Bleacher Report - NCAA Football

Hesiman Candidates will...Remember, Remember the Fifth of December

Bryan Flynn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:54:32 -0500

The 2009 college football season started with three clear cut contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Those contenders were Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy.

In the first week of the season Sam Bradford was injured against BYU and his hopes to repeat as a Heisman winner were gone. To be fair, Tebow and McCoy have seen the door opened to other contenders by unrealistic expectations being placed on both quarterbacks.

Now, heading into the last week of the season during the conference championship games and the final regular season games, the contenders get to make one last statement. December fifth the Heisman hopefuls get to make their final case for the award.

The Heisman will be won on this final week before the bowl season starts. Let’s look at the contenders, and the game ahead of them that could win them the Heisman.

Two for Timmy:

Season Stats: 2,166 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 796 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns

Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators could be peaking at the right time. In the big season finally before the SEC Championship Game against Florida State, Tebow threw for 221 yards, three touchdowns, rushed for 90 yards and two more touchdowns.

Tebow could be helped more than other Heisman contenders in the SEC title game. His Gators play the undefeated and second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Tide has a top ten defense and has gotten a lot of help from the defense to remain undefeated. Tebow will get a chance to put up numbers against this defense. If he can put up big numbers against this defense, while securing a win, he will wrap up the Heisman.

Much like last year in the fourth quarter against the Tide, all eyes will be on Tebow, especially if the game is close.

The Heisman is supposed to be a seasonal award, but Tebow’s past accomplishments could give him an edge if voters cannot decide. He has broken nearly every school record, several SEC records, and is without question the best leader in college football today.

Tebow will get extra credit if he can lead the Gators to the national championship game and a chance to repeat for the first time in school history. The only negative could be that Tebow has won the award before and voters may not want to give him two.

The Real McCoy

Season Stats: 3,328 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 368 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns

Colt McCoy has to be the sentimental favorite for the Heisman. Of the big three quarterbacks, McCoy is the only one who has not won the award. Bradford and Tebow both have a Heisman and this fact could swing a few votes Colt's way.

McCoy could be helped by a big game in the Big-12 Championship against Nebraska. He will face a very tough Cornhuskers team.

Again, the stats for McCoy are not as good as past seasons, but he owns nearly every school record at Texas and several Big-12 records. He is also the winningest quarterback in college football history.

McCoy helped his case with a big game against in-state rival Texas A&M. Colt threw for 304 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards with one touchdown.

All Colt has to do is keep Texas heading to its first national championship game since Vince Young led the Longhorns to a title in 2005 season.

A loss against Nebraska would end Colt’s Heisman hopes.

The award might not be for career accomplishments, but it has happened in past seasons. The most recent example would be Ron Dayne and what he did for the Wisconsin Badgers. Dayne won the Heisman his senior year based on the body of work in his college career.

McCoy could fall into that category in a season where no one has stepped up to win the award. Still, that could also go against McCoy if voters look, specifically, at his senior season.

Ingram Might Not Be “Hip” Enough To Win

Season Stats: 1,429 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 246 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns

Mark Ingram was in the driver’s seat for the Heisman, until Alabama played Auburn. While McCoy and Tebow helped themselves against rivals, Ingram did not.

Ingram only rushed for only 38 yards and was on the bench while the Tide rallied to beat the Tigers in their final drive. Alabama head coach Nick Saban believed that Ingram had a bruised hip and it kept him off the field.

The Crimson Tide has one of the most storied histories in college football, but has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. Even with the bad game this fact could help Ingram win the award.

Gutting out a game against the top ranked Gators and a top ten defense would sway a lot of voters in favor of Ingram. He will have to go over the century mark rushing and the Tide will have to win the game for voters to give him their vote.

Ingram could have his Heisman hopes ended by a late season injury.

If he does not play or is ineffective, he will not leave the lasting mark on the voter’s and it will be unlikely that he will get the Heisman.

While Tebow has a lot to gain this week, by playing in the number one versus number two matchup in the SEC title game; Ingram has a lot to lose.

Making the Case for Keenum

Season Stats: 4,922 passing yards, 38 passing yards, 120 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns

Case Keenum is one of two quarterbacks from non-BCS conferences that are putting up video game numbers. Keenum, who plays for Houston, is in Conference USA and does not get a lot of national exposure because of that.

Keenum has had big games against teams from BCS conferences. In three out of conference games against Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, and Texas Tech, Keenum threw for 1,235 yards, 8 touchdowns, rushed for 56 yards, and two more scores.

Two things hurt Keenum's Heisman chances. Those two things are loses to Central Florida and UTEP. The two loses were not Keenum’s fault, but the fault of a bad defense which forces Keenum and the offense to have to keep scoring.

In the C-USA title game Keenum will get one more chance to impress voters. The 10-2 Cougars will play the 8-4 Pirates from East Carolina.

Keenum might have to put up unheard of numbers in a win to even have a shot at the Heisman.

One thing that does help him is that Houston has had a Heisman winner before.

The fact that he plays in a non-BCS conference with two loses will hurt Keenum’s chances.

His numbers, on the other hand, make it impossible to ignore his potential to win this award.

An Undefeated Boise State Could Give Moore More Votes

Season Stats: 3,053 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, nine rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Kellen Moore is the other quarterback putting up video game type numbers. Moore gets a lot of attention playing for an undefeated Boise State team.

Moore will get a final chance to state his case in the final regular season game against New Mexico State. He should have no problem putting up huge numbers against an Aggies team that is 3-9 on the season and giving up 30.8 points a game.

The Broncos and Moore will be playing for a chance to make a BCS game for the second time in school history.

Boise State might need to win big to impress the bowl representatives of the BCS bowls who will take at-large bids.

Moore faces a lot of the same problems that Keenum faces. He plays in a non-BCS conference and on the West coast. By playing in the WAC, which does not get much national television exposure in primetime, Moore's Heisman chances may falter.

Moore will also be helped if Oregon can win the Pac-10 and Boise can say the beat the Pac-10 champions. If he can be the only player from the West coast who plays on an undefeated team, the voters will have to give him a look.

Suh, a Defensive Player Could Win the Heisman

Season Stats: 70 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, one blocked kick

Ndamukong Suh could steal the Heisman in the Big-12 Championship Game. Suh will get a chance to stop a nearly unstoppable Texas offense.

Suh has been unblockable and unstoppable this season.

He faces constant double teams and is still is able to disrupt the opposing team’s offense.

More importantly he opens the door for his teammates to make plays because of all of the attention he gets.

The Cornhuskers have not forgotten about James Brown and Texas beating them and keeping them from winning a national championship. Suh and his Nebraska team will come out firing.

Suh will be a big part of the game plan if Nebraska has any chance of beating the Longhorns.

He will need to harass McCoy and force Colt into mistakes all day long to create an upset win.

The only thing that hurts Suh’s chances of winning the Heisman is the fact it is hard to quantify the impact of a defensive player on a season.

Anyone who has watched the Cornhuskers play would see that against Missouri and Oklahoma Suh dominated the game.

C.J. Scoring Talent Spiller’s over

Season Stats: 912 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, 440 receiving yards, four touchdowns, 210 punt return yards, one touchdown, 645 kickoff return yards, four touchdowns, 17 passing yards, one touchdown

Clemson’s C.J. Spiller can score on any play in which he touches the football. Spiller is the only true game breaker in the college game today.

Spiller has scored in the return game, rushing, receiving, and even throwing for a touchdown. He is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.

Clemson will play Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. Spiller was outstanding in the regular season match-up against the Yellow Jackets rushing for 87 yards and adding another 69 yards receiving with one touchdown.

Spiller did have a somewhat bad game against South Carolina with just 37 offensive yards, but he did have an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

The bad game against the Gamecocks and the fact the Tigers are a four loss team could cost Spiller the Heisman.

To be fair to Spiller, he has been nursing an ankle injury the later part of the season. A huge game rushing, receiving, and in the return game in an upset win would give Spiller a lot of attention for the award.

Still, Spiller will be a very long shot to win the Heisman. He will need all the other contenders to have very poor days since he hasn't gotten the hype other players have all season long.

Other Hopefuls

There are several other hopefuls for the Heisman. One of those hopefuls is Toby Gerhart who leads the nation in rushing yards.

The main problem for Gerhart is that Stanford's season is done after their win over Notre Dame. In that game Gerhart rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He also passed one time for 18 yards and a score.

The other problem for Gerhart is two subpar games against Wake Forest and Oregon State. Against the Demon Deacons he rushed for only 82 yards and no scores and against the Beavers he rushed for only 96 yards, but had two touchdowns.

Stanford not playing December fifth, and the fact that Notre Dame has a horrible defense that everyone put up huge days on could hurt Gerhart’s Heisman hopes. Especially if the other Heisman contenders listed above have huge days for teams playing for BCS bowl games and conference championships.

There are players who are on the Heisman radar who are playing before December fifth and could sneak up and steal the award.

Three of them will be on the same field playing for both a BCS game and a conference title.

The Oregon versus Oregon State game will be for the Pac-10 title and a berth in Rose Bowl. Jeremiah Masoli for the Ducks and the Rogers’ bothers for the Beavers have one last chance to make their Heisman case.

Masoli will be helped in his case if Oregon wins. He has passed for 1,865 yards with14 touchdowns through the air and 619 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Masoli will need a big game to make people forget about the egg he laid against Boise State. Plus the fact that he missed the game against UCLA and Oregon won without him.

James and Jacquizz Rodgers are the play makers for the Beavers. They both have had solid seasons for an Oregon State team that has three losses.

The Beavers have losses against USC and Cincinnati. James Rodgers has 865 yards receiving with 8 touchdowns, 260 rushing yards with one touchdown and 151 return yards.

Jacquizz Rodgers has 1,313 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns, 436 yards receiving with one touchdown, and 14 passing yards with one touchdown. All three players will be hurt by playing on Thursday and their efforts could be overshadowed by other contenders.

The only other player who might even have a chance at the Heisman is Noel Devine. The West Virginia running back could use a monster day against Rutgers to have a chance at the Heisman.

Devine has rushed for 1,232 yards with 11 touchdowns and has 149 receiving yards with one touchdown. Devine has kept West Virginia in games and provided a spark on offense when needed.

Still, Devine has been hampered with an ankle injury that has slowed down his amazing speed. A huge day by Devine could jump him in to the Heisman race.

In a year that no one seems to want to standout and win the Heisman, the last week of the season could determine who wins the award. The contenders will all have one final chance to impress voters.

That is except for Toby Gerhart who will have to hope that all the contenders playing this final week stumble. Gerhart will not have a chance to make a final statement to voters these other players will.

This could be the year all Heisman hopefuls tell the voters the same thing. Remember, Remember the fifth of December.

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Will Nick Saban Lead Alabama to the Promised Land at Long Last?

Larry Burton — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:32:59 -0500

About a year ago I wrote a saga for CBS Sports called Alabama's Return From the Desert Wilderness and Land of Mediocrity. You can see it by clicking here . I also posted a copy of it here on a site that became a home away from home for me.

CBS wanted a fan's take on what it felt like to be back in the hunt for a national title after so many years of so-so football and I took a very comical approach to the subject, including that artwork, because it was still a painful subject to talk about.

My years at Alabama were filled with nothing but SEC Championships and back to back national titles against Penn State and Arkansas. That was Alabama football. Since 1992 what I have been living though was hope and denial.

What a difference a year makes. Now instead of being in the exuberance of being back in the national hunt, it was once again an expected feeling. Alabama fans started this year expecting to be a contender, not wishing for it, and it was a very wonderful and familiar feeling to me.

Nick Saban not only brought the football team back to national prominence, but he restored the confidence to the fan base that they could expect to stay that way for years to come.

The combination of Mal Moore and Nick Saban have not just put a great team on the field, but a world class stadium to play in, and top flight facilities to work out, play and live in.

Despite tough economic times fund raising went well, ticket sales are at an all time high, and the eyes of the nation are now back upon the coach and team in Tuscaloosa. It feels like old times again to us old timers.

How all of this happened over such a short period that it's just downright shocking. Were we always just a coach away?

Having lived through the the years since Coach Bryant, I had become jaded that the next coach would be next great one. Stalling's certainly filled the bill but it was gone too soon.

Nick Saban had us less that one quarter of football away from a national championship contest last year and yet the naysayers said it was a flash in the pan, a fluke, yet here they are again, one game from a BCS Championship showdown, yet again.

And all of this took just one year of getting rid of the dead wood, moulding a team to the standards he knew would work, getting them to buy in to a term that seemed so mysterious two years ago known as "The Process" and whatever other magic Saban brought along with him.

Though we still have yet to have Saban part the sea and return us to the promised land, we are close close enough to smell the milk and honey and we all realize it's just a question of time.

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Why Leave The Civil War Up to Chance When You Can Jinx Oregon State?

Keith Becker uosportsdude.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:27:04 -0500

The biggest game of my life as a sports fan is Thursday. And as the clock creeps closer to kickoff with each minute ticking by, I am only getting more and more nervous.

Obviously, I can’t do anything to directly help Oregon increase of their chances of winning, so I will resort to doing what I what do best: using my sharp, snarky, witty (I could go on forever…) humor to jinx Oregon State into losing a game that will only make those blockhead students from Corvallis just that more ashamed to call themselves Beavers.

It’s the least I could do. Seriously.

Jacquizz Rodgers has never fumbled once in his 498 career carries.
Because of that, his extra year of experience, and exceptionally sturdy knee ligaments, Rodgers is obviously better than LaMichael James.
The fly sweep is the best play in college football, much better than Oregon’s pitiful spread option attack.
Oregon State is first in the Pac-10 in passing yards while the Ducks sit in last place. There is no doubt that Sean Canfield is a better quarterback than Jeremiah Masoli.
The Beavers have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the conference and tenth fewest in the country. It doesn’t matter that teams just decide it’s easier to throw the ball. Numbers don’t lie!!!
Crucial statistic: OSU has a better net punting average than the Ducks. Knowing that, why even bother playing the game? The Beavs have it locked up.
Jacquizz Rodgers has a 547.6 quarterback rating. Talk about Heisman!
If the Civil War was decided by picking two players from each team and adding up the points from their first name Scrabble-style on a per-letter ratio, the Beavers would win in a landslide. Jacquizz and Zeke? Are you kidding me? Can you even imagine how many points that would be on a triple word score?
Oregon State had more four-star recruits than Oregon in 2006. Talk about veteran leadership!
After last season, ESPN’s Ted Miller ranked Quizz as the fourth best player in the Pac-10. The Ducks didn’t get a single player in the top eight.
OSU cheerleaders are way hotter than Oregon cheerleaders, and look, they even took buddy pics ! How cute!
Oregon State has two more alumni than Oregon who have been in space. Look, they’re even smarter than us too!
In a state known for being green, Chip Kelly drives a Land Rover while Mark Riley drives a Prius. Everyone is always talking about how being environmentally friendly pays off in the long run. The environmental karma Gods are watching!
And lastly, the Beavers have a player with 12 fingers. Talk about an advantage; imagine what you can do with all those fingers! He could enjoy 12 ring pops at the same time! Delicious!

I sure hope the Gods of reverse jinxing are Oregon alums. Go Ducks!

Offensive Coordinator Rob Spence Out At Syracuse?

Ryan Maloney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0500

As you can see in the screen grab below, FootballScoop.com is reporting that the Syracuse University men's football program has two coaching vacancies to fill as of today. The site reports that Offensive Coordinator Rob Spence and Wide Receivers Coach Jamie Elizondo have been "let go."

Multiple Syracuse reporters and bloggers have already expressed their surprise at the announcement in the case of Spence. I must say I do not share their sentiment. The Orange offense ranked second-to-last in scoring and yards in the Big East this season. Sure, quarterback Greg Paulus set a single-season school record for completions, but he averaged just seven yards per attempt, which also ranked second-to-last in conference.

As for Elizondo, I don't think anyone will express any surprise at his dismissal. The receiver corps at SU had a season-long case of the dropsies that never seemed to be cured.

The University has yet to release a statement concerning any coaches to the football coaching staff.

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A Thought on the Return of Ralph Friedgen

Jarrett Carter — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:10:38 -0500

The questions are still making their way through Internet news wires and the blogosphere, but Ralph Friedgen is still the head football coach of the Maryland Terrapins and rightfully so .

But it just occurred to me that Maryland has more incentive for Friedgen to stay, independent of the $4 million dollars the State of Maryland would be on the hook for should he be fired.

What exactly is the expectation for Maryland football?

An ACC championship? Friedgen can coach with the best of them, but Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Boston College are clearly ahead of them as recruiting destinations.

National ranking? The Terps, without an annual upset of a Top-15 team, or 10 wins just won’t get the kind of respect from the pollsters.

It’s not a national championship, and so long as the SEC is the other side of the equation in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl, Terps fans can’t reasonably expect a win in that game.

This ain’t Charlie Weis and Notre Dame. You can’t expect a Top-10 ranking and a BCS berth every year out of a football program stationed smack in the middle of basketball country. Gary Williams, while hamstrung by the ghosts of Lefty Dreisell and Bob Wade in his recruiting, still makes out 10 times better than most basketball coaches in SEC country? Why? Because more kids, more parents, and more high school coaches care about football in those parts.

From New York to Arlington, Va., you are in basketball country. That’s why Gary catches the blues when he can’t win 12 in a row to start the season. Too much talent in the area not to do it.

But Friedgen is supposed to be different? Please. Let the Fridge go recruit and let’s all get cracking on our “What’s Wrong With Terrapins Basketball?” posts.

Technorati Tags: Maryland Terrapins , Ralph Friedgen.

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Notre Dame's Coaching Search: Avoiding the Availability Bias

Anthony Pilcher — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:30:03 -0500

Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis' failure was evident long ago. His lack of experience with the college game and as a head coach made him unable to anticipate future problems and incapable of implementing changes to correct them.

His list of shortcomings is long and condemning, but painfully reiterating what the on-field product clearly shows adds no value other than venting frustration at the most readily identifiable target.

He deserves better.

In 2005, Weis took a job no one wanted. Notre Dame had a reputation as a program that couldn't recruit. The Irish offense was a trainwreck. And the secondary was among the worst in the country.

During his tenure, Weis developed two Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks in Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen, and morphed the Irish offense into a modern, pro-style unit. While the production of his offense has been overstated both last year and this season, these accomplishments are far from trivial.

Perhaps more important was his work on the recruiting trail. Weis and his assistants were tireless in their efforts, scouring the country from coast to coast to find talented players like Clausen, Ethan Johnson, Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, Kyle Rudolph and Manti Te'o. The last of these Weis recruited on crutches with two knees that desperately needed surgery.

His teams have performed well in academics, there have been very few disciplinary issues off the field, and he was an excellent steward of the players. Stories like "Pass Right" will forever be inscribed in Irish football lore.

There is no questioning his effort, devotion or love for his alma mater, and that is ultimately what separates him from his previous two predecessors. Weis did everything he could, and for that his legacy deserves to be remembered better than that of Bob Davie or Tyrone Willingham.

But with a 6-6 record in year five of his tenure, his best simply isn’t good enough.

It's Time To Move On, But To Whom?

So who should athletic director Jack Swarbrick hire as the next coach at Notre Dame? First, let's examine the situation surrounding Weis' hiring.

It is human nature to focus on recent and negative data. Negatives are viewed as the cause of failure and the latest evidence and experiences often seem to be the most pertinent, especially when emotion is involved. This is known as the availability bias and the natural consequence is seeking a corrective action that compensates for these deficiencies.

In many ways, Weis’ hiring reflected this philosophy.

Much of Notre Dame Nation, myself included, didn't see this at the time. While I wasn't sold on Weis, I was impressed by his success in the NFL and partially won over by the “hard-working, intelligent, nasty” team promised at his introductory press conference. I was more impressed when he turned the once-dormant Irish offense into a scoring machine. And I was even more impressed when I read his book "No Excuses," and heard the things he said to the team upon his arrival at Notre Dame. Eventually, I moved from skeptic to believer.

I did this mostly because many of Weis' strengths were the weaknesses of Notre Dame’s previous two coaches.

Weis is brash, confident (almost to a fault), and direct. Willingham was timid, guarded, and lacked transparency (also almost to a fault). Davie seemed to always have a canned response. Davie and Willingham fielded offenses that lacked explosion and production. Weis' offenses set record after record. Neither Davie nor Willingham "got" Notre Dame and what it stood for. Weis not only “gets it,” he is an alumnus who embraces it. Willingham was lazy, Weis never stops working. Willingham couldn't recruit, Weis has hauled in several highly-ranked recruiting classes.

But does that mean that Willingham and Davie didn't do good things during their tenure in South Bend? Furthermore, does it mean that Weis is infallible? It was nearly impossible to foresee his failure at the time of his hiring, but the past three seasons have certainly proven it.

The lesson of Weis’ failure (and Davie’s and Willingham’s) is that Notre Dame needs a coach who does many things well, not one that excels in a few areas that have been lacking over the recent coaching regimes.

So this begs the question: who should be hired as the next head football coach at Notre Dame? There is no simple answer. Notre Dame is a unique place that has unique coaching challenges. What works for other programs doesn’t necessarily apply.

The Criteria For Success

The list below doesn’t answer this question with a specific name, but rather with a specific set of criteria. To ensure success, the following criteria (in no particular order) must be satisfied:

He must have head coaching experience. Notre Dame is not a place where you learn on the job. The margin for error is small, and even small mistakes are unforgiving. Prior head coaching experience is necessary to develop requisite leadership, organizational and time management skills.
He must have experience in a college football program with consistent success. Too often coaching hires are based on the performance of one or a few seasons. A coach must be proven through consistent success. Hot coaching names come and go (see Turner Gill), but consistent success in the past is the best indicator of succeeding in the future. It is preferable that this come as a head coach, but many assistant coaches have learned what it takes to succeed from their superiors.
He must have offensive or defensive coordinator experience. Part of being a head coach is allocating time and effort of the assistant coaches and players. A head coach must have a first-hand understanding of the effort level and time needed to prepare and implement a game plan in order to properly and effectively allocate resources.
He must be able to relate to younger players and adapt to their changing needs. One of the primary jobs of a head coach is having his team emotionally prepared for each game. To effectively motivate and lead, a head coach must connect with young adults and understand the challenges college students face. Additionally, a freshman is not the same as a senior. The head coach must adapt his approach as each player matures.
He must be able to recruit well. There is a litany of things that go into this-proven success, being able to relate to high school players, forming relationships with high school coaches, working tirelessly, and hiring a staff who can also recruit. At Notre Dame this also means casting a nationwide net. Academic standards make the number of potential recruits much smaller than at other schools. The only way to combat this problem is to delve into every available talent pool.
He must be able to recognize and hire assistant coaches who can develop and utilize the talent he recruits. Talent is synonymous with athleticism and proportional to potential. Players who excel at the high school level frequently do so by being more athletic than their peers. This is not sufficient at the college level when teaching fundamentals that maximize potential becomes far more important to success. Assistant coaches must be able to teach and instill fundamentals, as well as put players in positions that maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
He must be disciplined, well-organized, and consistent, and he must maintain a team with those same qualities. With few exceptions, players take on the attitude and persona of their coach. Discipline minimizes turnovers and penalties. Organization minimizes poor game and clock management. Consistency ensures continued success and sustains player development. The lack of consistency over the past few years has severely hampered the progress of many Irish players.
He must have goals that are aligned with Notre Dame’s athletic department and administration. This is more important at Notre Dame than perhaps any other program. The head coach at Notre Dame must “get it,” and embrace what the Notre Dame family represents. He must work well with the administration and maintain a vision for the program that is consistent with the aspirations of the University.
He needs to have a well-defined and complementary offensive and defensive philosophy. This doesn’t mean he has to be a play-caller on either side of the ball, but it does mean he needs to hire offensive and defensive coordinators/coaches who are capable of implementing schemes congruent with the philosophies of the head coach. Moreover, these schemes need to complement each other such that the strengths of the scheme on one side of the ball accentuate those on the other.

In Closing...

The next few weeks will be filled with speculation as hot names like Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly dot the headlines covering the Irish coaching search.

Some candidates may be disinclined to take the job. Many of the coaches that exhibit the criteria listed above are in established programs where success is more easily achieved. Taking a more difficult job like Notre Dame isn't necessarily appealing, even with the unparalleled praise that comes with leading the Irish back to the top. But these candidates are not the only ones that can succeed.

There are other coaches that possess most of the items above. To maximize the chance of success Swarbrick must find a candidate with as many as possible, and a well-defined plan to minimize risk in the others. Additionally, more emphasis must be applied to some of the criteria-e.g. head coaching experience and recruiting prowess-than to others.

Weis will leave the program in a better state than his predecessor. While they may not rival USC or Florida, the Irish boast plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. With better fundamentals and improved coaching, Notre Dame can certainly succeed at an elite level.

It is Swarbrick's task to find this coach and bring him to South Bend. His legacy will be defined by it.

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Rooting Through the Rubble: College Football Weekend Review

Kendall Salter — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:34:00 -0500

Stanford just about sealed Charlie Weis' fate with their stunning 45-38 comeback win over Notre Dame in Palo Alto.

What made the victory even more significant was yet another exemplary performance by Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart. The bulldozing star has crafted a stunning Heisman resume in the span of four games, vaulting himself from regional standout to national superstar.

If there is any justice in the collegiate football world, Gerhart or Colt McCoy will be lifting the bronze trophy in a couple weeks' time. One problem with the fan reaction on the Farm, however: your team just beat a 6-5 floundering Notre Dame team. Rushing the field looks—there's no other word for it—lame.

TCU & New Mexico

TCU nails down an undefeated season in a purely ceremonial pounding of hapless New Mexico. This may be the best non-BCS conference team in the past few years.

The Horned Frogs probably won't get a shot at the national championship, but with their offense and the traditional outstanding Gary Patterson-coached defense, they could give any of the top three a tough contest. It's a shame that they most likely won't get the chance.

South Carolina & Clemson

South Carolina and coach Steve Spurrier made a huge statement in a startling home win over streaking rival Clemson. The Gamecocks held C.J. Spiller to just 18 yards on the ground, though Spiller did return a kickoff for a touchdown to start the scoring.

Much maligned quarterback Stephen Garcia had a misleading game, throwing for three touchdowns, but doing so on 10 of 21 passing and a measly total of 126 yards in the air.

His arm was hardly needed, however, due to the efforts of running back Kenny Miles, who amassed 114 yards on the ground for his biggest offensive output of the season. I don't buy the arguments that this game promotes SEC supremacy, however, because the game was at home in an intense rivalry situation, where South Carolina was more likely to succeed anyway.

Georgia Tech & Georgia

Georgia Tech disappointed against rival Georgia, a surprising result given their play in recent weeks. The Yellow Jackets came into this home contest as perhaps the hottest team in the country and instead allowed the Bulldogs to turn the tables on them. In an ironic twist, it was the Bulldogs who ran rampant over Tech, compiling 339 rushing yards in a tense 30-24 win .

Virginia Tech

Al Groh is out at Virginia. Mediocrity pays a price, and the Cavs' poor display in a lifeless home loss to rival Virginia Tech surely didn't help.

Ryan Williams, who should soon be garnering some All-American consideration, was terrific once again. The fantastic freshman scored four touchdowns to lead a rejuvenated Hokie offense. If you ever needed a reason to watch a middling bowl game featuring Virginia Tech, he is it.

Oklahoma State

What on earth happened to Oklahoma State? Oklahoma and their defense redeemed itself after an embarrassing loss to Texas Tech by shutting out one of the Big XII's most prolific offenses.

Zac Robinson was dreadful, completing only nine passes in 21 attempts while the Cowboys' BCS hopes were dashed in Norman. It was an especially sweet win in a long and often miserable season for the Bradford-less Sooners, who now have something to build upon going into both its bowl game and next season.

UCLA

UCLA called a timeout inside a minute down 14 points and paid the price. It's hard to argue with Pete Carroll for his play call, going for the long bomb to pile on the cross-town Bruins.

The taunting that ensued from coach and team, however, and the subsequent posturing by both sides was disgraceful. There is a lot of emotion involved in any rivalry, especially when the schools are less than 15 miles apart, but that is not the way to display your program on a large scale.

The Bruin defense played very well. The final score is deceptive: USC scored one touchdown off a returned interception and another turnover was converted for a second score. However, it is clear that the powder blue and gold have a ways to go to claim significant progress in its efforts to close the talent gap in Los Angeles.

Arizona

Arizona finally put Arizona State out of its misery with a last-second 20-17 win in Tempe. One couldn't help but feel for normally outstanding wide receiver Kyle Williams, who moments after tying the game with a clutch touchdown catch, dropped a punt to give Arizona possession for its winning kick.

The Sun Devils will enter 2010 hoping to wipe clean the slate of two sub-par seasons, a rarity for this surprisingly consistent program.

Tim Tebow

No word on whether Tim Tebow has been sainted after a typically outstanding five touchdown performance in his home finale against Florida State. Even for those who dislike Tebow for all of the hype and hysteria surrounding the ubiquitous star, one must appreciate what he has done in transcending the college game, becoming undoubtedly one of the greatest college players ever in the process.

His presence at Florida will be missed, by fans, coaches, and naysayers alike. They'll face a tough test with Alabama in the SEC championship game, though to doubt Tebow's ability to pull out a victory would be a mistake.

This game is must-see TV.

Utah

Utah's spectacular comeback from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit went for nought. Max Hall threw a touchdown pass in overtime to win the Holy War and claim state supremacy once more.

These two have been building solid programs in the past decade—BYU building on the foundations of a traditionally powerful program while Utah constructs a powerhouse around offensive innovation. A good BYU and a good Utah are a huge plus for the Mountain West.

And, oh yeah. Max Hall really has it out for the University of Utah:

"I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything," Hall said. "It felt really good to send those guys home...I think the whole university and their fans and the organization is classless...They threw beer on my family and stuff last year and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don't respect them and they deserved to lose."

Now that's a rivalry. Hall will not be looked upon kindly by many for his harsh words, but at least he's not afraid to speak his mind.

Washington State

Washington State is completely hopeless. It's bad enough to lose 11 games for the second year in a row. But to be shut out against your rivals in the Apple Cup is perhaps the worst wound of all. Jake Locker continues to cement his status as a Husky star, having accounted for a passing and rushing touchdown to lead his team in a 30-0 rout.

Oddly enough, the win was the Huskies first over the Cougars in Seattle since 2003, and stopped a 2-game Cougar winning-streak in the series.

Missouri & Kansas

Finally, Missouri somehow, someway managed to come away with a stunning 41-39 win over bitter rival Kansas in the Border War. They had to come from behind to do so, sacking Todd Reesing for a crucial safety in the final minutes before driving down the field in the waning moments of the game for the winning field goal.

It was sweet revenge for the Tigers, who had their potential game-winning kick blocked a season ago in the same stadium. Meanwhile, the program built by Mark Mangino at Kansas over the past few years continues to crumble.

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Al Groh and Steve Kragthorpe Say Goodbye to Their Schools

Alex Ferguson — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:04:00 -0500

Virginia's Al Groh and Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe will be looking for jobs after being fired by their respective schools this weekend following poor seasons.

While we kind of wish Kragthorpe had been given a little more time—Louisville only recently lost Bobby Petrino—Al Groh, on the other hand...

Every season, Virginia had been talked about in the wrong terms—it was always about Groh's survival rather than the team being a potential ACC winner.

Groh lasted nine seasons and ended with a Hokie boot in his behind with a 42-13 home slaughtering at the hands of Virginia Tech.

He only beat the Hokies once in nine attempts. Nothing annoys the local alumni, the most powerful thing in college football (make no mistake about it), than getting your ass handed to you by your local rival. And Al Groh had it happen to him. A lot.

So goodbye, Al and Steve. And remember, Tyrod Taylor says goodbye, too.

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Alabama's Quarterback Greg McElroy Heating Up at The Right Time

Larry Burton — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:51:20 -0500

Before the season even started rumors that turned out to be fact came drifting from the Manning Passing Academy, a special summer camp for the elite quarterbacks to attend, that this "new kid" from Alabama was raising everyone's eyebrows and putting some of the big name quarterbacks to shame.

He burst onto the college football world with a big second half in the Virginia Tech game but still many doubted that this was a man that Saban could pin his hopes on for a national championship run.

Then came the Arkansas game where Bobby Petrino sold out to stop the run and force Alabama to beat them with this first year starter. The result was a 35-7 stomping that saw McElroy throw for 291 yards and three touchdowns.

And this was the same Arkansas team that almost beat Florida, the same team that held Tim Tebow to just one touchdown toss in a 23-20 Florida come from behind win.

Then came the "slump". McElroy's numbers did in fact go down, but Mark Ingram's rushing numbers went up as did his Heisman hype. Doubters began wondering about McElroy again.

McElroy quickly put that doubt to rest with impressive wins over LSU and great completion ratios in the ones that followed. And then came "The Drive". With the game on the line, McElroy once and for all should have quieted the last of the doubters with a 15 play drive that killed both the clock and Auburn's hope of an upset.

He went seven of nine and slowly and methodically moved the Tide to the end zone with a nice pass to Sr. Roy Upchurch. In that drive he was cool on third downs unflappable after being hit and unfazed while being rushed.

Bama fans have now come to see Greg as an upgrade from last year's Sr. quarterback, John Parker Wilson and a man that has yet to lose a game as a starter, or make costly mistakes that have almost cost his team a loss.

Florida's game plan to stop Alabama is simple. Stop the run first. Pressure McElroy and force this young quarterback make plays against the best defense he's seen all year.

That has already been tried and they didn't like the results.

This is a different Alabama team that Florida faced last year even though the majority of the faces remain the same. The biggest different is the quarterback in Crimson and his ability to win games, and unfortunately for Florida, he's getting hot again at just the right time.

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The SEC Championship Games: What Each Must Do and Not Do to Win

Larry Burton — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:38:23 -0500

For Florida:

The Must Do's

They must make the passing game work because the running game won't. Everybody thinks they have the team that can run against Alabama and yet nobody has, so the passing game must work.

They must let Tim Tebow be Tim Tebow. Don't force him into a game plan that he's not comfortable with, let him run the offense. After all, hasn't he proven he IS the offense?

They must cover Julio Jones with two men or lose. Julio Jones can turn an eight yard out into a 45-yard touchdown because he's hard to bring down one on one.

They must pressure Greg McElroy. He is virtually unsung outside of Alabama fandom, but, if given time, Greg McElroy can be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in all of college football.

Teams that sell out to stop the run have found this out for themselves.

The Must Not's

They must not let Javier Arenas beat them, and he's perfectly capable of doing so in a close game. Kick away from him and kick out of bounds or risk catastrophe.

They must not forget about Alabama's deep ball. Alabama's percentage of completing long balls of 40 yards or more is among the highest in the nation. Marquis Maze has world class speed and can get a step on any back Florida puts against him. Julio Jones makes doubling this threat a real nightmare.

They must not allow Alabama to get the running game going. This only sets up a passing game that is even deadlier when the play calling is balanced.

Lastly, they must not allow Alabama touchdowns in the red zone. This has been a struggle for Alabama all season and Florida should not allow them to find the cure this weekend.

For Alabama:

The Do's

They must be patient with the run. Florida wears down on defense and with Alabama's ability to keep pounding with fresh backs they must keep the defense honest and keep running.

Greg McElroy must bring his A game. He has already seen some of the best defenses in the country this year, now he sees the best not in Crimson uniforms. It helps he can practice against one just as good, but he needs to relax and look for second and third option receivers as Florida is sure to blanket Julio.

Alabama must designate on defensive player to Tim Tebow on every play that will follow him everywhere but the Florida sideline and bathroom. They must stop Tim Tebow from being a running back.

Alabama must score touchdowns in the red zone as this will be a close game and every point scored could be the difference.

The Must Not's

They must not give too many cracks to Jeffrey Demps, that's all he needs to bust one to the endzone. Doing this for four quarters will be as tough a task as Alabama has faced all year.

Alabama must not give up punt and kick returns to give Florida good starting field position. This team is dangerous enough when starting from the 20 and Alabama has shown a tendency to let the coverage teams dig them a hole.

They must not sell out in wholesale blitzes without leaving one man to contain Tim Tebow should he avoid the initial rush. Tebow kills teams more with his feet and third down conversions running than his passing.

Alabama must not let Florida jump out to an early lead while they start in their usual lethargic manner. Alabama can not count on wearing Florida down as they have other teams.

And as football fans there is one thing we must not do, we must not miss a minute of this game. It has all the makings of a great game.

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SEC Championship Game Preview: Alabama vs Florida, Strength vs. Strength

Larry Burton — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:09:42 -0500

This is not one of those games that has two teams facing off pitting one's strengths against another team's weakness. These two teams are too much alike. These are two gladiators that will swap punches for four quarters, mano a mano.

There will be no quarter given and no excuses offered. That is the way it should be in a championship game. Many sports fans feel this game is really for the national title though I'm sure a lot of Texans may disagree.

On both paper and reality this game matches up as a battle royal. The nation's top two defenses line up against solid but less spectacular offenses. These are two teams that usually win by finally exerting their will, conditioning and depth onto a weaker opponent.

There will not a knockout in this game, both teams will be standing at the end exhausted yet still willing to trade haymakers. It is and will be a game worthy of what a championship game is supposed to be about.

The few edges one team may have on another are all arguable but let's explore a few of them and attempt to sort out an outcome.

The following stats come from cfbstats.com and only reflect stats through 11-21-2009 as the last game's stats are not included.

Special Teams

In a tight race, I've heard many a good coach say it could come down to special teams and field position. Both teams are good in this area.

Kickoff return yards—about dead even.

Kickoff return yards allowed—five yard edge to Florida.

Punt return yards—16.5 yard advantage to Alabama.

Punting yardage—virtual tie.

Field goal percentage—Alabama wins 86 percent to 69 percent.

Special Teams Edge to Alabama

Offense

Scoring—Four point advantage to Florida, but in common opponents seven point advantage to Alabama.

Time of Possession—Virtual tie.

Total offense—Advantage Florida by 27 yards a game, but against common opponents, the reverse is true.

Third Down Conversion rate—Advantage Florida, 38 percent to 47.5 percent.

Rushing—Virtual tie.

Fumbles lost—Alabama 6, Florida 9. Advantage Alabama.

Passing—Virtual tie.

Interceptions—Tie.

Offense—Slight edge to Florida due to Mr. Third Down, Tim Tebow

Defense

Scoring allowed_Virtual tie, but in common opponents seven point lead for Alabama.

Total yardage allowed—Virtual tie.

Third down conversion rate allowed—Slight advantage Alabama by 2 percent.

Rushing Allowed—Advantage Alabama by about 200 yards over the season.

Passing Allowed—Advantage Florida by 200 yards over the season.

Turnovers created—Interceptions: Tie. Fumbles: Advantage Alabama by two.

Defense—Slight edge to Alabama due to statistics

Other factors that influence the outcome

As previously stated, common opponents mean a lot, especially when Florida has the reputation for running up the score and Alabama is content to just win. In those common opponent games, Alabama has fared better in almost every statistical category including most importantly, the score.

On offense and defense, Alabama rotates players in and out at a greater rate than Florida does. Alabama appears to be slightly deeper at key positions that Florida, and in a game when such heavyweight punches will be thrown, that can be a key issue.

The "TEBOW FACTOR" There's an old saying attributed to Coach Bryant that says, "I ain't nothin' but a winner." The Tim Tebow factor is just that. No player in recent years has been better in taking a team on his shoulders and simply exerting his own will to win better than Tim Tebow. He was the difference in the last game and could be this time too.

Play makers and the WOW factor. Each team has a couple of players that have that speed and those moves that leave others reaching for air. For Florida, Jeff Demps is just that kind of guy and for Alabama Javier Arenas is that guy who makes every coach hold his breath when they punt. Yes there are others on each team, but they pretty well balance out. Demps will certainly get more touches however.

Team trends for this year - Both teams have had some great wins and ugly wins this season. But overall for the year, Florida is down from last year's stats in almost every major category, while Alabama's stats are better than last year's team. Given the fact that last year's game was so close, with Alabama leading going into the fourth quarter, that could be a big trend indeed to favor the Tide.

Final Scenario and Outcome

Florida starts out fast and finishes slowly, Alabama starts out slowly and finishes strong. I can't help but think of the old tortoise and hare here.

I expect this to be a physical, bruising SEC type game that could turn on just one or two big plays.

It could come down to a field goal and Alabama would certainly have the advantage there with Lee Tiffin doing the kicking.

You could virtually flip a coin in this one and Las Vegas has yet to put out their pick. But given the special teams advantage, the fact that Alabama did better against common opponents and the overall trends of last season vs this season, Alabama would seem to have what it takes this year.

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