This last week, we lost my Father-In-Law, John (Jack) W. Conlon at age 75 unexpectedly to a massive heart attack. It's the phone call that you always fear getting at 4AM as my Wife and I got last Tuesday morning. He was never ill, had never been hospitalized in his adult life, and so his sudden passing was a massive shock to us all.
Jack was a beautiful human being. I always knew that my relationship with my Wife's parents was beyond different than most In-Law relationships. We were close from the beginning, and Jack was always a warm and accepting person. He was my Father-In-Law, my friend, and a mentor. His loss is irreplaceable.
There are few people like Jack in this world. He believed in people. We humorously nicknamed him the "freak magnet", because he always seemed to gravitate to people who most didn't understand. He believed in people that many didn't, and became a father figure to many. His connections made are too many to completely acknowledge here, but will be done when I deliver his eulogy on January 2, which is when we will lay him to rest.
Of course, with his passing, I have only started writing again five days later, and with a heavy heart. It occurred to me today that we as a society spend far too much time idolizing athletes and celebrities, many of which who hardly deserve such attention and public love. They don't make posters and cards for amazing people, people who truly have an impact, and have given much to this world before departing. It's a stupid fascination we have, and we learn it from the earliest of ages.
People like Jack never get their public due. He certainly deserved adoration from the masses, even if you had never met him. He owned companies that created jobs, created goods that had an impact on our every day lives, and he led by shining example of what it is to be a man in this world. For every Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, etc., we only had our Jack. Jack taught us every day as to what it was necessary to be a man, to lead a family, to lead others, to give hope, love, and encouragement.
Jack wasn't a football fan. Hell, he hardly watched sports at all but to humor me and my ridiculous obsessions, but he supported me in everything I did. He supported his entire family. For all of our eccentricities, for all our quirkiness, he supported every bit of it.
He stayed married to his amazing Wife Joan for 51 years. He showed us all what it is to be a Husband, a head of house hold, and he did it right. He fathered six children, one who passed away as a baby to a congenital heart defect. Through his loss, he loved even deeper.
Through all his successes and failures, he was the same man. He provided for his family, and he loved us all fiercely. We can only hope that he knew how fiercely we all loved him in return.
When you go home tonight, turn off your TV. Hug your Wife. Hug your children. Tell them how much you love them, and how proud you are of them. If you are a man with a family of your own, love them and teach them, lead them to a better tomorrow because you are in it. If you are a woman reading this, do the same. Show your family unconditional love and reach out to those who need your encouragement. All of you go and change a life tonight, and if nothing more, do it for Jack.
RIP Jack. We love you, and will eternally miss you.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
As the Carousel Turns: What We Know Now
The 2014-15 bowl season is now underway, and most of the coaching changes have been dealt with for the 2015 season. It has been a rather quiet Carousel season compared to years past. Many schools chose to extend their current coaches, locking them up to long term deals, and therefore making them unavailable to move around. They, however, may be the lucky coaches, those who were showed faith by the schools they worked for and represented. That is a rarity these days...just ask Bo Pelini.
Here is a breakdown as to what has transpired, and a look at what is still to come As the Carousel Turns...
Coaches Fired, and Hired
Buffalo
Out: Jeff Quinn
In: Lance Leipold, UW-Whitewater
Quinn could never get the Bulls on track, and after a loss to lowly Eastern Michigan, he was promptly showed the door. Quinn was always a bad fit at UB, and was never going to turn any corners. Enter Leipold, who won 107 games at the D3 school, against just six losses. Now we al have to remember that it is a huge jump from D3 to FBS football, even to the MAC, but Leipold is a proven winner and he is coming off of a national title win. He won't have to worry about competing for such things now, but just winning the MAC will be tough enough.
Grade: B+
Florida
Out: Will Muschamp
In: Jim McElwain, Colorado State
Muschamp was to Florida's excitement meter as Scrooge is to Santa. Talk about a wrong way hire when Muschamp was brought in to replace Urban Meyer. Muschamp was as hated by the fan base as he was by the media in Gainesville, and he had absolutely zero support left, and so he resigned to avoid the public firing squad that was certain to come.
Enter McElwain, who is a bit of an enigma. He has some SEC roots, having been an OC under Nick Saban at Alabama, but his real roots lay out west. McElwain built Colorado State from the ground up, so he does have credibility, but there is so much damage left behind from hurricane Will, how long would it take McElwain to rebuild, and can he do it? The right hire here would have been Dan Mullen, but there were petty personality conflicts that blocked that from happening. I like McElwain, but I am not sure I like him from Florida.
Grade: B
Houston
Out: Tony Levine
In: Tom Herman, Ohio State OC
Levine was also seemingly a bad fit when he was hired off of Kevin Sumlin's staff when Sumlin bolted for Texas A&M. He never brought the same buzz as Sumlin or Art Briles, and Houston seemed to slide behind during his tenure, and that's bad news when you open a new stadium in a terrible loss to UTSA. That was the beginning of the end for Levine.
Herman brings an acumen of knowing how to run a high power offense under Urban Meyer at Ohio State, so he has certainly had the learning experience. He has helped the Buckeyes into the playoffs despite often issues with his QBs and injuries. The way Herman's offenses were able to roll from QB to QB is a reminder of what Houston used to do back in the day. This is a nice fit.
Grade: A
Kansas
Out: Charlie Weis
In: David Beaty, Texas A&M WR Coach
I don't know what the hell is going on at Kansas, but checking out on Charlie Weis was a must. Weis has never been a good head coach, and quite frankly doesn't even seem to be a guy that anyone honestly likes. There was almost a jubilant feeling from Lawrence when Weis was shown the door early in the season. That was a smart move, and frankly, Kansas could have had any number of really solid candidates.
Beaty, a former Kansas assistant under such luminaries as Turner Gill, was hired after spending time as Texas A&M WR coach, and that hardly fits with the kinds of candidates I thought that Kansas was in line for. It's obvious that Kansas hired on the cheap, and that never works. Beaty is a solid assistant, of that there is no doubt, but after their run of futility, Kansas cannot take risks like this. Beaty has strong ties to Texas preps, but that hardly guarantees anything. This was a strange and senseless move.
Grade: D-
Nebraska
Out: Bo Pelini
In: Mile Riley, Oregon State
I can understand that Nebraska was done with Pelini. After all, all he managed to do was win nine games or more over the last seven years. Yeah, that was a putrid result...
Now let's get real. Nebraska administration and fans, listen the hell up. You people are fucking delusional! That means ALL OF YOU!!! This is not the 1970s, 80s, and 90s anymore. Welcome to the 21st century. You cannot expect to just roll up on anyplace you go and expect to destroy everything before you. Nobody can. Wake up, get with the times, and stop living off of memories of Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne and realize that what Pelini did before this debacle was more than acceptable. As a matter of fact, it was quite impressive. You are not a member of the Big 2 and Little 6 anymore, nobody is rolling over for you on sight these days.
Bring on Riley, who may be one of the only people that really wanted this job after what was done to Pelini. Trust me, that event was like repellent for good coaches who want support. All Riley did was whine about facilities, and lack of support, and lack of this, and lack of that at Oregon State. Funny how Oregon State kicked in a ton of cash to improve everything the moment that Riley agreed to leave for Nebraska.
Riley was one of our hot seat candidates for 2015 before leaving, so basically Nebraska ends up with someone else's unwanted part. It's also not like Riley is a hot rising star, or is even young. At 61, how long will he stay, or have the energy to run a top tier program like this?
Grade: D
Oregon State
Out: Mike Riley
In: Gary Anderson, Wisconsin
Riley had played out what he could do in Corvallis. He had a nice run, but recent results had shown that he was indeed growing stale. He had made my 2015 Hot Seat watch, and was not winning, and had fallen so far behind Oregon in the football world that they wouldn't be catching them anytime soon.
With Riley's departure to Nebraska, nobody cried any tears. Oregon State fans certainly received a gift when Riley departed, and the Beavers ended up with a great upgrade in Wisconsin coach Gary Anderson. Anderson brings a new brand of fire and energy, and will be uplifted to get out from under an overbearing dictator in Barry Alvarez.
Nobody will be stealing Anderson's credit or Thunder at OSU, and he can win there. Add to the fact that the minute Anderson was hired, a huge stash of cash was freed up for upgraded facilities.
All around, Oregon State wins big here.
Grade: A
SMU
Out: June Jones
In: Chad Morris
SMU made a huge splash in the basketball program by hiring Larry Brown, a move that has more than worked out. Now, they made a huge splash in the football department by hiring the most highly sought after coordinator in college football. Morris was the architect of some very nice offenses at Clemson in recent seasons, and was sought after for just about every opening. Was SMU the best gig he could have landed? No. Not even close. Is it the worst? Absolutely not.
June Jones had won solidly at SMU, but had just lost his way the last couple of seasons. A change was needed, and Jones saw it himself, so bowed out early. That was smart and classy.
Morris has a deep history of ties to Texas preps, and again, that guarantees nothing, but Morris was a better hire at SMU than Beaty was at Kansas. Morris is a gem waiting to shine in the ranks, and SMU should not be expected to linger at the bottom of the AAC for long.
Grade: A
Troy
Out: Larry Blakeney
In: Neal Brown, Kentucky OC
Brown isn't Morris, but he has been a rising star as an assistant and is certainly young at 34 years of age.
Nobody will beat up on Blakeney for what has happened at Troy in recent years. He is a legend at Troy, and will be given such treatment forever there. However, the ship was sinking, and it was time for him to go. He had the grace enough to know it. Again, this was a classy and well handled move by all involved.
Neal Brown will re-fire an offense that has always been a strong center of Troy football, and will re-fire a fan base that is hungry to re-establish their place in the hierarchy of the Sun Belt ranks. Brown has to prove himself. That's going to come. Right now, his only job is to give Troy hope that everything is going to turn around and do so soon.
Grade: B+
Tulsa
Out: Bill Blankenship
In: Phillip Montgomery, Baylor OC
The Blankenship era was an abject disaster. Someone at Tulsa got very excited to promote Blankenship, a former high school coaching legend who had never been a head coach in college, when Todd Graham bolted for Pitt. That was a mistake.
Blankenship sunk like a stone when he had to coach on his own volition with his own kids once Graham's influence faded. He was just overmatched. Not necessarily his fault, but it wasn't working.
Tulsa is a good job despite what has been going on, and they had no shortage of candidates that were up and coming coordinators.
What Tulsa did manage to do was a nice strategic strike. Phillip Montgomery has orchestrated the fire work loaded Baylor offense under Art Briles, and we have all seen what has been going on there. One thing that Tulsa can bank on, it's that the offense is about to explode. If Montgomery can hire a decent defensive staff, Tulsa could be a program on the rise, and soon.
Grade: A
UNLV
Out: Bobby Hauck
In Tony Sanchez, Bishop Gorman High School
Hauck left with the stain of being yet another promising hire that went south in a huge way. Hauck won only two games in four of his five seasons, and just never seemed to figure out a way to get UNLV on the map, despite bowling last season. UNLV is a program that is absolutely in despair, and so UNLV went to make a move based on finances rather than on college football acumen.
Tony Sanchez was hired as a high school coach who brings major financial backing from the Fertitta family, who owns a huge piece of UFC and the Station Casino chain. That money alone could buy UNLV out of athletic deficit purgatory, but if Sanchez cannot make the transition to major college coaching, it won't matter much. Remember that UNLV took Sanchez over Jim Fassel, June Jones, and Houston Nutt, all guys who have won big on this same level. I hope they know what they are doing.
Grade: C-
Wisconsin
Out: Gary Anderson
In: Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh
It was not known largely well until now as to how much of an overbearing jackass dictator AD and former coach Barry Alvarez is. Alvarez has largely been taking credit for the successes of not only Anderson, but also former coach Bret Bielema who bolted what seemed like a relatively stable gig at UW for a train wreck at Arkansas. Now it all makes sense.
So, how does a megalomaniacal dictator replace another coaching escapee from his prison? He goes out and finds a former coordinator that he placed like a puppet in another program, and brings him home with the full knowledge that Chryst will always kiss Barry's ass with sincerity and passion. Chryst is likely the kind of guy who won't even have a problem allowing Barry to steal all of his glory in some kind of morbid Daddy obsession with Alvarez. When Barry called and said jump, Chryst screwed Pitt over faster than one could inexplicably accept.
Wisconsin fans...what you get in Chryst is a downgrade below both what Anderson and Bielema provided. Chryst has not won at Pitt, and was yet another target for our 2015 Hot Seat. All you got is a puppet supreme for Barry's ego to play with. Enjoy!
Grade: D
FCS
Alabama State
Out: Reggie Barlow
In: Brian Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman
The board chased Barlow and his AD out the door for what amounts to no good reason, but then again, it seems to me that this is the way the SWAC seems to work...without direction or order. Why Jenkins, a succeasful and winning coach at Bethune-Cookman, would bail on a great job and stability for this wreck is beyond me, but ASU gets very lucky with this hire.
Grade: A
Missouri State
Out: Terry Allen
In: Dave Steckel, Missouri DC
Allen never was able to get the Bears rolling, despite his experience coaching the FBS ranks. Steckel had some serious successes at Mizzou, and should bring a new energy to MSU that should get the Bears headed in the right direction. The new staff is strong, so this should go down as a good get.
Grade: A
Montana
Out: Mick Delaney
In: Bob Stitt, Colorado Mines
With Delaney's retirement, Montana had two choices to make, neither one bad. Stitt won out over former Montana championship coach Bobby Hauck, and there was no wrong direction there. Everything falls Montana's way in the football world.
Stitt has long been a candidate at several larger openings, and brings a high energy passing game to the Grizzly attack. This was a home run.
Grade: A
Murray State
Out: Chris Hatcher
In: Mitch Stewart, Murray State OC
Chris Hatcher leaving for Samford makes little sense, but he has always had a bit of a wandering, mercenary spirit.
Murray State went in the right direction by retaining Stewart, who has had some decent offenses in recent seasons. Stewart brings back Casey Brockman, a legendary Racer QB, to coach QBs, another smart move.
Grade: B+
Nicholls State
Out: Charlie Stubbs
In: Tim Rebowe, UL-Lafayette
Stubbs retired due to health concerns, and Steve Axman came over from retirement to fill in for the rest of the season. It didn't go well.
Rebowe comes over from ULL to try to fire up a program that has been a wreck for a very long time. He certainly has local connections, but he has never been a coordinator, so this could take some time. It's not a great job, so I am sure they did the best they could.
Grade: B-
Norfolk State
Out: Pete Adrian
In: Latrell Scott: Virginia Union
Scott had some success at VUU, but this is more of a retread of the same kind of hire that MEAC schools go for. They stay within the ranks of the HBCU, so the locals are happy, but it wasn't an inspirational hire that I can see taking NSU to the top of the MEAC in short order. Good hire, but not great.
Grade: C+
Penn
Out: Al Bagnoli
In: Ray Priore
Penn has been sinking like a rock, and Priore is largely believed to be the guy to get it right again. Penn was an absolute mess this season, and Priore had already been in line to take over. He has to prove he has the mettle now.
Grade: C
Portland State
Out: Nigel Burton
In: Bruce Barnum
Barnum was already on the staff, and was named interim coach all the way through the end of 2015 due to a prolonged AD search. Hell, at that point, you should have just held on to Burton for one more season.
Grade: D
Prairie View A&M
Out: Heishma Northern
In: Willie Simmons
Simmons was in line for the Florida A&M job, and is a solid grab for the Panthers. However, Northern wasn't a bad guy to have in the job either. This is just a trade of like coaches.
Grade: C
Samford
Out: Pat Sullivan
In: Chris Hatcher, Murray State
Sullivan left for health reasons. This is a good job and attracted a solid candidate in Hatcher. Hatcher, however, never stays anywhere for long. So there's that. Still, Hatcher should lift the profile of the program.
Grade: B+
VMI
Out: Sparky Woods
In; Scott Wachenheim, Virginia OL
The leading candidate was largely believed to be Chattanooga OC Jeff Durden. VMI zigged when it was supposed to zag, and went with Wachenheim instead, despite Durden's experience at VMI. Wachenheim brings solid experience from within the state, but this program needs a strong leader, and Wachenheim has no experience there.
Grade: D
Wagner
Out: Walt Hameline
In: Jason Houghtaling
Houghtaling has plenty of experience with this staff, and should slide right over to take over for Hameline. This is a decent, if small job, so Wagner was limited as far as candidates. Good hire.
Grade: B+
Youngstown State
Out: Eric Wolford
In: Bo Pelini
Wolford could not keep up the winning tradition at YSU, and never got the Penguins to the playoffs. YSU made the home run hire of the year by grabbing Bo Pelini, who was never respected at Nebraska. Pelini brings a drive and a chip on his shoulder, a dangerous combo for opponents. North Dakota State's grip on the Missouri Valley Conference just got tenuous.
Grade: A+
Jobs Still Open
Bethune-Cookman
Columbia
Colorado State
Delaware State
Michigan
Pittsburgh
Here is a breakdown as to what has transpired, and a look at what is still to come As the Carousel Turns...
Coaches Fired, and Hired
Buffalo
Out: Jeff Quinn
In: Lance Leipold, UW-Whitewater
Quinn could never get the Bulls on track, and after a loss to lowly Eastern Michigan, he was promptly showed the door. Quinn was always a bad fit at UB, and was never going to turn any corners. Enter Leipold, who won 107 games at the D3 school, against just six losses. Now we al have to remember that it is a huge jump from D3 to FBS football, even to the MAC, but Leipold is a proven winner and he is coming off of a national title win. He won't have to worry about competing for such things now, but just winning the MAC will be tough enough.
Grade: B+
Florida
Out: Will Muschamp
In: Jim McElwain, Colorado State
Muschamp was to Florida's excitement meter as Scrooge is to Santa. Talk about a wrong way hire when Muschamp was brought in to replace Urban Meyer. Muschamp was as hated by the fan base as he was by the media in Gainesville, and he had absolutely zero support left, and so he resigned to avoid the public firing squad that was certain to come.
Enter McElwain, who is a bit of an enigma. He has some SEC roots, having been an OC under Nick Saban at Alabama, but his real roots lay out west. McElwain built Colorado State from the ground up, so he does have credibility, but there is so much damage left behind from hurricane Will, how long would it take McElwain to rebuild, and can he do it? The right hire here would have been Dan Mullen, but there were petty personality conflicts that blocked that from happening. I like McElwain, but I am not sure I like him from Florida.
Grade: B
Houston
Out: Tony Levine
In: Tom Herman, Ohio State OC
Levine was also seemingly a bad fit when he was hired off of Kevin Sumlin's staff when Sumlin bolted for Texas A&M. He never brought the same buzz as Sumlin or Art Briles, and Houston seemed to slide behind during his tenure, and that's bad news when you open a new stadium in a terrible loss to UTSA. That was the beginning of the end for Levine.
Herman brings an acumen of knowing how to run a high power offense under Urban Meyer at Ohio State, so he has certainly had the learning experience. He has helped the Buckeyes into the playoffs despite often issues with his QBs and injuries. The way Herman's offenses were able to roll from QB to QB is a reminder of what Houston used to do back in the day. This is a nice fit.
Grade: A
Kansas
Out: Charlie Weis
In: David Beaty, Texas A&M WR Coach
I don't know what the hell is going on at Kansas, but checking out on Charlie Weis was a must. Weis has never been a good head coach, and quite frankly doesn't even seem to be a guy that anyone honestly likes. There was almost a jubilant feeling from Lawrence when Weis was shown the door early in the season. That was a smart move, and frankly, Kansas could have had any number of really solid candidates.
Beaty, a former Kansas assistant under such luminaries as Turner Gill, was hired after spending time as Texas A&M WR coach, and that hardly fits with the kinds of candidates I thought that Kansas was in line for. It's obvious that Kansas hired on the cheap, and that never works. Beaty is a solid assistant, of that there is no doubt, but after their run of futility, Kansas cannot take risks like this. Beaty has strong ties to Texas preps, but that hardly guarantees anything. This was a strange and senseless move.
Grade: D-
Nebraska
Out: Bo Pelini
In: Mile Riley, Oregon State
I can understand that Nebraska was done with Pelini. After all, all he managed to do was win nine games or more over the last seven years. Yeah, that was a putrid result...
Now let's get real. Nebraska administration and fans, listen the hell up. You people are fucking delusional! That means ALL OF YOU!!! This is not the 1970s, 80s, and 90s anymore. Welcome to the 21st century. You cannot expect to just roll up on anyplace you go and expect to destroy everything before you. Nobody can. Wake up, get with the times, and stop living off of memories of Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne and realize that what Pelini did before this debacle was more than acceptable. As a matter of fact, it was quite impressive. You are not a member of the Big 2 and Little 6 anymore, nobody is rolling over for you on sight these days.
Bring on Riley, who may be one of the only people that really wanted this job after what was done to Pelini. Trust me, that event was like repellent for good coaches who want support. All Riley did was whine about facilities, and lack of support, and lack of this, and lack of that at Oregon State. Funny how Oregon State kicked in a ton of cash to improve everything the moment that Riley agreed to leave for Nebraska.
Riley was one of our hot seat candidates for 2015 before leaving, so basically Nebraska ends up with someone else's unwanted part. It's also not like Riley is a hot rising star, or is even young. At 61, how long will he stay, or have the energy to run a top tier program like this?
Grade: D
Oregon State
Out: Mike Riley
In: Gary Anderson, Wisconsin
Riley had played out what he could do in Corvallis. He had a nice run, but recent results had shown that he was indeed growing stale. He had made my 2015 Hot Seat watch, and was not winning, and had fallen so far behind Oregon in the football world that they wouldn't be catching them anytime soon.
With Riley's departure to Nebraska, nobody cried any tears. Oregon State fans certainly received a gift when Riley departed, and the Beavers ended up with a great upgrade in Wisconsin coach Gary Anderson. Anderson brings a new brand of fire and energy, and will be uplifted to get out from under an overbearing dictator in Barry Alvarez.
Nobody will be stealing Anderson's credit or Thunder at OSU, and he can win there. Add to the fact that the minute Anderson was hired, a huge stash of cash was freed up for upgraded facilities.
All around, Oregon State wins big here.
Grade: A
SMU
Out: June Jones
In: Chad Morris
SMU made a huge splash in the basketball program by hiring Larry Brown, a move that has more than worked out. Now, they made a huge splash in the football department by hiring the most highly sought after coordinator in college football. Morris was the architect of some very nice offenses at Clemson in recent seasons, and was sought after for just about every opening. Was SMU the best gig he could have landed? No. Not even close. Is it the worst? Absolutely not.
June Jones had won solidly at SMU, but had just lost his way the last couple of seasons. A change was needed, and Jones saw it himself, so bowed out early. That was smart and classy.
Morris has a deep history of ties to Texas preps, and again, that guarantees nothing, but Morris was a better hire at SMU than Beaty was at Kansas. Morris is a gem waiting to shine in the ranks, and SMU should not be expected to linger at the bottom of the AAC for long.
Grade: A
Troy
Out: Larry Blakeney
In: Neal Brown, Kentucky OC
Brown isn't Morris, but he has been a rising star as an assistant and is certainly young at 34 years of age.
Nobody will beat up on Blakeney for what has happened at Troy in recent years. He is a legend at Troy, and will be given such treatment forever there. However, the ship was sinking, and it was time for him to go. He had the grace enough to know it. Again, this was a classy and well handled move by all involved.
Neal Brown will re-fire an offense that has always been a strong center of Troy football, and will re-fire a fan base that is hungry to re-establish their place in the hierarchy of the Sun Belt ranks. Brown has to prove himself. That's going to come. Right now, his only job is to give Troy hope that everything is going to turn around and do so soon.
Grade: B+
Tulsa
Out: Bill Blankenship
In: Phillip Montgomery, Baylor OC
The Blankenship era was an abject disaster. Someone at Tulsa got very excited to promote Blankenship, a former high school coaching legend who had never been a head coach in college, when Todd Graham bolted for Pitt. That was a mistake.
Blankenship sunk like a stone when he had to coach on his own volition with his own kids once Graham's influence faded. He was just overmatched. Not necessarily his fault, but it wasn't working.
Tulsa is a good job despite what has been going on, and they had no shortage of candidates that were up and coming coordinators.
What Tulsa did manage to do was a nice strategic strike. Phillip Montgomery has orchestrated the fire work loaded Baylor offense under Art Briles, and we have all seen what has been going on there. One thing that Tulsa can bank on, it's that the offense is about to explode. If Montgomery can hire a decent defensive staff, Tulsa could be a program on the rise, and soon.
Grade: A
UNLV
Out: Bobby Hauck
In Tony Sanchez, Bishop Gorman High School
Hauck left with the stain of being yet another promising hire that went south in a huge way. Hauck won only two games in four of his five seasons, and just never seemed to figure out a way to get UNLV on the map, despite bowling last season. UNLV is a program that is absolutely in despair, and so UNLV went to make a move based on finances rather than on college football acumen.
Tony Sanchez was hired as a high school coach who brings major financial backing from the Fertitta family, who owns a huge piece of UFC and the Station Casino chain. That money alone could buy UNLV out of athletic deficit purgatory, but if Sanchez cannot make the transition to major college coaching, it won't matter much. Remember that UNLV took Sanchez over Jim Fassel, June Jones, and Houston Nutt, all guys who have won big on this same level. I hope they know what they are doing.
Grade: C-
Wisconsin
Out: Gary Anderson
In: Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh
It was not known largely well until now as to how much of an overbearing jackass dictator AD and former coach Barry Alvarez is. Alvarez has largely been taking credit for the successes of not only Anderson, but also former coach Bret Bielema who bolted what seemed like a relatively stable gig at UW for a train wreck at Arkansas. Now it all makes sense.
So, how does a megalomaniacal dictator replace another coaching escapee from his prison? He goes out and finds a former coordinator that he placed like a puppet in another program, and brings him home with the full knowledge that Chryst will always kiss Barry's ass with sincerity and passion. Chryst is likely the kind of guy who won't even have a problem allowing Barry to steal all of his glory in some kind of morbid Daddy obsession with Alvarez. When Barry called and said jump, Chryst screwed Pitt over faster than one could inexplicably accept.
Wisconsin fans...what you get in Chryst is a downgrade below both what Anderson and Bielema provided. Chryst has not won at Pitt, and was yet another target for our 2015 Hot Seat. All you got is a puppet supreme for Barry's ego to play with. Enjoy!
Grade: D
FCS
Alabama State
Out: Reggie Barlow
In: Brian Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman
The board chased Barlow and his AD out the door for what amounts to no good reason, but then again, it seems to me that this is the way the SWAC seems to work...without direction or order. Why Jenkins, a succeasful and winning coach at Bethune-Cookman, would bail on a great job and stability for this wreck is beyond me, but ASU gets very lucky with this hire.
Grade: A
Missouri State
Out: Terry Allen
In: Dave Steckel, Missouri DC
Allen never was able to get the Bears rolling, despite his experience coaching the FBS ranks. Steckel had some serious successes at Mizzou, and should bring a new energy to MSU that should get the Bears headed in the right direction. The new staff is strong, so this should go down as a good get.
Grade: A
Montana
Out: Mick Delaney
In: Bob Stitt, Colorado Mines
With Delaney's retirement, Montana had two choices to make, neither one bad. Stitt won out over former Montana championship coach Bobby Hauck, and there was no wrong direction there. Everything falls Montana's way in the football world.
Stitt has long been a candidate at several larger openings, and brings a high energy passing game to the Grizzly attack. This was a home run.
Grade: A
Murray State
Out: Chris Hatcher
In: Mitch Stewart, Murray State OC
Chris Hatcher leaving for Samford makes little sense, but he has always had a bit of a wandering, mercenary spirit.
Murray State went in the right direction by retaining Stewart, who has had some decent offenses in recent seasons. Stewart brings back Casey Brockman, a legendary Racer QB, to coach QBs, another smart move.
Grade: B+
Nicholls State
Out: Charlie Stubbs
In: Tim Rebowe, UL-Lafayette
Stubbs retired due to health concerns, and Steve Axman came over from retirement to fill in for the rest of the season. It didn't go well.
Rebowe comes over from ULL to try to fire up a program that has been a wreck for a very long time. He certainly has local connections, but he has never been a coordinator, so this could take some time. It's not a great job, so I am sure they did the best they could.
Grade: B-
Norfolk State
Out: Pete Adrian
In: Latrell Scott: Virginia Union
Scott had some success at VUU, but this is more of a retread of the same kind of hire that MEAC schools go for. They stay within the ranks of the HBCU, so the locals are happy, but it wasn't an inspirational hire that I can see taking NSU to the top of the MEAC in short order. Good hire, but not great.
Grade: C+
Penn
Out: Al Bagnoli
In: Ray Priore
Penn has been sinking like a rock, and Priore is largely believed to be the guy to get it right again. Penn was an absolute mess this season, and Priore had already been in line to take over. He has to prove he has the mettle now.
Grade: C
Portland State
Out: Nigel Burton
In: Bruce Barnum
Barnum was already on the staff, and was named interim coach all the way through the end of 2015 due to a prolonged AD search. Hell, at that point, you should have just held on to Burton for one more season.
Grade: D
Prairie View A&M
Out: Heishma Northern
In: Willie Simmons
Simmons was in line for the Florida A&M job, and is a solid grab for the Panthers. However, Northern wasn't a bad guy to have in the job either. This is just a trade of like coaches.
Grade: C
Samford
Out: Pat Sullivan
In: Chris Hatcher, Murray State
Sullivan left for health reasons. This is a good job and attracted a solid candidate in Hatcher. Hatcher, however, never stays anywhere for long. So there's that. Still, Hatcher should lift the profile of the program.
Grade: B+
VMI
Out: Sparky Woods
In; Scott Wachenheim, Virginia OL
The leading candidate was largely believed to be Chattanooga OC Jeff Durden. VMI zigged when it was supposed to zag, and went with Wachenheim instead, despite Durden's experience at VMI. Wachenheim brings solid experience from within the state, but this program needs a strong leader, and Wachenheim has no experience there.
Grade: D
Wagner
Out: Walt Hameline
In: Jason Houghtaling
Houghtaling has plenty of experience with this staff, and should slide right over to take over for Hameline. This is a decent, if small job, so Wagner was limited as far as candidates. Good hire.
Grade: B+
Youngstown State
Out: Eric Wolford
In: Bo Pelini
Wolford could not keep up the winning tradition at YSU, and never got the Penguins to the playoffs. YSU made the home run hire of the year by grabbing Bo Pelini, who was never respected at Nebraska. Pelini brings a drive and a chip on his shoulder, a dangerous combo for opponents. North Dakota State's grip on the Missouri Valley Conference just got tenuous.
Grade: A+
Jobs Still Open
Bethune-Cookman
Columbia
Colorado State
Delaware State
Michigan
Pittsburgh
Thursday, December 11, 2014
As the Carousel Turns: Thursday Edition
Today brought a great deal of sudden news, so let's get to what happened...
Oregon State
OSU brought a hire out of the blue when they managed to grab Wisconsin's Gary Anderson, the second coach that Wisconsin has lost in the last three years. Anderson's hire also came with a new commitment to the program in which the Beavers will build a new $42 million football facility, and will also upgrade Reser Stadium, all issues that drove Mike Riley away.
Anderson was a surprise hire for certain. OSU also interviewed Beau Baldwin of Eastern Washington, Norm Chow, Matt Wells, and San Diego State DL Coach Osia Lewis. I can understand Baldwin, Anderson, and Wells, but Chow and Lewis are real head scratchers. Obviously, Anderson was an amazingly solid choice, and was a better grab than I ever thought OSU could get.
Tulsa
Phil Montgomery was hired as head coach today. The now former Baylor OC was destined for a head coaching job and this is a good one for him. Montgomery was largely thought to be one of the best offensive minds in the nation, and once again, I give Tulsa solid grades for making this hire. Montgomery beat out Houston Nutt and Jake Spavital for the job.
Wisconsin
The Badgers will be looking for their third coach in the last three seasons, and they can likely thank Captain Ego himself, Barry Alvarez. The former coach and current AD is a constant meddler in the program, and often attempts to steal all of the glory for any success that this program has. With departures of Bret Bielema and Gary Anderson, the hierarchy at Wisconsin now has to do some soul searching and see if Alvarez needs a muzzle, a leash, or needs to be asked to go away. Of course, Alvarez says that he will coach the team in their bowl game, instead of an interim coach that is a current assistant on the staff. That's Barry Ego for you.
UNLV
The Rebels made it official and hired the only candidate that was ever really considered after a sham search led folks to believe that Jim Fassel and June Jones were ever really candidates. Bishop Gorman Coach Tony Sanchez has signed a deal that will pay him $500,000 per season. There is no official word about Fertitta money coming on, but that will happen, and will likely be done as quietly as possible.
Michigan
According to several sources, Utah's Kyle Whittingham looks to be the primary focus in the search for a new head coach. Whittingham has been on campus for a couple of days now, and it seems that negotiations are ongoing, but there has been no word of any offer just yet. It looks like Greg Schiano won't be the guy after all, and Michigan fans should be thankful for that.
Despite reports that UM reached out to Duke's David Cutliffe, don't expect that to happen. Cutliffe has a good thing going at Duke, and will be staying in Durham.
Hawaii
AD Ben Jay will be out in June, but it looks like Norm Chow will stay another season. How Chow keeps surviving is simple. UH cannot afford to pay him to go away. Jay likely felt that the situation is untenable, and chose to walk away.
FCS NEWS
Samford
Samford went in a direction that was off the grid when they hired Murray State coach Chris Hatcher. This doesn't seem like a great fit to me, but Samford fell for the label, and Hatcher is moving on again.
Murray State
With Hatcher gone, OC Mitch Stewart will be moved up to the head job according to footballscoop.com and other sources.
Montana
The job appears to be down to former UNLV and Griz coach Bobby Hauck and Colorado Mines Coach Bob Stitt. As of this evening, no hire has been made, but rather than Hauck being a lock, it appears Stitt may have an edge at this time.
Florida A&M
There are a slew of coaches who want this job, and two of them are former FBS coaches in Joker Phillips and Tony Samuel. The administration is whittling the list from eight to three by the weekend.
More news as it happens this weekend!
Oregon State
OSU brought a hire out of the blue when they managed to grab Wisconsin's Gary Anderson, the second coach that Wisconsin has lost in the last three years. Anderson's hire also came with a new commitment to the program in which the Beavers will build a new $42 million football facility, and will also upgrade Reser Stadium, all issues that drove Mike Riley away.
Anderson was a surprise hire for certain. OSU also interviewed Beau Baldwin of Eastern Washington, Norm Chow, Matt Wells, and San Diego State DL Coach Osia Lewis. I can understand Baldwin, Anderson, and Wells, but Chow and Lewis are real head scratchers. Obviously, Anderson was an amazingly solid choice, and was a better grab than I ever thought OSU could get.
Tulsa
Phil Montgomery was hired as head coach today. The now former Baylor OC was destined for a head coaching job and this is a good one for him. Montgomery was largely thought to be one of the best offensive minds in the nation, and once again, I give Tulsa solid grades for making this hire. Montgomery beat out Houston Nutt and Jake Spavital for the job.
Wisconsin
The Badgers will be looking for their third coach in the last three seasons, and they can likely thank Captain Ego himself, Barry Alvarez. The former coach and current AD is a constant meddler in the program, and often attempts to steal all of the glory for any success that this program has. With departures of Bret Bielema and Gary Anderson, the hierarchy at Wisconsin now has to do some soul searching and see if Alvarez needs a muzzle, a leash, or needs to be asked to go away. Of course, Alvarez says that he will coach the team in their bowl game, instead of an interim coach that is a current assistant on the staff. That's Barry Ego for you.
UNLV
The Rebels made it official and hired the only candidate that was ever really considered after a sham search led folks to believe that Jim Fassel and June Jones were ever really candidates. Bishop Gorman Coach Tony Sanchez has signed a deal that will pay him $500,000 per season. There is no official word about Fertitta money coming on, but that will happen, and will likely be done as quietly as possible.
Michigan
According to several sources, Utah's Kyle Whittingham looks to be the primary focus in the search for a new head coach. Whittingham has been on campus for a couple of days now, and it seems that negotiations are ongoing, but there has been no word of any offer just yet. It looks like Greg Schiano won't be the guy after all, and Michigan fans should be thankful for that.
Despite reports that UM reached out to Duke's David Cutliffe, don't expect that to happen. Cutliffe has a good thing going at Duke, and will be staying in Durham.
Hawaii
AD Ben Jay will be out in June, but it looks like Norm Chow will stay another season. How Chow keeps surviving is simple. UH cannot afford to pay him to go away. Jay likely felt that the situation is untenable, and chose to walk away.
FCS NEWS
Samford
Samford went in a direction that was off the grid when they hired Murray State coach Chris Hatcher. This doesn't seem like a great fit to me, but Samford fell for the label, and Hatcher is moving on again.
Murray State
With Hatcher gone, OC Mitch Stewart will be moved up to the head job according to footballscoop.com and other sources.
Montana
The job appears to be down to former UNLV and Griz coach Bobby Hauck and Colorado Mines Coach Bob Stitt. As of this evening, no hire has been made, but rather than Hauck being a lock, it appears Stitt may have an edge at this time.
Florida A&M
There are a slew of coaches who want this job, and two of them are former FBS coaches in Joker Phillips and Tony Samuel. The administration is whittling the list from eight to three by the weekend.
More news as it happens this weekend!
Monday, December 8, 2014
As the Carousel Turns: Monday Night Edition
Here are our coaching search updates for a Monday night...
Colorado State
Still no official word, and there likely will not be one until after the Las Vegas bowl as to who will officially replace Jim McElwain. Samrt money is on OC and interim coach David Baldwin. There are other candidates who's names have been floated.
Notre Dame RB Coach Tony Alford is a former Rams RB, and would love a shot to be the head guy back home. Same could be said for Mississippi State Co-OC Billy Gonzalez, a former Rams WR who is credited with working with Dak Prescott. Ohio State OC Tom Herman has a background in both Texas and California, and would work well in recruiting. Brady Hoke could head back to the Mountain West where he had solid success at San Diego State. Other names include Alabama OC Lane Kiffin, Auburn OC Rhett Lashlee, Oregon WR coach Matt Lubick, Arizona State OC Mike Norvell, Ed Orgeron, Seattle ST Coach Brian Schneider, Colorado mines coach Bob Stitt, and CSU-Mesa coach John Wristen.
With all of those parties interested in the job, my money stays on Baldwin for continuity.
Houston
Tony Levine was officially fired today, so the candidate lists have not come flying officially yet, but one name that has jumped early on is Baylor OC Phil Montgomery, a rising star in the assistant ranks, and a man many believe could bring Houston back to offensive prominence. Baylor coach Art Briles can tutor him on the UH culture, and he would be a solid fit from day one.
Also look at David Meacham, who just pulled his name from the Tulsa job. Many believe he did that because he knew Houston was opening, and he seems to be a better fit there. Look for both of these coaches to get long looks, and also look for Arizona State's Mike Norvell to get a look as well.
Michigan
Still no further word tonight on any major moves at Michigan. The locals must give up on the Harbaugh pipe dream at this point. He's not coming, and the hopes of luring him are gumming up the search now. It's not healthy. There is a serious breakdown at the executive level. This is what happens when you allow an interim AD to make decisions, and his staff does not have that same tag. There is a serious power play between Jim Hackett and Assistant AD Mike DeBord going on, and the process is split around them.
Oregon State
All is quiet in Corvallis tonight, with no new news available at this hour. The candidate pool remains largely the same as it has all weekend. one name that has come up that I will immediately dismiss is Oregon OC Scott Frost. He is not jumping to the other side of the Civil War. Not in this lifetime.
Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin is an early favorite, and is joined by Fresno State's Tim DeRuyter, Ohio State OC Tom Herman, Brady Hoke, BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall, Arizona State OC Mike Norvell, Colorado Mines Bob Stitt, Utah state HC Matt Wells, USC DC Justin Wilcox, and PAC-12 commentator Rick Neuheisel. Jeff Tedford tossed his name in the pool today, and Cal OC Tony Franklin could still be in play.
Tulsa
As mentioned earlier, TCU OC Doug Meacham is out of the running. I expect Mike Norvell to get a long look here because of Todd Graham's history at Tulsa. Josh Heupel will also get huge consideration, as will Baylor OC Montgomery. Of course, Montgomery could be holding out for Houston. Houston Nutt could also be an option here.
UNLV
At this late hour in Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman HC Tony Sanchez is finalizing his deal to become the head Coach at UNLV. This has largely been thought to be the guy, but late candidacies came in supporting June Jones and Jim Fassel. That will not be the case, as UNLV will try the high school route, which rarely ever works (Gus Malzahn excluded).
FCS News
Columbia
Pete Mangurian is gone after three short seasons. There is virtually no news out of NYC on this job, and Columbia has a history of locking up tight when it comes to news about coaching searches. If news leaks, they leak it themselves.
Alabama State
Antonio Bradford is the interim coach after ASU fired Reggie Barlow in strange fashion. Bradford may coach the Hornets into the regular season in 2015.
Florida A&M
Corey Fuller is the interim coach for now, and no major moves have been made to replace him. Bradford took over for fired coach Earl Holmes.
Missouri State
Terry Allen was not extended, and so the Bears are looking. Once again, news on this job is scarce at this hour, with no serious candidates in public play.
Norfolk State
Pete Adrian retired, and it looks most likely that Norfolk State will promote from within the staff.
Portland State
The school let go of Nigel Burton, and is also seeking a new AD, so it was announced today that PSU will keep interim coach Bruce Barnum through the 2015 season.
Prairie View A&M
Heishman Northern has been let go, and there is little news here. Look for this to be one of the last jobs filled on the Carousel. Northern has landed at Texas Southern as OC.
Samford
Pat Sullivan resigned due to health concerns, and will chair a search committee to replace himself. One name of serious mention is Bill Clark, late of UAB fame. With UAB no longer playing football, Clark would be a perfect fit based on his success at Jacksonville State, another Alabama FCS school.
VMI
News out of Lexington today has Chattanooga OC Jeff Durden likely becoming the next head coach at VMI. Durden is still coaching the Mocs in the FCS playoffs, so look for this announcement to come once Chattanooga has won the title or has been eliminated.
Youngstown State
No changes here, but one name that has surfaced likely will not be the guy, and that is Bo Pelini. His name surfaced today, and was shot down by a number of people nationally. This could be a great bounce back gig, however.
More from "As the Carousel Turns" on Tuesday night!
Colorado State
Still no official word, and there likely will not be one until after the Las Vegas bowl as to who will officially replace Jim McElwain. Samrt money is on OC and interim coach David Baldwin. There are other candidates who's names have been floated.
Notre Dame RB Coach Tony Alford is a former Rams RB, and would love a shot to be the head guy back home. Same could be said for Mississippi State Co-OC Billy Gonzalez, a former Rams WR who is credited with working with Dak Prescott. Ohio State OC Tom Herman has a background in both Texas and California, and would work well in recruiting. Brady Hoke could head back to the Mountain West where he had solid success at San Diego State. Other names include Alabama OC Lane Kiffin, Auburn OC Rhett Lashlee, Oregon WR coach Matt Lubick, Arizona State OC Mike Norvell, Ed Orgeron, Seattle ST Coach Brian Schneider, Colorado mines coach Bob Stitt, and CSU-Mesa coach John Wristen.
With all of those parties interested in the job, my money stays on Baldwin for continuity.
Houston
Tony Levine was officially fired today, so the candidate lists have not come flying officially yet, but one name that has jumped early on is Baylor OC Phil Montgomery, a rising star in the assistant ranks, and a man many believe could bring Houston back to offensive prominence. Baylor coach Art Briles can tutor him on the UH culture, and he would be a solid fit from day one.
Also look at David Meacham, who just pulled his name from the Tulsa job. Many believe he did that because he knew Houston was opening, and he seems to be a better fit there. Look for both of these coaches to get long looks, and also look for Arizona State's Mike Norvell to get a look as well.
Michigan
Still no further word tonight on any major moves at Michigan. The locals must give up on the Harbaugh pipe dream at this point. He's not coming, and the hopes of luring him are gumming up the search now. It's not healthy. There is a serious breakdown at the executive level. This is what happens when you allow an interim AD to make decisions, and his staff does not have that same tag. There is a serious power play between Jim Hackett and Assistant AD Mike DeBord going on, and the process is split around them.
Oregon State
All is quiet in Corvallis tonight, with no new news available at this hour. The candidate pool remains largely the same as it has all weekend. one name that has come up that I will immediately dismiss is Oregon OC Scott Frost. He is not jumping to the other side of the Civil War. Not in this lifetime.
Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin is an early favorite, and is joined by Fresno State's Tim DeRuyter, Ohio State OC Tom Herman, Brady Hoke, BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall, Arizona State OC Mike Norvell, Colorado Mines Bob Stitt, Utah state HC Matt Wells, USC DC Justin Wilcox, and PAC-12 commentator Rick Neuheisel. Jeff Tedford tossed his name in the pool today, and Cal OC Tony Franklin could still be in play.
Tulsa
As mentioned earlier, TCU OC Doug Meacham is out of the running. I expect Mike Norvell to get a long look here because of Todd Graham's history at Tulsa. Josh Heupel will also get huge consideration, as will Baylor OC Montgomery. Of course, Montgomery could be holding out for Houston. Houston Nutt could also be an option here.
UNLV
At this late hour in Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman HC Tony Sanchez is finalizing his deal to become the head Coach at UNLV. This has largely been thought to be the guy, but late candidacies came in supporting June Jones and Jim Fassel. That will not be the case, as UNLV will try the high school route, which rarely ever works (Gus Malzahn excluded).
FCS News
Columbia
Pete Mangurian is gone after three short seasons. There is virtually no news out of NYC on this job, and Columbia has a history of locking up tight when it comes to news about coaching searches. If news leaks, they leak it themselves.
Alabama State
Antonio Bradford is the interim coach after ASU fired Reggie Barlow in strange fashion. Bradford may coach the Hornets into the regular season in 2015.
Florida A&M
Corey Fuller is the interim coach for now, and no major moves have been made to replace him. Bradford took over for fired coach Earl Holmes.
Missouri State
Terry Allen was not extended, and so the Bears are looking. Once again, news on this job is scarce at this hour, with no serious candidates in public play.
Norfolk State
Pete Adrian retired, and it looks most likely that Norfolk State will promote from within the staff.
Portland State
The school let go of Nigel Burton, and is also seeking a new AD, so it was announced today that PSU will keep interim coach Bruce Barnum through the 2015 season.
Prairie View A&M
Heishman Northern has been let go, and there is little news here. Look for this to be one of the last jobs filled on the Carousel. Northern has landed at Texas Southern as OC.
Samford
Pat Sullivan resigned due to health concerns, and will chair a search committee to replace himself. One name of serious mention is Bill Clark, late of UAB fame. With UAB no longer playing football, Clark would be a perfect fit based on his success at Jacksonville State, another Alabama FCS school.
VMI
News out of Lexington today has Chattanooga OC Jeff Durden likely becoming the next head coach at VMI. Durden is still coaching the Mocs in the FCS playoffs, so look for this announcement to come once Chattanooga has won the title or has been eliminated.
Youngstown State
No changes here, but one name that has surfaced likely will not be the guy, and that is Bo Pelini. His name surfaced today, and was shot down by a number of people nationally. This could be a great bounce back gig, however.
More from "As the Carousel Turns" on Tuesday night!
PRS FBS Rankings: Week 16
| Sunday, December 7, 2014 | |||||
| Rank | Points | Team | Record | Score | Opponent |
| 1 | 2801 | Ohio State | 12-1 | W, 59-0 | Def. Wisconsin 59-0 |
| 2 | 2668 | Florida State | 13-0 | W, 37-35 | Def. Georgia Tech 37-35 |
| 3 | 2603 | Marshall | 12-1 | W, 26-23 | Def. Louisiana Tech 26-23 |
| 4 | 2600 | Oregon | 12-1 | W, 51-13 | Def. Arizona 51-13 |
| 5 | 2450 | Alabama | 12-1 | W, 42-13 | Def. Missouri 42-13 |
| 6 | 2412 | Baylor | 11-1 | W, 38-27 | Def. Kansas State 38-27 |
| 7 | 2382 | Texas Christian | 11-1 | W, 55-3 | Def. Iowa State 55-3 |
| 8 | 2241 | Boise State | 11-2 | W, 28-14 | Def. Fresno State 28-14 |
| 9 | 1974 | Northern Illinois | 11-2 | W, 51-17 | Def. Bowling Green State 51-17 |
| 10 | 1950 | Michigan State | 10-2 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 11 | 1814 | Mississippi State | 10-2 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 12 | 1752 | Colorado State | 10-2 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 13 | 1749 | Arizona | 10-3 | L, 51-13 | Lost to Oregon 51-13 |
| 14 | 1698 | Georgia Tech | 10-3 | L, 37-35 | Lost to Florida State 37-35 |
| 15 | 1653 | Wisconsin | 10-3 | L, 59-0 | Lost to Ohio State 59-0 |
| 16 | 1579 | Cincinnati | 9-3 | W, 38-31 | Def. Houston 38-31 |
| 17 | 1540 | Georgia | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 18 | 1524 | Georgia Southern | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 19 | 1510 | UCLA | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 20 | 1464 | Memphis | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 21 | 1446 | Missouri | 10-3 | L, 42-13 | Lost to Alabama 42-13 |
| 22 | 1419 | Nebraska | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 23 | 1411 | Arizona State | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 24 | 1394 | Kansas State | 9-3 | L, 38-27 | Lost to Baylor 38-27 |
| 25 | 1370 | Louisville | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 26 | 1366 | Mississippi | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 27 | 1337 | Oklahoma | 8-4 | L, 38-35 OT | Lost to Oklahoma 38-35 OT |
| 28 | 1331 | Duke | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 29 | 1320 | Central Florida | 9-3 | W, 32-30 | Def. East Carolina 32-30 |
| 30 | 1308 | Air Force | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 31 | 1288 | Clemson | 9-3 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 32 | 1257 | Southern California | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 33 | 1158 | Louisiana Tech | 8-5 | L, 26-23 | Lost to Marshall 26-23 |
| 34 | 1152 | Utah State | 9-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 35 | 1099 | Western Michigan | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 36 | 1082 | East Carolina | 8-4 | L, 32-30 | Lost to Central Florida 32-30 |
| 37 | 1051 | Brigham Young | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 38 | 970 | Toledo | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 39 | 935 | Western Kentucky | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 40 | 928 | Auburn | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 41 | 909 | Louisiana State | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 42 | 904 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 43 | 904 | Utah | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 44 | 881 | Minnesota | 8-4 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 45 | 791 | Notre Dame | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 46 | 776 | Washington | 8-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 47 | 714 | Rice | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 48 | 696 | Arkansas State | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 49 | 687 | Texas-El Paso | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 50 | 628 | West Virginia | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 51 | 625 | Texas A&M | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 52 | 615 | Texas State | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 53 | 586 | Nevada-Reno | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 54 | 579 | Stanford | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 55 | 573 | Houston | 7-5 | L, 38-31 | Lost to Cincinnati 38-31 |
| 56 | 562 | Appalachian State | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 57 | 539 | San Diego State | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 58 | 509 | Iowa | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 59 | 506 | Central Michigan | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 60 | 500 | North Carolina State | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 61 | 499 | Maryland | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 62 | 466 | Boston College | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 63 | 405 | Rutgers | 7-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 64 | 385 | Florida | 6-5 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 65 | 335 | Bowling Green State | 7-6 | L, 51-17 | Lost to Northern Illinois 51-17 |
| 66 | 330 | Navy | 6-5 | Bye | |
| 67 | 263 | Texas | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 68 | 252 | Arkansas | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 69 | 246 | Alabama-Birmingham | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 70 | 220 | South Alabama | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 71 | 192 | Penn State | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 72 | 191 | Pittsburgh | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 73 | 187 | Miami (FL) | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 74 | 185 | South Carolina | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 75 | 169 | Middle Tennessee State | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 76 | 149 | North Carolina | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 77 | 137 | Old Dominion | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 78 | 135 | Temple | 6-6 | W, 10-3 | Def. Tulane 10-3 |
| 79 | 130 | Tennessee | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 80 | 84 | Oklahoma State | 6-6 | W, 38-35 OT | Def. Oklahoma 38-35 OT |
| 81 | 83 | Virginia Tech | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 82 | 3 | Illinois | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 83 | -50 | Fresno State | 6-7 | L, 28-14 | Lost to Boise State 28-14 |
| 84 | -164 | California | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 85 | -167 | Michigan | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 86 | -190 | Ohio | 6-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 87 | -211 | Buffalo | 5-6 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 88 | -264 | Virginia | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 89 | -276 | Akron | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 90 | -284 | Kentucky | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 91 | -302 | Ball State | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 92 | -324 | Northwestern | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 93 | -342 | Oregon State | 5-7 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 94 | -467 | New Mexico | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 95 | -483 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 96 | -601 | Texas-San Antonio | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 97 | -613 | North Texas | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 98 | -632 | Army | 4-7 | Bye | |
| 99 | -655 | Texas Tech | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 100 | -670 | Indiana | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 101 | -755 | Wyoming | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 102 | -790 | Massachusetts | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 103 | -830 | Florida International | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 104 | -836 | Florida Atlantic | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 105 | -848 | South Florida | 4-8 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 106 | -869 | Purdue | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 107 | -882 | Hawaii | 4-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 108 | -958 | Washington State | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 109 | -1060 | Troy | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 110 | -1081 | San Jose State | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 111 | -1109 | Syracuse | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 112 | -1184 | Colorado | 2-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 113 | -1184 | Wake Forest | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 114 | -1192 | Tulane | 3-9 | L, 10-3 | Lost to Temple 10-3 |
| 115 | -1195 | Southern Mississippi | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 116 | -1205 | Kansas | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 117 | -1209 | Kent State | 2-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 118 | -1279 | Tulsa | 2-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 119 | -1308 | Vanderbilt | 3-9 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 120 | -1346 | Miami (OH) | 2-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 121 | -1410 | Idaho | 1-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 122 | -1459 | New Mexico State | 2-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 123 | -1460 | Iowa State | 2-10 | L, 55-3 | Lost to Texas Christian 55-3 |
| 124 | -1602 | Connecticut | 2-10 | L, 27-20 | Lost to Southern Methodist 27-20 |
| 125 | -1643 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 2-11 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 126 | -1658 | Eastern Michigan | 2-10 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 127 | -1914 | Georgia State | 1-11 | Regular Seaon Over | |
| 128 | -1982 | Southern Methodist | 1-11 | W, 27-20 | Def. Connecticut 27-20 |
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