Captain Jack Flash - Editor
Justin Hoakanson - Sr. Writer
College Football: What's With The Second Year Coaching Success?
Nov. 5, 2008 by Justin Hokanson (Senior Writer)(Senior Writer)
Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Nick Saban, Jim Tressel, what do all these
coaches have in common? They all had tremendous success in their second
year at a big time school, Saban and Meyer doing it twice at two
different schools.
So what's with the trend of second year coaching success across the nation?
What
makes a coach's second year an immediate success and creates a jump in
wins from the first year, and sometimes a conference championship or
national championship?
How are coaches able to win big in their second year if the coach
before them was doing such a bad job? Almost makes you think there were
some coaches that were fired a little too quickly, but that's a
separate debate.
I've compiled a list of some of the top coaches
in the nation and the second year success they have enjoyed, not only
in terms of a nice jump from year one to year two wins, but in certain
situations a coach has won it all in only his second year.
**–Best Season of Career to Date
Jim Tressel, Ohio State
2001 (7-5)...2002 **(14-0) and a Big Ten and National Championship
Nick Saban, LSU
2000 (8-4)...2001 (10-3) and an SEC Championship
Nick Saban, Alabama
2007 (7-6)...2008 (9-0) so far and #1 in the nation currently.
Joe Paterno, Penn State
1966 (5-5)...1967 (8-2)
Bobby Bowden, Florida State
1976 (5-6)...1977 (10-2)
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
1999 (7-5)...2000 **(13-0) and a Big 12 and National Championship
Urban Meyer, Utah
2003 (10-2)...2004 (12-0) and a Mountain West Championship
Urban Meyer, Florida
2005 (10-3)...2006 **(13-1) and a SEC Championship and National Championship
Pete Carroll, USC
2001 (6-6)...2002 (11-2) and a PAC 10 Championship
Mark Richt, Georgia
2001 (8-4)...2002 **(13-1) and a SEC Championship
Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
1999 (5-6)...2000 (9-4) and a SEC West Championship
Butch Davis, North Carolina
2007 (4-8)...2008 (6-2) so far and a top 25 team.
Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee
1992 (4-0) as interim HC...1993 (10-2)
Steve Spurrier, Duke
1987 (5-6)...1988 (7-3-1)
Tommy Bowden, Tulane
1997 (7-4)...1998 **(11-0) and Conference USA Championship
Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia
2001 (3-8)...2002 (9-4)
Bobby Petrino, Louisville
2003 (9-4)...2004 (11-1) and a Conference USA Championship
Les Miles, Oklahoma State
2001 (4-7)...2002 (8-5)
Paul Johnson, Navy
2002 (2-10)...2003 (8-5)
Mark Mangino, Kansas
2002 (2-10)...2003 (6-7) Lost their bowl game, so 2-10 to a bowl game.
Gary Patterson, TCU 2001 (6-6)...2002 (10-2)
Gary Pinkel, Toledo
1991 (5-5)...1992 (8-3)
That's
a good number of coaches that made significant jumps in wins from their
first to second years as head coach. One thing that tells me is that
the previous coach didn't leave the program in as bad as shape as what
it seemed at the time.
One season isn't enough time to get a recruiting class in to make
the big enough difference that is often seen in wins and losses. That
jump in wins is most of the time done with the players that were
recruited there from the previous coach. A few key true freshman could
make a difference, it's just not something you count on.
The big
difference most of the time is the attitude that the new coach brings.
The talent is there, otherwise you couldn't win that quickly no matter
what the new attitude is of the new coach.
The thing I see as a
big factor a lot of times, is that in the second year, no matter what
the previous season's record was, there is a sense of hope and optimism
that spreads throughout the fan base and the players.
You can go 4-8 in your first season, but often times it has no
effect on the team or coach because the players and coaches look at it
as a building block and they aren't worried at all about the record,
they are just looking forward to the next season and are full of
optimism.
That feeling tends to fade obviously as the success builds, a great
season becomes expected and a 4-8 season gets you fired. But for those
first couple of years, a 4-8 record is ignored and only what the future
can hold is thought about.
So what you get in that second year
is a team that has bought into what the coach is saying, you have a
group of players that are tired of losing and are hungry to win, you
have a fan base that thinks they are on the rise back to the top, and
you have coaches at the peak of their recruiting and game planning in
order to turn that program around. They will never work harder than in
those first few years because the foundation is the most important
thing in your program.
The other question that is brought up is
how are all these coaches winning and having success in only their
second season if the coach before them was so bad? Maybe personality
conflicts forced a change, maybe it was a steady decline in wins, but
often times, it seems that there is talent there to win in only two
years, so it makes you wonder if college administrators are jumping the
gun at certain times. If the program was in bad enough shape to get a
coach fired, then how are coaches winning national championships in
their second season in that same program?
Ultimately though, it
seems that the combination of the talent left at the school, maybe
better than what is portrayed, plus a new attitude of optimism and
confidence in the new regime sometimes results in great success in a
coach's second year. That tends to fade sometimes as the coaching
tenure goes on, but those first two seasons sometimes can lead to
immediate success, the problem often times is sustaining that and
keeping that attitude and confidence every year after.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Loyalty Betrayed
Fulmer forced out after 17 years at Tennessee by Captain Jack Flash - Editor
On
Monday, November 03, 2008, an era came to an end at the University of
Tennessee, as the University unceremoniously relieved head football
coach Phillip Fulmer of his duties effective at the end of the 2008
season. Coach Fulmer as a player, a graduate assistant, assistant coach
and head coach has spent 35 years and 426 games associated with the
University. Fulmer is number two in both, total wins and winning
percentage among head coaches at the University of Tennessee, ranking
only behind legendary Tennessee coach General Robert R Neyland. Fulmer
ranks third nationally in winning percentage among active head coaches
with at least 10 years of service.
The Downfall
Fulmer’s
downfall has to do with his inability to get back to the top of the
mountain after winning the first ever college football BCS Championship
game in 1998 and posting a 13-0 record, something no other SEC BCS
Champion has been able to accomplish. A near miss came in 2001 as
Fulmer’s Vols, an 18-point underdog to the Florida Gators pulled an
upset in the Swamp to thrust them into the #2 spot in the BCS standings
and a possible match up with #1 ranked Miami Hurricanes in the Rose
Bowl. The lone obstacle was in the SEC title game against LSU, whom the
Vols had previously defeated during the regular season. But, it was not
to be as Tennessee fumbled its way out of contention for a title shot.
Three
more chances for an SEC title eluded Fulmer’s teams in ’03 when a
three-way tie breaker rule was amended by the SEC commissioner late in
the season and Georgia was selected as the East representative in the
SEC title game, again in ’04 as Tennessee’s chances were nixed in a
loss to an undefeated Auburn in the SEC title game as the Vols were
down to their third string QB Rick Clausen after season ending injuries
freshmen starters Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer. The final chance came
last year when the Vols lost to eventual National Champion LSU in
Atlanta title game after leading most of the game until and Erik Ainge
TD interception gave the lead to the Tigers.
The Tenure
With
the possibility that Coach Fulmer will end his 17 year head coaching
career at UT with only one losing season or at the most two if they
fail to win their final three games, has he been treated fairly by his
Alma Mater? The fact that Phil has remained loyal for so many years
doesn’t he deserve a little more loyalty for the school? With the surge
of sports talk radio in every city, Al Gore’s invention of the
internet, colleges have become less loyal to their coaches and seem to
be bowing to the pressure of some of the more vocal fans, some of which
never donate money and never attend games. It has become hard for the
administration to withstand the pressure to keep up with rival schools
and disgruntled fans. Some schools have over zealous boosters who throw
their weight around in proportion to the amount of money they use to
buy their way into the program. You only have to look back a few years
ago at the Jet-Gate incident at Auburn or Logan Young’s affair at
Alabama, to see that it has become a dangerous situation with big time
booster involvement.
At Tennessee I don’t believe this was the
case, at least on the surface, as the big money guys have remained
hidden from public comments on Fulmer’s problems this year. It has
mostly come from the fan base on the chat boards, talk radio callers
and several sportswriters with there own agendas that actually have
their loyalties to opposing schools.
Time for a Change?
Was
it time for a change? That decision is never easy, and I am glad it was
not mine to make. I believe football fans often grow tired of the same
face and after a number of years and think the grass is greener with
the next great flavor-of-the-month, up-and-coming coach.
A large
number of Alabama fans thought so, as many wanted new blood after seven
years of the Gene Stallings regime, even though he had brought them a
National Championship and an SEC title. They felt his offense was too
boring and had become stale. Stallings decided to step down and leave
the moaning and groaning of the fans behind, although I don’t think he
was truly ready to slip into retirement. This led to a coaching
revolving door for the next 10 years for the Tide that saw them fall
into football’s abyss.
Now the same has become true with
Tennessee fan's opinions of Fulmer’s offense, as many feel the need to
move to a more wide-open spread, although this years team’s production
has given them a legitimate reason to complain. In the end Phillip
Fulmer was confronted by A. D. Mike Hamilton that a change was needed
in the University’s football program and being the loyal Vol that he
is, Phil decided that to preserve the union of the Tennessee family. He
would do what was best for his beloved University of Tennessee, even
though he felt he could right the ship as he had done just one year ago.
In
my opinion anything less than a near perfect season and an SEC title
next year would have once more started the fans barking, so it is
probably best that the Phillip Fulmer era has come to a close in 2008,
the 10th anniversary of his greatest accomplishment at Tennessee,
hoisting the Waterford Crystal in Tempe, Arizona which thankfully I was
there to see it happen. I just hope the next head coach at the
University is as loyal as Phil has been and isn’t just making a
pit-stop as he seeks a bigger pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
College Football: Job Hunting 2008
by Justin Hoakanson (Senior Writer)
It's getting that time of the season again, and jobs are starting to
open up. Then there are the jobs that aren't open, but the seat is
certainly warming on the seat of those coaches and the last few weeks
of the season will be very telling.
So here's a look at the top
4 jobs that are either open, or certainly a possibility of being open
at season's end, and how they compare in categories that I think are
most important in looking at a school's appeal.
I will look at 4
categories: A team's recruiting base so you can see how easy or hard it
would be to build a championship level team, the stadium capacity and
average attendance to measure a team's fan support and commitment to
the program, the team's conference and main recruiting competition, and
the current salary of the team's coach.
CLEMSON
Recruiting Base: South Carolina (49), Florida (169), Georgia (84), North Carolina (53) Stadium Capacity: 83,472 '08 Average Attendance: 78,700 Conference: ACC Recruiting Competition: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State Current Salary: $1.8 million
The
Clemson job is very appealing job right now. It has as good a
recruiting base as you could want, large stadium, and most importantly
is a conference that is up for grabs right now. With Florida State and
Miami still rebuilding, whoever the next coach is at Clemson has a
chance to win right now at that school, something that is always at the
top of the list with candidates. Also, many coaches look at the Clemson
job as an SEC type job, but without the competition of the SEC week in
and week out.
Early Pick for the Job: Dabo Swinney or Will Muschamp
WASHINGTON
Recruiting Base: Washington (37), California (198), Oregon (14) Stadium Capacity: 74,927 '08 Average Attendance: 65,746 Conference:Pac-10 Recruiting Competition: Washington State, USC, Oregon, Oregon State Current Salary: $1.4 million
The
Washington job is a tough task right now. It's a program that hasn't
seen much success in recent years, and while the Huskies have been
down, USC, Oregon, Arizona State, and Cal have moved to the top of the
conference, and the Huskies have moved towards the bottom of the
pecking order. Fortunately for the Huskies, Washington State right now
is maybe the worst team in the country, so building the program back up
starting in the home state of Washington shouldn't be that difficult.
Early Pick for the Job: Lane Kiffin
These
next two jobs aren't open as of right now, but if the season keeps on
the same track, it's very possible, if not probable they will be.
TENNESSEE
Recruiting Base: Tennessee (23), Georgia (84), South Carolina (49) Stadium Capacity: 107,052 '08 Average Attendance: 101,652 Conference: SEC Recruiting Competition: Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida Current Salary: $2.4 million
With
Phil Fulmer struggling a few years ago, he came back last year and made
the SEC championship game and seemed to have quited some critics. But
this season, the Vols find themselves with a losing record and now
rumors are that even a 6-6 season wouldn't save Fulmer's job at
Tennessee.
IF Fulmer were to be gone at season's end, there will
be many coaches that would love the Tennessee job. The Vols have one of
the largest stadiums in the nation, they have the largest recruiting
budget in the country, and they have some of the best tradition in
college football. The one drawback that will cause some concern is the
fact that Florida and Georgia, the Vols two main rivals in the SEC
East, are at the top of their game right now which makes the Tennessee
job even tougher right now.
AUBURN
Recruiting Base: Alabama (46), Georgia (84), Florida (169), Mississippi (47) Stadium Capacity: 87,451 '08 Average Attendance: 87,117 Conference: SEC Recruiting Competition: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State Current Salary: $3.0 million
As
of right now, I'd say Tommy Tuberville's job is safe, but not by much.
Auburn is currently on a three game losing streak and sitting at 4-4,
and with only 4 games remaining, it's up in the air whether or not the
Tigers will make a bowl game this season. Tuberville still looks like
he has some key people in his corner, but a 1-3 finish and a 5-7 record
might be enough to push some people over the edge.
IF the job
were to come open, it would a very appealing job with a lot of
positives. The facilities are very good, nice big stadium, a very
strong recruiting base, and a very recent history of championship
success with an SEC title in 2004. The one negative working against
Auburn this season would be the success of Alabama. If Auburn were
looking for a new coach in the same season that their instate rival
Alabama was in a BCS bowl game, it could cause some hesitation from
certain coaches wanting to leave their current school, but don't look
for that to be a deciding factor.
America Decides 2008: Who Is Your BCS Candidate?
by Justin Hoakanson(Senior Writer)
With the nation
just two weeks out of our next presidential election, and in honor of
the first week of the 2008 BCS standings being released, I figured we
should take a look at what the top 10 teams in the nation stand for and
you decide whether or not you would vote for them as your national
champion.
It's "America Decides 2008." If you were picking your
candidate to be THE best team in the country, who would it be? Who best
represents what you look for in a national champion?
Candidate: Texas Longhorns
Campaign Manager: Mack Brown
Our Stance: We stand for a high scoring offense, stopping the run on defense, and the front runner for the Heisman Trophy.
Candidate: Alabama Crimson Tide
Campaign Manager: Nick Saban
Our Stance: We stand for a swarming defense, a
punishing run game, and a fifth year senior at quarterback who doesn't
need on the job training.
Candidate: Penn State Nittany Lions
Campaign Manager: Joe Paterno
Our Stance: We stand for great athletes on the
perimeter, a quarterback who can beat you running and throwing, for
complete domination over our opponents.
Candidate: Oklahoma Sooners
Campaign Manager: Bob Stoops
Our Stance: We stand for showcasing one of the best
quarterbacks in the nation, running the next play before you have a
chance to breathe, and not letting one setback slow us down.
Candidate: USC Trojans
Campaign Manager: Pete Carroll
Our Stance: We stand for having the best offensive
talent in the country, having the most stingy defense in America, and
stepping up to the plate in big games.
Candidate: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Campaign Manager: Mike Gundy
Our Stance: We stand for an electric running game,
a breath of fresh air among the usual candidates, and a coach who is 40
and isn't afraid to tell you about it.
Candidate: Georgia Bulldogs
Campaign Manager: Mark Richt
Our Stance: We stand for a future first round
quarterback and running back in the same backfield, stopping the run
game in its tracks, and the preseason favorite who wants a second
chance.
Candidate: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Campaign Manager: Mike Leach
Our Stance: We stand for passing your defense into oblivion, then passing it some more, and having the most eccentric coach in America.
Candidate: Ohio State Buckeyes
Campaign Manager: Jim Tressel
Our Stance: We stand for having the most physical
running back in the nation, having the next Vince Young at quarterback,
and never going away, even when you think we're down and out.
Candidate: Florida Gators
Campaign Manager: Urban Meyer
Our Stance: We stand for having the reigning
Heisman Trophy winner, a lethal defensive end duo, and the ability to
field a 4x100 relay team that could medal in the Olympics (Percy
Harvin, Brandon James, Chris Rainey, and Jeffrey Demps).
There are your candidates for 2008. You know what they stand for,
and now you must decide who would get your vote as the best team in
America. Fortunately for you, if you mess up this vote, you don't have
to wait four more years to make the right decision.
Who Has the Easiest Road to the BCS Title Game?
With half the season now gone, it's about that time to start
taking a hard look at who the real national title contenders are and who has
the best chance of making the BCS title game...
by
Justin Hoakanson (Senior Writer) Editorial October 12, 2008
With half the season now gone, it's about that time to start taking a hard
look at who the real national title contenders are and who has the best chance
of making the BCS title game. We all know it's better to lose early than late, but with some tough
schedules ahead for a number of teams, you could very well see some teams lose
late this season and still make the title game, much like LSU did last season.
Let's take a look at the top 12 teams in the USA Today Coaches'
Poll and see how each team's schedule is shaping up and who has an easy road
compared to the teams with a brutal schedule still ahead of them.
Each record next to the team is the record of their remaining opponents and
the winning percentage of the rest of the schedule.
1. Texas
27-9 (.750 %) Missouri, OklahomaState, at Texas
Tech, Baylor, at Kansas, Texas A&M
2. Alabama
19-17 (.530 %) Ole Miss, at Tennessee, ArkansasState,
at LSU, MississippiState, Auburn
3. Penn State 20-13 (.606 %) Michigan, at OhioState, at Iowa,
Indiana, MichiganState
4. USC 19-23 (.452 %) at WashingtonState,
at Arizona, Washington, Cal,
at Stanford, Notre Dame, at UCLA
5. Texas
Tech 27-9 (.750 %) at Texas A&M, at Kansas,
Texas, OklahomaState, at Oklahoma, Baylor
6. Oklahoma
27-9 (.750 %) Kansas, at Kansas State,
Nebraska, at Texas
A&M, Texas Tech, at OklahomaState
7. Florida
23-13 (.640 %) **Counted Div. I-A Citadel as 0-6 Kentucky, Georgia,
at Vanderbilt, South
Carolina, Citadel, at FSU
8. BYU 24-14 (.632 %) at TCU, UNLV, at ColoradoState, San DiegoState, at Air Force, at Utah
9. Georgia
27-9 (.750 %) Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida, at Kentucky, at Auburn,
Georgia Tech
10. Oklahoma
State 25-11 (.694 %) Baylor, at Texas, IowaState, at Texas
Tech, at Colorado, Oklahoma
11. Ohio
State 23-9 (.719 %) at MichiganState,
PennState,
at Northwestern, at Illinois, Michigan
12. Missouri
23-13 (.640 %) at Texas, Colorado,
at Baylor, Kansas
State, at Iowa State, Kansas
What is your opinion?
Here's how the top 12 looks ranked by strength of schedule the rest of the
way:
1.Texas
(.750 %)
1.Texas
Tech (.750 %)
1.Oklahoma
(.750 %)
1. Georgia (.750 %)
5.OhioState (.719 %)
6.OklahomaState (.694 %)
7.Missouri
(.640 %)
7.Florida
(.640 %)
9. BYU (.632 %)
10.PennState (.606 %)
11.Alabama
(.530 %)
12. USC (.452 %)
Looking at what each team has left in the season, I'd say that Alabama, USC, and PennState are sitting in great position
with only one or two big games left, and USC and PennState
even more so with no conference title game in their future to play another
great team again. USC has a big game coming up at Arizona,
but they shouldn't lose again this season. For PennState, it all comes down to games at OhioState
and at home against MichiganState.
The Big 12 will be a round robin basically. It started with Texas-Oklahoma
and Missouri-OklahomaState this past weekend,
and it continues this weekend with Missouri-Texas and Oklahoma-Kansas. The Big
12 teams will beat each other up for the rest of the season, and then it will
come down to the Big 12 title game to decide who will have a shot at the BCS
title game.
Florida
made a huge statement with their big win over LSU, and even though their
opponent winning percentage looks tough, it's deceiving in my mind. They have Georgia coming up, but their SOS is helped by
overachieving 5-1 Vanderbilt, a misleading 4-2 Kentucky
team, and a 4-2 FloridaState team that looked less than impressive against
their best team so far in WakeForest.
Georgia is hanging around
and has the schedule to make up for their loss to Alabama. It all comes down to the Florida game for the
Dawgs. If they win that game, they are back in the title hunt—they lose, and
it's over for this season.
BYU has a great shot at going undefeated, but they will have probably their
two toughest games of the season at the very end, and both on the road. Games
at Air Force and at Utah
will be tough to navigate, and even if they do go 12-0, I don't see the Utes
getting in the title game with all the really good teams that are ahead of them
right now.
Now we get to the Buckeyes. You remember them, right? That team that has
gotten destroyed the past two title games and was pushed aside after their
embarrassing loss at USC?
Well, don't look now, but they are hanging around, and with two big time
games the next two weeks against MichiganState and PennState,
the Buckeyes have a chance to make a huge statement and announce themselves
back in the race if they were to go 2-0 in those games.
If they get by those two games, they will likely go 11-1 and watch everyone
around them lose while they move up the polls. I know it's a scary thought, but
don't be surprised if the Buckeyes creep back in the picture.
Making a prediction halfway through the season and looking at the schedules
left, I think that USC is sitting in a great position to make it to the title
game, and I'd say they play either Texas
or Florida.
The reason I say Texas
is because even with their tough schedule the rest of the way, they can lose a
game and still make the Big 12 title game. If they get to the Big 12 title game
and win it and go 12-1, they most likely will make it to the BCS title game.
Florida has to get by Georgia in a
couple of weeks. If they do that, they shouldn't lose another game and would be
in the SEC title game at 11-1.
College Football: What's Going On at Auburn and What's Next?
by Justin Hoakanson - SR. Writer
As you may have noticed, the
Auburn offense is in complete shambles after an embarrasing loss at
Vanderbilt that dropped the Tigers to 4-2 overall, and 2-2 in the SEC. The biggest reason for the Tigers struggles is the new spread
offense that Tony Franklin was brought in to run has been anything but
an improvement over last season's 100th ranked offense under Al Borges. Franklin was brought in to run a fast paced offense that added the
ability to score more points and be an upgrade over their predictable
offense from the past few seasons, it was also brought in to help
recruit more athletes. All it's brought though is confusion and dismal
offensive performances that have produced barely 10 points a game in
SEC play. There have been a lot of rumors going around after Auburn's latest
loss, rumors about Tony Franklin's job status, fans calling for Tommy
Tuberville to be fired, and a fanbase that is completely baffled as to
what has happened to what was supposed to be a promising season.The way I see it, Auburn and Tommy Tuberville have three options in
which to try and salvage this season, or just make a decision one way
or the other as to what direction this offense will go in 2008.
1. Keep Tony Franklin as offensive coordinator, and commit to the
spread completely, regardless of the talent. You will never get better
at the spread if you don't commit 100 percent to it. Even if it means
losing three more games this season, you sink or swim with the spread
and hope that it pays off in the long run. Of course if Auburn does lose three more games, Tuberville and his
staff could be in serious trouble with their job and he might not even
make it to next year with this staff if they go 7-5.
2. Keep
Tony Franklin as offensive coordinator, but run more two tight end
formations and mix it in with the spread to just survive this season
and try score enough points to win, but all the time planning on
keeping with the spread next year. Only thing is with this choice, comes the chance that you could lose
a recruit or two that was recruited to Auburn to run the spread and
this offense this year could become even more confusing to the players
than it is now and you could really lose some guys focus on the team.
3.
Fire Tony Franklin right now, say the spread was bad idea, and let an
offensive coach coordinate the offense the rest of the season going
back to running the ball and play action, etc. With this choice, you
will no doubt lose some recruits who think you are running the spread.This choice would basically be a disaster and would be the worst
possible choice out there. This choice also won't happen, but it is
what SOME Auburn fans would like to see happen at this point. And that's just a scheme perspective. Once Tuberville makes his
choice, he and his staff have to then decide which personnel fit that
choice and who should be starting at QB and other positions. Once you
decide which direction this offense should go in 2008, you have to
re-evaluate your players and make sure that you have the right players
on the field.
So basically Tuberville and his staff have put
themselves in the biggest pickle they've been in at Auburn, and they
are about to have to earn all that money they are getting paid, because
they haven't earned it to this point.
Mid Season SEC Report Card - Captain Jack Flash, Editor
The grades are a comparison of the pre-season media prediction from the SEC Media Days and the teams actual performance.
SEC East
SEC
Record
Pred.
Finish
Team
Grade
1
3-0
7
Vanderbilt
A+
What kind of odds would Vegas have offered if you took the Vandy to be atop the SEC East midway through the season, be ranked #13 in the AP Poll and undefeated? The 'Dores rank at the bottom of the SEC in Offense and Defense but #1 in Turnover ratio. More importantly #1 in the SEC East at 3-0.
2
2-1
1
Florida
C
The
Gators were the overall pick to win the SEC. At 2-1 in the SEC they
have under performed so far this short season. A rare loss in the
Swamp
to an under dog Ole Miss may have seriously damaged their hopes for a
spot in the BCS Championship Game in January.
3
1-1
2
Georgia
C
Many pre-season
magazines had the Bulldogs #1 in the nation. A hard fought win over a
very mediocre South Carolina team was a
warning shot that UGA might not
be one of the teams at the top in January. Those hopes may have been
dashed just two weeks later
when the Bulldogs fans staged a Black Out
in Sanford Stadium, but the Crimson Tide brought the Alabama Power
Company with them
to light up the scoreboard.
4
1-2
1
South Carolina
C
An
early season loss to Vanderbilt made Gamecock fans wonder if SOS would
ever get the program turned around and headed in the
right direction.
Then came hope as USC played Georgia close and had their chances to
pull off the upset. An upset win in Oxford over
the Ole Miss Rebels
helped raise hopes in Columbia of still being able salvage a
satisfactory season and get back into a post season
bowl.
5
0-1
6
Kentucky
A-
Although
the Wildcats have played a lightweight schedule so far this season they
have passed the tests easily. Adding a solid performance over highly
ranked Alabama on foreign turf adds to the hopes of UK fans that their
program is headed in the right direction and last years success was not
a one year phenomenon.
6
0-2
3
Tennessee
F
The Volunteers find themselves once again staring at a losing season for the second time in four years. Something that has Big Orange fans
up in arms calling for a head coaching change. Fulmer's big coaching mistake may have been, being too slow to make a change at the QB
position. Jonathan Crompton total in adequacy at leading any offensive punch may have cost the Vols wins over UCLA and Auburn. We will
see if Nick Stephens at QB changes the fortune of the Vols the remainder of the season and some how saves Fulmer.
SEC West
SEC
Rnk
SEC
Record
Pred.
Finish
Team
Grade
1
3-0
3
Alabama
A+
Most
thought the Tide was still a year or two away from playing with the big
boys, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Early wins over Clemson and
Georgia have Bama fans
thinking SEC and BCS Titles. Last years collapse doesn't seem to be in
order as the Tide has managed to win a couple of games when they didn't
show up with their best efforts.
2
2-0
2
LSU
A
LSU
has played in near obscurity for the first half of the season, with a
cupcake non-conference schedule, but winning at Auburn and beating
over-matched MSU puts them on track for repeat in the SECCG. More will be known after this weekends visit to the Swamp for both LSU and UF.
3
2-2
1
Auburn
D-
The Tigers are suffering from the same syndrome that is plaguing Tennessee,
a lack of QB play. The loss to Vanderbilt was very damaging to the
Tigers SEC Title hopes as the road only gets tougher.
4
1-2
5
Ole Miss
C+
Houston Nutt has
at least brought respectability to the Ole Miss program. After several
miserable years under Coach "O" the Rebels are putting product on the
field that has a chance to win even suffering several disheartening
close losses. But after pulling off a huge upset over Florida in the
Swamp those losses were soon forgotten, but up jumps the loss to USC
last weekend to through a little water on the party. The Rebels will
continue to improve and with 4 legitimate shots wins remaining on the
schedule the Ole Miss should be looking at going bowling in the post
season.
6
0-2
4
Miss St
F
Sylvester Crooms showed last year that MSU had made the right choice in hiring him to return the Bulldogs to being a respectable team. But it looks like that one step forward last year has been erased by the two steps backwards this year. With only one win against SE Louisiana, thinks don't look bright for the Maroons to repeat going bowling this year.
6
0-2
6
Arkansas
D-
Although there weren't high expectation for the Razorbacks, even the most pessimistic fan had to believe it would be better than what it has been. But it could have been worse as the Hawgs pulled out near losses to DIAA Western ILL and Perennial cupcake La. Monroe in the closing seconds of the games. Looking at the remaining schedule, I see only one victory and that could be in doubt.
Is it time to re-think the BCS or at least how
the teams are selected?
In
1968 the Associated Press Poll broke precedent and decided to select its
National Championship after the college bowl games. The Coaches Poll would
follow a few years later. This changed the system forever by placing more
emphasis on the bowl games as the last selection point of the National
Champion. In the 1968 season the selection of the National Champion worked
great using the bowl system as the Rose Bowl had #1 Ohio State vs. #2
Southern Cal and it was easy to crown the winner Ohio State Champ. But problems
soon arose as the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowls had agreements to
take the Big 8, SEC and Southwest Conference Champs respectively. In the 1971
season Alabama
declined a Sugar Bowl bid in order to play #1 Nebraska
in the Orange Bowl for the title. After that game the major bowls signed a much
more solid agreement to take the conference champs. So, in essence this all but
eliminated a chance for a #1 vs. #2 match up anywhere except in the Rose Bowl.
A team going into the Bowls #1 was destined to keep that spot and some teams
even maneuvered to get a favorable match up in an effort to hang on to #1. On
couple of occasions several of the top teams lost their bowl games opening up a
debate on who was truly deserving of the #1 ranking. In 1984 controversy arose
as BYU was the lone undefeated team in the country. Problem was BYU didn’t play
a single team ranked in the top 25 and few teams that even had a
winning
record, with Hawaii having the
best record at 8-4. BYU played in the Holiday Bowl on December 21st
against a 6-5 Michigan team.
In 1986 the college football world got a taste of a championship game
when the only two undefeated in the country were independents, #1 Miami and #2 PennState and
were not obligated to any bowl. A mid-level Fiesta Bowl with backing of Sunkist
ceased the opportunity and offered both
teams an increased payoff from what they had offered previously as a bowl and
outbid the Citrus Bowl for the chance to host the game. The Fiesta Bowl was
originally scheduled for January 1st but was moved to the January 2nd
so NBC could capture the moment. This game also helped the Fiesta Bowl to replace
the Cotton Bowl in what was considered the Big 4 of the Bowl system. After Split
championships in 1990 and again in 1991, AP choosing one team and the Coaches
Poll selecting another, the Bowl Coalition was formed in 1992. The Bowl
Coalition consisted of five conferences: the SEC, Big Eight, Southwest and Big
East along with independent Notre Dame. There were six bowl games involved the Orange, Sugar,
Cotton, Gator and Hancock (Sun Bowl). Under the agreement, bowl bids would be
extended to the five member conference champions plus five at-large teams. The
at-large teams would come from a pool of the five member conferences'
runner-ups, the SEC's third-place team (since the SEC started playing a
Championship Game in the 1992 season) and Notre Dame.
The Orange, Sugar, Cotton
and Fiesta Bowls were "Tier 1 Bowls" under the Coalition agreement,
and the Gator and Hancock were "Tier 2 Bowls." The Orange,
Sugar and Cotton bowls retained their long-standing agreements to invite the
Big 8, SEC and SWC champs, respectively. However, the SEC, Big 8 and SWC champs
would be released to play in another bowl if it was necessary to force a
"title game." For example, if the Big 8 champion was ranked first and
the SEC champion was ranked second, the Orange Bowl would release the Big 8
champ to play in the Sugar Bowl, or the Sugar Bowl would release the SEC champ
to play in the Orange Bowl. The top “host” team played the top “at-large” team
in the host team’s affiliated bowl. Slots for the games were chosen by the
"Bowl Poll," in which the points from the AP and Coaches polls
were combined. If the top 2 teams were both “at-large”, then the Fiesta would
have hosted the "title game." The #3 team from the SEC hosted the
Gator Bowl. The American Football Coaches Assoc. agreed to rank the winner of
the Bowl Coalition's "title game" as the top team in the final
Coaches' Poll, thus guaranteeing the winner of the game at least a share of the
national championship. The Rose Bowl chose not to participate and the Big 10
and PAC 10 kept their tie with the Rose and therefore were not included in the
Bowl Coalition. In 1994 Nebraska
and Penn St both finished undefeated, but Nebraska
was selected #1 in both polls even though many thought it would once again be
split champion. In this author’s opinion it was a move by the voters to force
the Big 10 and PAC 10 into the system. The next step in an effort to
select a champion was “The Bowl Alliance.” An agreement among college bowls
for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship
bowl game and to provide quality bowl games match ups
for the champions of its member conferences. The agreement began in 1995, 1996 and 1997 seasons. The Bowl Alliance
involved the SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big East and Southwest Conference champions and
an at-large team (there were also special provisions for Notre Dame for the at
large spot). It included the Orange,
Sugar and Fiesta Bowls. The championship game rotated among all three bowls.
The top two teams in the combined polls played in the title game. With the
demise of the Southwest Conference and the Big 10, PAC 10 and Rose Bowl being
left out in the cold the Bowl Alliance was once again revamped and became the
Bowl Championship Series. This brought in the Rose Bowl along with the Big 10
and PAC 10 into the selection system. The title game would be rotated year to
year starting with the Fiesta then the Sugar, Orange
and finally the Rose Bowl. After a couple of years of somewhat smooth
operation, the BCS managed to get at least on undefeated team in the
championship game and very little argument that the two best teams played for
the title. Then all of a sudden big problems arose in the system when there
weren’t any undefeated teams and there were doubts that the two best were
playing for all the marbles. In fact it caused the another split title in 2003
when the coaches poll selected BCS title game winner LSU and the AP voters went
with the team most thought was the best team Southern Cal. In 2004 a 13-0
Auburn team out of the SEC was left out of the Title game along with non-BCS
conference teams Boise St
and Utah. Complaints
have also grown from the Non-BCS schools that they aren’t being given a fair
chance to play for the title. The BCS thus added another game to the mix that
would be played in the city of bowl game that would have been that years host
Bowl a week later and dubbed the Championship Game. The extra game opened up
two additional slots and gave the BCS a chance to throw a bone to the non-BCS
schools and chance to play in a BCS Bowl if they met specific criteria. As of
yet a non-BCS Conference team has not received serious consideration for the
title game. Now that I have laid out some history, this brings me to the main
point of the article. Has the BCS once again shown its short comings by giving
BCS conferences automatic bids, while a non-BCS team has to qualify? After all
the Big East has retained their automatic bid after defections of three upper
echelon teams to the ACC and they have the smallest number of teams (8) of from
the league in the BCS. This year WAC and Mountain West Conference teams have
had significant wins over PAC 10 and Big East teams and yet BYU, BoiseState, and Utah
have not received the respect of the voters that BCS teams have gotten, even
though they have played a schedule that is not any stronger or is lesser than
the non-BCS have played. Many say that it will sort itself out as the season
progresses, but we all know if a team starts out at the top, chances are even
with a loss a team will remain ranked higher than an undefeated team that
starts out near the bottom or outside of the top 25. If the NCAA isn’t going to
move to a playoff system in Division 1A, maybe it is time to put every team on
equal footing and not have the preconceived notion that some conferences are
automatically created better every year. After all, wasn’t the BCS’s
purpose to put the 10 (8 originally) best teams in the BCS bowls to stave off
fans who have been clamoring for a playoff system for years.
Captain Jack Flash
Hoke's SEC Progress Report: The Top QBs, RBs, and Defenses
Justin Hokanson takes a look at the top players and units in
the SEC in 2008. See who is the best quarterback and running back and who has
the best defense in the league after four weeks.
By Justin Hokanson (Senior Writer)
Editorial
September 22, 2008
A third of the way through the regular season, the SEC still looks like the
strongest league in America.
For the second week in a row, it will have the marquee game in the nation.
Last week LSU traveled to Auburn
and won a classic game on the road. This week, undefeated Alabama
travels to Athens
to take on the undefeated and national title contending Georgia Bulldogs.
Here's a progress report/ranking of the quarterbacks, running
backs, and defenses in the SEC as I see them after Week Four.
QUARTERBACKS
1. Matt Stafford,
Georgia
Stafford is off to a hot start leading the
Bulldogs offense. Stafford has yet to throw a
pick and is completing 61 percent of his passes.
2. Tim Tebow, Florida
Yes, I know, Tebow's numbers are way down from last year so far, but he's
still completing 60 percent of his passes. Like Stafford,
he hasn't thrown a pick this year.
3. Chris Smelley,
South Carolina
This is probably a bit of a surprise to some, but Smelley has been good
despite the Gamecocks losing their first two SEC games. He's completing a
league high 64 percent of his passes and has thrown six touchdowns.
4. Jarrett Lee, LSU
OK, I'm sure some people are wondering about this, but hear me out. Anyone
who watched Lee in the second half of the Auburn
game realizes how good this kid can be. In limited action this season, he ranks
as the league's third most efficient passer. If given the reins, he could have
a great season.
5. John Parker Wilson,
Alabama
Wilson isn't
racking up the big numbers that he has in the past, but he's done what he needs
to do so far. He's completing 60 percent of his passes and has only thrown one
interception to five touchdowns.
6. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss
Snead is coming off a horrible four-interception game against Vanderbilt,
but he's still a highly talented QB with ability to both run and throw. He's
third in the league in yards per game.
7. Chris Todd, Auburn
Todd has been given the reins as the starter, even though the fans are still
clamoring for backup Kodi Burns. Todd has been inconsistent so far,
but he's thrown for 250 yards in two of his three starts, and his 250-yard
performance and late TD throw against LSU almost won them the game.
8. Chris Nickson, Vanderbilt
Nickson has the Commodores at 4-0 and ranked for the first time since 1984.
Nickson's ability to run is his best asset, but I'm still looking for that
breakout game against a top-notch defense. He only managed 107 total yards
against South Carolina
earlier in the season.
9. Jonathan Crompton,
Tennessee
I expected more out of Crompton so far, as I'm sure most Vol fans did as
well. Crompton is only completing 56 percent of his passes, and has thrown four
picks to two touchdowns. Crompton has yet to make any big plays, something the
Vols desperately need this week at Auburn.
10. Casey Dick, Arkansas
Bobby Petrino is trying to develop Casey Dick into a better passer, but as
his three-interception performance against Alabama showed, there is still much work to
be done. Dick is leading the league in yards per game, but two cupcakes helped
pad the stats.
11. Mike Hartline,
Kentucky
Hartline hasn't thrown an interception yet this season, but he's only
throwing for 150 yards per game and has only thrown two touchdowns. The
competition is about to pick up, so we will get a better look at Hartline from
here on out.
12. Wesley Carroll,
Mississippi State
This was an easy choice. Carroll is passing for 130 yards per game and has
thrown six interceptions to three touchdowns this season. He's also completing
a league-low 54 percent of his passes to lead an anemic Bulldog passing game.
RUNNING BACKS
1. Knowshon Moreno,
Georgia
Moreno has
been great so far, rushing for nine touchdowns already through four games in
limited action. He will be tested this week against a good Alabama defense.
2. Charles Scott, LSU
Scott leads the league in rushing at 130 yards per game and has been a
bruiser for LSU. He brings the workhorse mentality that the other Tiger backs
don't have.
3. Glen Coffee, Alabama
Coffee has broken out of the crowded backfield at Alabama to be the clear No. 1 guy. He's
coming off a huge performance against Arkansas
that saw him go for 140 yards-plus and is currently averaging eight yards per
carry this season.
4. Ben Tate, Auburn
Even though the Tiger running game has struggled at times, Tate is still
averaging over 80 yards per game and has added two touchdowns. With Brad Lester
being banged up, his production could go up.
5. Arian Foster, Tennessee
Foster hasn't been what he was a year ago yet, but the whole Vol team has
struggled so far. The Vols need to get back to their strength, and that's
giving Foster the ball. He has yet to score a TD this season.
6. Mark Ingram, Alabama
The true freshman has been the backup to Coffee so far and has provided a
good 1-2 punch off the bench. Ingram is tied for second in the league with four
touchdowns so far in 2008.
7. Anthony Dixon,
Mississippi State
Dixon got banged up against Auburn but is still one of the toughest backs
to bring down in the league. With a team that has no passing game, Dixon is going to get a
ton of carries as the season goes on.
8. Jared Hawkins, Vanderbilt
Jared who? Hawkins has been a huge reason why the Commodores are 4-0 this
season. Vanderbilt has found a bit of a running game, and Hawkins is the reason
why. Averaging almost 80 yards per game and three touchdowns so far, the 'Dores
will rely on him heavily to keep this season going in the right direction.
9. Mike Davis, South Carolina
Davis is a
tough runner who is tough to bring down. With Spurrier's passing mindset, a
Gamecock back is sometimes a forgotten one, but Davis
has provided Carolina
with a solid runner in 2008.
10. Michael Smith,
Arkansas
Taking over for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones is one tough task, but Smith
has the ability to make some big plays. Smith is coming off a 91-yard
performance on 19 carries against a stingy Alabama defense and has the speed to
take one the distance at any time.
DEFENSES
1. Florida
The Gators have been stout so far, giving up six points and just over 200
total yards per game. I will say I predicted they would be much improved this
season, and it's looking like that so far.
2. LSU
The Bengal Tigers showed against Auburn why
they have the best defensive line in the country, allowing the Auburn backs no room to run. They rotate
eight guys through a defensive line that is as good as you will find
anywhere, Southern Cal included.
3. Alabama
The Tide have been a surprise group this season under Nick Saban stopping
the run and getting turnovers. They had two defensive touchdowns against Arkansas but will face their toughest test of the season
in Athens on Saturday against Georgia.
4. Auburn
Auburn was
playing like the best defense in the league through three-and-a-half games, but
then came the second half against LSU, where they gave up 23 points and looked
like a tired defense. They are still only giving up 10 points per game.
5. Georgia
The Bulldogs have been very good so far but are still giving up too many
yards through the air. They gave up 250 yards to both South
Carolina and ArizonaState but have been
stout against the run. They will now get their rush defense tested against
a bruising Alabama
run game this Saturday.
6. South Carolina
This defense looked like one of the best units in the league early in the
season, but then they gave up 24 points to Vanderbilt and couldn't get a big
stop when they needed to. They are coming a 13-point, no turnover performance
against Wofford as well.
7. Kentucky
The Wildcats have been strong on defense so far, giving up only six points
per game, but schedule strength has a lot to do with that. Still, the Cats have
some real talent and will get plenty of chances to show how good they can be.
8. Tennessee
The Vols defense hasn't been terrible this season, but against UCLA and Florida they just
couldn't get the big stops. They aren't playing up to their capability so far,
giving up 20 points per game, but they have the talent to turn it around.
9. MississippiState
The Bulldog defense looked good against Auburn but then followed that up with a
horrible performance, giving up 438 yards rushing against Georgia Tech
Saturday.
10. Vanderbilt
Even though the Commodores are 4-0, their defense is still giving up 364
yards per game, which is last in the league. They do have one of the better
secondaries in the league and showed it against Ole Miss, picking off Jevan
Snead four times.
11. Ole Miss
The Rebels had a lot of holes to fill coming into 2008, and they have
struggled to fill them so far. Ole Miss is giving up 22 points per game and is
at the bottom of the league in most areas.
12. Arkansas
Western Illinois scored 24 points, Louisiana Monroe scored 27 points, and Alabama just rushed for
over 300 yards against the Hogs. Enough said.
Alabama Offensive Line Getting the Job Done
Justin Hoakanson - Sr. Writer
The Alabama Crimson Tide are currently sitting at No. 2 in the
nation in the AP poll and No. 4 in the Coaches' Poll after a surprising
and dominating 5-0 start that includes wins over Clemson and Georgia.
The biggest reason for the Tide's resurgence is the play of the
offensive line, which is a force to be reckoned with right now. They
are paving the way for Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, and Roy Upchurch to
run wild and lead the run-oriented SEC in rushing.
They are churning out 215 yards per game on the ground, have
accounted for 13 touchdowns and an average of over 5 yards per carry.
The group is led by two seniors in center Antoine Caldwell and guard
Marlon Davis, and three juniors in guard Mike Johnson, tackle Drew
Davis, and future first-round draft pick tackle Andre Smith.
These five guys have brought a run-first, punish-the-opponent
mentality to the SEC, and in a day of spread offenses, this group is
much beloved by the Alabama fans and is bringing back the toughness
that has always been associated with Alabama football.
So with a group of guys that might be one of the best offensive
lines in Alabama history and could even lead this team to a national
title, it's only right for them to have a nickname.
So I thought of a few and you can decide if they work or not, but even the big guys deserve some credit.
1. "The Pallbearers"
Quite simply, they will bury you. Not to mention it's a play off the
recent Georgia game in which the Georgia fans wore all black at
home against Alabama, and the Strength and Conditioning coach at
Alabama said the Georgia fans were wearing black because they were
going to a funeral. Turned out he was right.
2. "Red Elephant Stampede"
The Crimson Tide's mascot is an elephant and with those crimson
helmets heading your way, the red elephant stampede is a deserving
nickname.
3. "Fearsome Fivesome"
This is a play off of the "Fearsome Foursome" nickname given to the
1960s Los Angeles Rams defensive line. This group of linemen is
definitely something to fear right now.
4. "Coffee Makers"
This group is the reason that tailback Glen Coffee is having a great
season and leading the No. 2 team in the nation in rushing. Yeah, it's
a little different, but I tried right?
5. "Capstone Crushers"
The home of the University of Alabama is Tuscaloosa. The city also
goes by the nickname, the Capstone. Hence, the Capstone Crushers.
6. "307 Boys"
You are probably wondering what that means. Well 307 is the average
weight of the massive offensive line that Alabama is running out there
these days. So the "307 Boys" seems like it fits, and also brings a bit
of the swagger to the line.
So if the Alabama team is going to continue its undefeated season,
the offensive line will be reason No. 1. And if this team could win a
national title down the road this season, there will be a much better,
and more appropriate nickname for this group: "National Champions."
