Leonard Miller was born on December 26, 1927, in Northampton, Massachusetts.  He played 16 years in the majors for the Giants in both New York and San Francisco, as well as the St. Louis Cardinals, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves. He led the National League in earned run average in 1958, had the most saves in the National League in 1961 and the American League in 1963 and won a World Series title with Baltimore in 1966.      

Jethro Pugh, a durable lineman for the Dallas Cowboys who played in four Super Bowls as part of a famed unit nicknamed the Doomsday Defense, died last week.  He was 70. Tall and athletic at 6 feet-6 inches and 260 pounds, Pugh was a fine pass rusher who led the Cowboys in quarterback sacks from 1968 to 1972.  Jethro Pugh Jr. was born on July 3, 1944, in Windsor, North Carolina.  He graduated in 1965 from Elizabeth City State College and was drafted by the Cowboys in the 11th round.  Two years later he was the Cowboys’ starting defensive tackle.

Rod Taylor, the Australian-born actor who fended off attacks from above in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and helped an 8,000th-century people escape a monster race in “The Time Machine,” died last week at his home in Los Angeles.  He was 84.  Taylor was only the second Australian actor, after Errol Flynn, to achieve major Hollywood stardom. He made more than 50 films.  In his last film, he played Winston Churchill in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009).  Rodney Sturt Taylor was born on January 11, 1930, in Sydney Australia.  He grew up in Lidcombe, a Sydney suburb.  Some of his early movies were “Long John Silver” (1954), “The Virgin Queen” (1955), “Hell on Frisco Bay” (1955) and “The Catered Affair” (1956). Later movies included “The V.I.P.s” (1963), “Sunday in New York” (1963), “Young Cassidy” (1965), “Do Not Disturb” (1965), “The Glass Bottom Boat” (1965) and “Hotel” (1967), among others.

J.P. Parise, an All-Star left wing for the Minnesota North Stars who was traded mid-season to the New York Islanders in 1975 and went on to help them win their first playoff series, died last week at his home in Prior Lake, Minnesota.  He was 73.  Parise scored 238 goals and had 356 assists in 14 seasons in the National Hockey League.  Jean-Paul Parise was born on December 11, 1941, in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario.  After retiring as a player, Parise became an assistant coach for the North Stars and later was the hockey director for a school in Faribault, Minnesota. His son Zach was the captain of the United States hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.  

Anita Ekberg, who became an international symbol of beauty and sensuality in the 1960 Federico Fellini film “La Dolce Vita,” died last week in Rocca di Papa, Italy, southeast of Rome.  She was 83. Ekberg won a Golden Globe Award in 1956 for most promising newcomer. She shared the award with Dana Wynter and Victoria Shaw. When she traveled overseas to entertain the American troops in the 1950s and 1960s, Bob Hope used to introduce her as “the greatest thing to come from Sweden since smorgasbord.” Hope also joked that her parents won the Nobel Prize for architecture.  Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was born on September 29, 1931, in Malmo, Sweden.  She grew up to become Miss Sweden and competed in the Miss Universe pageant. Her films included “Abbott and Costello Go to Mars” (1953), “Blood Alley” (1955), “Hollywood or Bust” (1956), “War and Peace” (1956), “Boccaccio 70” (1962) and “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium” (1969), among others. But it was “La Dolce Vita” that made her famous.