College Football
Week Preseason – Or is it?
One Day at a Time
LSU and New Mexico were looking for new defensive coordinators. Did someone once say, “you can’t go home again?” Well, two coaches returned to their old stomping grounds.
First, Bo Pelini, the defensive coordinator at LSU from 2005 to 2007 returned to Baton Rouge as Ed Orgeron’s new DC. Pelini, 52, replaces Dave Aranda who had left LSU to become the coach at Baylor. Pelini departed LSU after the 2007 national championship season to become the head coach at Nebraska. He coached the Huskers for seven seasons before being fired. He returns to LSU from Youngstown State where he had been the head coach since 2015.
Second, following a 12-year absence, Rocky Long returned to New Mexico to become the Lobos new defensive coordinator under new coach Danny Gonzales. Long, 70, played for New Mexico from 1969 to 1971. He was the head coach of the Lobos from 1998 to 2008. Following the 2008 season, Long resigned and left Albuquerque to become the defensive coordinator at San Diego State. Two years later he became the head coach of the Aztecs and remained in that position until he stepped down at the end of last season.
Hang down your head: “Tom Dooley” was their first hit and the only one of their 10 Top-40 hits to make it to No. 1. That was at the end of 1958 and the beginning of 1959. But five of their first six albums hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Album Chart.
Bob Shane, the last surviving member of the original Kingston Trio, died on January 26. He was 85. Born Robert Schoen in Hilo, Hawaii, he met Dave Guard and Nick Reynolds when they were students at Stanford University, where they formed the trio in the 1950s. The Kingston Trio put 17 songs, all folk hits, on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart.
In early February, we got a surprise out of East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio stepped down. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. In 13 years (2007 to 2019) with the Spartans, Dantonio, 63, was 144-67. He won three Big Ten championships, including the 2013 Rose Bowl. Dantonio won 10 or more games in six seasons and led Michigan State to 11 bowl games in 13 seasons. He coached Cincinnati for three seasons (2004 to 2006) before coming to Michigan State.
Remember “Mr. Sandman,” “Eddie My Love,” “Born To Be With You,” “Lay Down Your Arms,” “Just Between You and Me,” “Lollipop,” “Zorro” and “Never on Sunday?” Between 1954 and 1961, those were all Top-20 hits sung by the Chordettes. “Mr. Sandman,” the Chordettes first release went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in late 1954 early 1955. Lynn Evans Mand, the lead singer of the Chordettes, died in February in Elyria, Ohio. She was 95.
Two days later, Robert Conrad died. He was 84. Conrad was best-known for the lead role in the 1960s TV series “The Wild, Wild West,” Prior to that, he starred in the TV series “Hawaiian Eye.”
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell turned down an offer to coach Michigan State. We also learned that Bret Bielema, Butch Jones and Jim McElwain all had their hats in the ring for the Michigan State job. But all three were dismissed. In mid-February, Michigan State hired Colorado coach Mel Tucker to be the new coach of the Spartans.
With all the transfer nonsense and issues going on, Jim Delany, the commissioner of the Big Ten, floated the idea of letting all athletes transfer one time in which there would be no penalties associated with it. Once an athlete had used up a transfer, all additional transfers would require, in all cases, that the athlete sit out a year.
A week later, the ACC jumped aboard, liking Delany’s idea. The next day, the SEC indicated it was in favor of Delany’s transfer rule. And so it went.
Colorado hired Karl Dorrell to replace Mel Tucker as the new head coach in Boulder. He received a 5-year, $3.6 million contract. Dorrell, 57, was the head coach of UCLA from 2003 to 2007. He comes to Colorado from the Miami Dolphins, where he was the assistant head coach.
Two Charlie’s got jobs. First, former Louisville, Texas and South Florida coach Charlie Strong was hired by Nick Saban to be a defensive analyst for Alabama. Then, Charlie Weis Jr., the son of you know who, was hired by Jeff Scott to be South Florida’s offensive coordinator. The past two seasons, Weis Jr. was the offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic.
In March, all hell broke loose. COVID-19 began to spread. Conference basketball tournaments and the NCAA basketball tournament were canceled, along with all other sporting events and championships due to the Coronavirus. Concerns about the 2020 college football season began.
Kenny Rogers, Bill Withers, Al Kaline, James Drury, Honor Blackman and John Prine all died within a period of a few days in late March and early April.
My older brother, Don, and only sibling, died in May in Huntington, West Virginia. He was a football player, starting at center for his high school team during his junior and senior years.
In June, the SEC and college football lost two legends. On June 1, former Auburn coach Pat Dye passed away. He was 80. A native of Blythe, Georgia, Dye played football for Georgia from 1958 to 1960. He became the head coach at East Carolina and went on to coach at Wyoming. In 1981, he became the head coach at Auburn, where he coached for 12 seasons. At Auburn, he won four SEC championships and was a three-time SEC Coach of the Year. His overall coaching record was 153-62-5. At Auburn he was 99-39-4.
Two days later, Johnny Majors died. He was 85. A native of Lynchburg, Tennessee, Majors played for the Volunteers from 1953 to 1956. He became the head coach at Iowa State in 1968 and went on to coach at Pitt. In 1977, he became the head coach at Tennessee, where he coached for 16 seasons. After Tennessee, he returned to Pittsburgh where he coached the Panthers for four more seasons (1993 to 1996). His overall record was 185-137-10. He won a national championship in 1976 at Pitt. At Tennessee, he won three SEC championships. He was the SEC Coach of the Year in 1985.
Late in June, Swamp Mama and I drove to West Virginia to attend the graveside service for my brother. Traveling in June was definitely different – somewhat eerie, kind of weird, but uneventful.
We also made two trips over the summer to the Florida panhandle to visit Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. And the three of them made two trips down to east-central Florida to visit us. It helped us maintain our sanity.
During the summer, the 2020 college football season was an on-going topic. The commentary changed almost weekly – we would have a season; we wouldn’t have a season. If we did have a season, it was apparent that there would be few, if any, fans at the games. It will be the first time since 1972 that I won’t be at a college football game. I was still in the Navy, in Europe, in 1972. I have attended at least one college football game every year since 1973.
The Ivy League started it. The Ivy League was the first conference to cancel its season, with plans to play the 2020 season in the spring of 2021.
After the Ivy League, other conferences announced cancellation of the season – four FBS conferences (the Big Ten, the Pac-12, the MAC and the MWC) and all 13 of the FCS conferences. Three FBS Independents canceled their seasons.
Before the Big Ten and Pac-12 canceled their seasons, the two conferences announced plans to play a 10-game conference schedule with no non-conference games. But those plans obviously changed.
The news was grim. Not only were football seasons being canceled, but Olympic sports programs were being dropped by the schools. Cincinnati dropped men’s soccer, Bowling Green and Furman dropped baseball and Stanford dropped 12 men’s and women’s sports programs. Iowa eliminated men’s and women’s swimming and driving, men’s gymnastics and men’s tennis.
Athletic departments at colleges across the country furloughed employees and cut salaries. Even coaches had their salaries cut.
The loss of money began when the conference basketball tournaments and the NCAA basketball tournament were canceled in the spring. The conferences receive money from those tournaments and in-turn they distribute the money to their member schools. There was little to no money to distribute this year.
It could get worse this fall because football is the big moneymaker for the schools. And the conference championship games are big money makers. That money gets distributed to the schools.
Of the conferences that canceled their seasons, the decisions to cancel were met with a quiet resolve. All that is except for the Big Ten. In the Big Ten there was quite an uproar. There still is. An uproar from some of the schools, from many of the players and from the parents of the players.
Nebraska coach Scott Frost was irate. He wanted the Huskers to play football. To hell with the Big Ten. Frost said Nebraska would play teams from another conference. In time, Frost was silenced by the Big Ten.
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started a petition to get the Big Ten to reverse its decision. At last notice, he had more than 200,000 signatures on the petition.
On the other hand, some of the players at schools scheduled to play have opted out of the 2020 season. The NCAA gave them that option. They can opt out and not lose eligibility.
The news wasn’t all bad. Six FBS conferences – the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Sun Belt, C-USA and AAC – announced plans to forge ahead and play their seasons with modified schedules. The ACC said it would play an 11-game schedule – 10 conference games, plus one non-conference game.
The non-conference game had to be a home game or played in-state. The thinking was that the SEC would make the same announcement and that would allow the Florida State-Florida, Georgia Tech-Georgia, Clemson-South Carolina and Louisville-Kentucky games to be played. The ACC also announced that Independent Notre Dame would compete in the conference and would be eligible for the ACC championship.
But the SEC told the ACC not so fast my friend. The SEC announced a 10-game conference schedule with no non-conference games. That meant no Florida-Florida State, etc.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis was beside himself over the SEC decision. He said as governor he was going to force Florida and Florida State to play each other. Although DeSantis is a big man (he is getting fatter) in Florida, he soon found out that he is not bigger than the SEC. There will be no Florida-Florida State game.
The Big 12 announced it would play a 10-game schedule – nine conference games, plus one non-conference game.
“So up on your feet, up on your feet
You may have missed it but Trini Lopez died on August 11 at a hospital in Palm Springs, California. He was 83. Lopez was an international superstar in the early 1960s, recording hit versions of “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree,” before appearing as one of “The Dirty Dozen” during a brief stint as an actor. He received early support from Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra. His other hits included “Comin’ Home, Cindy,” “Michael,” “Kansas City” and “The Bramble Bush.” Lopez performed “The Bramble Bush” in “The Dirty Dozen” film. Trinidad Lopez III was born in Dallas on May 15, 1937.
So here we sit in late August. Seventy-six FBS schools still plan to play football. Most starting dates were moved back. Many schools won’t start play until September 26. Stay tuned!
The other 54 schools say they plan to play football in the spring. Some pundits say this isn’t viable. Others say it is. Stay tuned!
“This is it. This is it
If all goes as planned, there will be a college football playoff and national championship game in January. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, “It doesn’t matter that the Big Ten and the Pac-12 aren’t playing. They wouldn’t have been in the playoff anyway.”
Did the Big Ten and the Pac-12 pull the plug too soon? Only time will tell. But if the ACC, Big 12 and SEC complete their seasons, the Big Ten and Pac-12 will have egg on their faces. On the other hand, if the ACC, Big 12 and SEC don’t complete their seasons, the egg will be on their faces.
Soccer’s Premier League in England made it work. Major League Baseball appears to be making it work. There’s no reason college football can’t make it work.
We better have some football or I’m going feel like Charlie Rich.
“I’ll make it all right
Since you left me
If all had been normal and there was no COVID-19, this would have been Week 0 in college football. The week when a few teams jump the gun and play before Labor Day Weekend. The big game this week was to be Navy vs. Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland.
Like I said, we can only take it one day at a time.
“So while you’re here, enjoy the view
Touchdown Tom
(Apologies to the “One Day At A Time” television show theme song and to Charlie Rich’s “Lonely Weekends.”)
Quotes of the
Offseason
“To me, it’s a very cautious, it’s a very cautious announcement. It’s also a blinking light that this season is not guaranteed.” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the SEC announcing a September 26 start to its season.
“We’re not your entertainment. We’re human beings. This is bigger than our individual selves. This is for all the future college athletes,” more than 100 Pac-12 football players who are opting to sit out the 2020 season if their demands are not met.
“This is something that, I think, we’ve been expecting for a while for the players to start flexing their leverage. It’s finally happened. I’m not sure where we go from here. If it’s just a release with a handful of players, that’s one thing. If it picks up steam from one league to the next, that’s a whole other story. Regardless, it’s an existential threat to the future of the current status of college football. There’s no getting around that it’s under siege. There’s also no getting around that some of their gripes are extremely legitimate,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the demands of the Pac-12 football players.
“Our guys need to lead their lives like Paul Finebaum did in college,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp, on how his players need to spend their time in order to keep from getting COVID-19.
“It is a complete and total embarrassment. The fact that Jim Harbaugh even has a job these days is for another question, another day. Jim Harbaugh just can’t get out of his own way. He wakes up in the morning and seemingly says ‘how am I going to call more attention to myself, to the fact that I can’t beat Ohio State’,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the Michigan coach.
“I’ve covered the national championship game every year. I haven’t seen Nebraska anywhere near the national championship game in about 20 years. I haven’t seen them come close. Scott Frost is still claiming a national championship from Central Florida. At Nebraska, he hasn’t really done all that much. I think it’s ludicrous and absurd and quite embarrassing for the University of Nebraska to make all of this type of noise. They’re lucky to be in the Big Ten,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, slamming Huskers coach Scott Frost and the Nebraska football program for wanting out of the Big Ten to play elsewhere this fall.
“Proper leadership regarding COVID-19 problems does not exist at FSU,” Florida State redshirt sophomore receiver Warren Thompson, slamming his coach Mike Norvell.
“I would demand a public apology from Nebraska, and if I’m Kevin Warren (Big Ten Conference Commissioner), I’m working on a way to get their ass out of the Big Ten. They ain’t Notre Dame, baby. They don’t have that cache,” ESPN’s Desmond Howard, suggesting Nebraska should be thrown out of the Big Ten Conference for its attitude after the Big Ten postponed the fall football season.
“I felt like if we had a season I would be safer than if we didn’t have a season, which might sound crazy to some people, but I do. Everybody that I come into contact with, if we have a season, is getting tested twice a week, they’re in the cleanest of areas, and as a player on a team, you don’t want to be the guy that gets it because you were being a fool and you were out somewhere you shouldn’t be,” Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who started a petition to get the Big Ten to reverse its decision.
“If there is no football this fall in the Big 12, it’s likely there will not be any sports played for the entire 2020-21 academic year based on what I’ve heard from our athletic directors,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
The Quarterbacks –
2020
And then there was one. Before COVID came along, there were two – two quarterbacks entering the season who stood above all others. Those two quarterbacks were Ohio State junior Justin Fields (6-3, 228) and Clemson senior Trevor Lawrence (6-6, 220).
But when the Big Ten Conference announced it was canceling the 2020 fall football season, Fields was no longer a competitor. He was no longer a player. That announcement by the Big Ten left Lawrence, standing alone, as the premier quarterback entering the season.
Last year, Lawrence passed for 3,665 yards and threw for 36 touchdowns, while averaging 244.3 yards a game through the air. He led the Tigers to a 14-1 season – 14-0 until Clemson suffered its only loss at the end of the season in the national championship game against LSU.
If Lawrence is challenged for quarterback superiority in 2020, it likely will come from another ACC player – North Carolina sophomore Sam Howell. Last season, Howell was not only a surprise but a sensational surprise. As a freshman in 2019, Howell passed for 4,641 yards and threw for 38 touchdowns, while averaging 280.1 yards a game passing.
Five other ACC quarterbacks are worth mentioning, led by Pitt senior Kenny Pickett (6-2, 220). Last season, Pickett threw for 3,098 yards, averaging 258.2 yards a game through the air. Miami senior D’Eriq King (5-11, 195) will add dimension to the Hurricanes. King is a transfer from Houston.
Then there are Florida State junior James Blackman (6-5, 190), Syracuse junior Tommy DeVito (6-2, 206) and Notre Dame senior Ian Book (6-0, 212). I list Book here because the Irish will be competing in the ACC this fall.
The two best quarterbacks in the Big 12 are Texas senior Sam Ehlinger (6-3, 230) and Iowa State junior Brock Purdy (6-1, 210). Last year Ehlinger passed for 3,663 yards and threw for 32 touchdowns, while averaging 281.8 yards a game passing. Purdy, on the other hand, threw for 3,982 yards, 27 touchdowns, averaging 306.3 yards a game through the air.
Just behind Ehlinger and Purdy is Baylor senior Charlie Brewer (6-1, 206). In 2019, Brewer threw for 3,161 yards. Also worth mentioning are Kansas State senior Skylar Thompson (6-2, 212) and Texas Tech sophomore Alan Bowman (6-3, 210). West Virginia junior Jarret Doege (6-2, 208) is a question mark, but could surprise.
The SEC has a slew of good quarterbacks with no one of them exceptionally above the others. All are capable with strong potential. I’ll name them in alphabetical order. There’s Tennessee senior Jarrett Guarantano (6-4, 215) and South Carolina sophomore Ryan Hilinski (6-3, 225). Also, Alabama junior Mac Jones (6-2, 205) and Texas A&M senior Kellen Mond (6-3, 217).
Then there is Auburn sophomore Bo Nix (6-2, 213) and Ole Miss sophomore John Rhys Plumlee (6-0, 192). Plumlee is a big threat as a runner. He rushed for 1,023 yards last year. And Florida junior Kyle Trask (6-5, 239). Last year, Trask passed for 2,941 yards, completing 67% of his passes.
With that said, the most interesting and intriguing quarterback in the SEC will be Georgia senior Jamie Newman (6-4, 230). Newman is a transfer from Wake Forest. Last year with the Demon Deacons, he passed for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Among the Group of Five Conferences playing this fall, the best quarterbacks are in the AAC. And the two best in the AAC are SMU senior Shane Buechele (6-1, 207) and Memphis senior Brady White (6-3, 215). Last year, Buechele passed for 3,929 yards and threw for 34 touchdowns, while averaging 302.2 yards a game passing. Meanwhile, White threw for 4,014 yards, 33 touchdowns and averaged 286.7 yards per game passing.
Two other good quarterbacks in the AAC are UCF sophomore Dillon Gabriel (6-0, 186) and Temple senior Anthony Russo (6-4, 235).
The two most distinguished quarterbacks in Conference USA are Southern Miss senior Jack Abraham (6-0, 205) and Charlotte junior Chris Reynolds (5-10, 192). In 2019, Abraham passed for 3,496 yards, averaging 268.9 yards a game through the air.
The best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt Conference are Appalachian State senior Zac Thomas (6-1, 210) and Louisiana senior Levi Lewis (5-10, 190).
TT’s Top 10 Favorite Quarterbacks at Preseason
- Trevor
Lawrence
– Clemson
- Sam Howell – North
Carolina
- Kyle Trask – Florida
- Bo Nix – Auburn
- Shane
Buechele
– SMU
- Brady White – Memphis
- Sam Ehlinger – Texas
- Dillon
Gabriel
– UCF
- Brock Purdy – Iowa State
- Jamie Newman – Georgia
But keep an eye
on:
Mac Jones – Alabama; Kenny Pickett – Pitt; Kellen Mond – Texas A&M; D’Eriq King – Miami (Florida); Ian Book – Notre Dame, and Charlie Brewer – Baylor.
Some good quarterbacks you won’t see this season are Ohio State’s Justin Fields, USC’s Kedon Slovis, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, Michigan’s Dylan McCaffrey, Penn State’s Sean Clifford, Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez, California’s Chase Garbers, Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels, and Miami (Ohio)’s Brett Gabbert.
The New Coaches – 2020
Twenty-four schools will be sporting new coaches, but only 12 of those coaches will be coaching this fall. Or should I say plan on coaching this fall. The other 12 will have to wait until 2021 to lead their teams onto the field.
I’ll start with the 12 who are currently scheduled to coach this fall. And what better place to start than in the Magnolia State? Two of college football’s better known coaches, for one reason or another, will be debuting in Mississippi. Lane Kiffin, of Oakland Raiders, Tennessee, USC and Florida Atlantic fame, or infamy, is the new head coach at Ole Miss. Further down the state, Mike Leach of Texas Tech and Washington State fame, or infamy, is the new coach at Mississippi State. It should be a fun Egg Bowl this year.
Whereas the SEC had two of the better-known hires, the conference also had two of the lesser-known hires. Some even say questionable hires. Only time will tell. Missouri hired Ed Drinkwitz and Arkansas hired Sam Pittman. Drinkwitz, a native of Norman, Oklahoma, had been the head coach for one year at Appalachian State. Pittman, a native of El Reno, Oklahoma, was the offensive line coach at Georgia. He has never been a head coach.
In the Big 12, Baylor appears to have made a good hire. The Waco school hired former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. Aranda, a native of Redlands, California, was also the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Utah State, Hawaii and three other schools.
Former Memphis head coach Mike Norvell is the new coach at Florida State. Prior to Memphis, Norvell, a native of Irving, Texas, was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State and Pitt. On two occasions during the offseason, some players at Florida State criticized Norvell’s lack of leadership. This caused some fans to wonder if Norvell is over his head at FSU. Time will tell.
Memphis, in turn, elevated Ryan Silverfield to be the Tigers new head coach. Silverfield was the offensive line coach at Memphis.
Boston College hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be the Eagles new coach. Prior to Ohio State, Hafley, a native of Montvale, New Jersey, had experience coaching with three different NFL teams.
Clemson offensive coordinator Jeff Scott is the new coach at South Florida. Scott, a native of Arcadia, Florida, had been on the Clemson staff for 12 seasons. Speaking of USF, a former South Florida coach, Willie Taggart, is the new coach at Florida Atlantic. Prior to Florida Atlantic, Taggart was the head coach at four schools – Florida State, Oregon, South Florida and Western Kentucky.
Also in C-USA, UT-San Antonio named Jeff Traylor its new head coach. Traylor, a native of Gilmer, Texas, had been the running backs coach at Arkansas. Prior to that he was the running backs coach at SMU.
And last, but perhaps not least, Shawn Clark is the new coach at Appalachian State. Clark, a native of Charleston, West Virginia, had been the offensive line coach at Appalachian State for four seasons. He also played for Appalachian State.
The 12 new head coaches who won’t be coaching this fall (and where they came from) are Rutgers’ Greg Schiano (Ohio State defensive coordinator), Michigan State’s Mel Tucker (Colorado head coach), Washington’s Jimmy Lake (Washington defensive coordinator), Washington State’s Nick Rolovich (Hawaii head coach), Colorado’s Karl Dorrell (Miami Dolphins assistant head coach), and Colorado State’s Steve Addazio (Boston College head coach).
Also, Fresno State’s Kalen DeBoer (Indiana offensive coordinator), San Diego State’s Brady Hoke (San Diego State defensive line coach), Hawaii’s Todd Graham (Arizona State head coach), New Mexico’s Danny Gonzales (Arizona State defensive coordinator), UNLV’s Marcus Arroyo (Oregon offensive coordinator) and Old Dominion’s Ricky Rahne (Penn State offensive coordinator).
The Mountain West Conference has the most new head coaches at six. The MWC is followed by the SEC with four new head coaches and the Pac-12 and C-USA with three each. The ACC, Big Ten and AAC each have two new head coaches, while the Big 12 and Sun Belt have one each. The MAC is the only FBS conference with no new head coaches.
If ever there was a season to be on the hot seat – this is it. No school in college football can afford to fire its coach this year. Thanks to COVID-19, athletic departments are strapped for money.
Schools can’t afford to pay buyouts. Nor can they afford to go through costly searches for a new coach. So whether their team is playing this season or not, all the hot seat coaches have a free pass to 2021 season.
But let’s take a look at the coaches who can breathe a sigh of relief. They are on the hot seat, or on the edge of the hot seat, but they are safe for another season.
In the SEC, Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason (27-47 in six years) and South Carolina’s Will Muschamp (26-25 in four years) are on the hot seat. While Auburn’s Gus Malzahn (62-31 in seven years) and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt (13-12 in two years) are on the edge. Malzahn is always on the edge.
North Carolina State’s Dave Doeren (47-42 in seven years) is on the hot seat in the ACC. While Miami’s Manny Diaz (6-7 in one year) is on the edge.
In the Pac-12, Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin (9-15 in two years) and USC’s Clay Helton (40-22 in four-plus years) are on the hot seat. UCLA’s Chip Kelly (7-17 in two years) is on the edge.
There are no coaches on the hot seat in the Big 12 or the Big Ten. However, between the two conferences, there are three coaches on the edge. They are Texas’ Tom Herman (25-15 in three years) in the Big 12 and Illinois’ Lovey Smith (15-34 in four years) and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh (47-18) in five years) in the Big Ten. Smith showed some improvement last year. Harbaugh has yet to beat Ohio State.
Among the Group of Five Conferences, Tulsa’s Philip Montgomery (25-37 in five years) is on the hot seat in the AAC. No coaches are on the edge.
In C-USA, UTEP’s Dana Dimel (2-22 in two years) is on the hot seat. While Rice’s Mike Bloomgren (5-20 in two years) and Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill (91-86 in 14 years) are on the edge.
South Alabama’s Steve Campbell (5-19 in two years) and ULM’s Matt Viator (19-29 in four years) are on the hot seat in the Sun Belt Conference. No coaches are on the edge.
In the MAC, Ball State’s Mike Neu (15-33 in four years) is on the hot seat. While Akron’s Tom Arth (0-12 in one year) is on the edge.
No coaches in the Mountain West are on the hot seat or the edge.
Among the Independents, Connecticut’s Randy Edsall (80-100 in 15 years) and New Mexico State’s Doug Martin (22-63 in seven years) are on the hot seat.
But as I said above, these coaches get a free ticket to advance to go and collect $200. They are safe at home, at least for another year.
So, a guy goes
into a bar in New Orleans and orders a Corona and two Hurricanes.
The bartender says, “That’ll be $20.20.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but as summer was winding down and college football fans were anticipating the start of another season, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this week in 1945 was “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” by Johnny
…70 years ago this week in 1950 was “Mona Lisa” by Nat King Cole
…65 years ago this week in 1955 was “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets
…60 years ago this week in 1960 was “It’s Now Or Never” by Elvis Presley
…55 years ago this week in 1965 was “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher
…50 years ago this week in 1970 was “(They Long To Be) Close To You” by The Carpenters and “Make It With You” by Bread
…45 years ago this week in 1975 was “Jive Talkin’” by The Bee Gees and “Fallin’ In Love” by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
…40 years ago this week in 1980 was “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John
…35 years ago this week in 1985 was “Shout” by Tears For Fears
…30 years ago this week in 1990 was “Vision Of Love” by Mariah Carey
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