Who Is the Worst Coach in College Football This Year?

This is an easy enough concept to discuss. Some of the most heralded programs have folded up like cheap suits.

Huge sums of money have been exchanged among administrations and college football head coaches. Wins are down, and attendance is slumping. Who is responsible for this travesty?

Tommy Bowden of Clemson has made a case for his removal during almost each season he has been at Clemson. Mentally dominated by Nick Saban of Alabama in the opening blowout loss to Alabama, one has to say that Bowden is still not ready for the big stage.

Bowden's former assistant coach at Clemson, Rich Rodriguez, has presided over a disaster of epic proportions in Ann Arbor. His spread offense at West Virginia took him to bowl games, but in the Big Ten he looks like small potatoes.

Greg Robinson at Syracuse has demonstrated an almost "Bill Callahan-like gift" for turning longtime winners into losers. No need to discuss him further—he's outta there.

Ty Willingham has made his case for keeping him as headman at Washington by turning in the worst coaching performance of his career. Way to step up to the plate, Ty.

Al Groh has wandered about the college football world with the advantage of having great talent at Virginia. Why? I don't know. His performance this season has Wahoo followers questioning his leadership skills.

Mike Sherman seemed like a natural fit in College Station since he had worked under R.C. Slocum in the past. His Aggies' four-point home win over the Black Knights of the Hudson, after The Army was routed by New Hampshire, has Texas A&M fans scratching their heads.

Greg Schiano. Should he be here? Greg was proposed to be the new star of Eastern coaches, but his performance this year has Scarlet Knight fans wondering if their 15 minutes of fame are up.

Mike Price of Texas-El Paso is experiencing a crisis of confidence in his vaunted offensive schemes and makes one wonder if there have been one too many trips to Juarez.

Phil Fulmer of Tennessee has an outstanding career record. Since 2000 his judgment has been called into question regarding first personal matters and then coaching matters.

Although Fulmer has to answer for the hiring of Dave Clawson as offensive coordinator, is he more of a victim of being in a job with high expectations for too long?

Kirk Ferentz of Iowa seems to be giving Hawkeye fans reason to doubt him more and more this season. Is he the best they can get for that Big Ten job? What about Jim Grobe?

Some coaches haven't had a chance to prove anything yet.

UCLA? Give Rick Neuheisel another year to figure out what happened since the 1990s. Auburn? Come on, that's a failure of the offense, but Tommy Tuberville is a terrific coach.

Likewise, you'll hear no boos from me concerning Gene Chizik at Iowa State. Give the guy a chance to turn around one of the worst programs of all time. Howard Schnellenberger? That's laughable—he's just over-scheduled.

Well, there are others that belong—let us have that discussion on another day. Until then, who will stay, and who will go?