2014 FBS PRS Rankings: Week 14

Sunday, November 30, 2014
Rank	Points	Team	Record	Opponent
1	2483	Ohio State	11-1	Def. Michigan 42-28
2	2429	Florida State	12-0	Def. Florida 24-19
3	2424	Marshall	11-1	Lost to Western Kentucky 67-66 OT
4	2311	Oregon	11-1	Def. Oregon State 47-19
5	2213	Baylor	10-1	Def. vs. Texas Tech 48-46
6	2179	Alabama	11-1	Def. Auburn 55-44
7	2125	Texas Christian	10-1	Def. Texas 48-10
8	2049	Boise State	10-2	Def. Utah State 50-19
9	1950	Michigan State	10-2	Def. Penn State 34-10
10	1924	Arizona	10-2	Def. Arizona State 42-35
11	1862	Wisconsin	10-2	Def. Minnesota 34-24
12	1815	Georgia Tech	10-2	Def. Georgia 30-24 OT
13	1814	Mississippi State	10-2	Lost to Mississipi State 31-17
14	1752	Colorado State	10-2	Lost to Air Force 27-24
15	1689	Northern Illinois	10-2	Def. Western Michigan 31-21
16	1612	Missouri	10-2	Def. Arkansas 21-14
17	1540	Georgia	9-3	Lost to Georgia Tech 30-24 OT
18	1528	Kansas State	9-2	Def. Kansas 51-13
19	1524	Georgia Southern	9-3	Def. Louisiana-Monroe 22-16
20	1510	UCLA	9-3	Lost to Stanford 31-10
21	1505	Oklahoma	8-3	Bye
22	1464	Memphis	9-3	Def. Connecticut 41-10
23	1419	Nebraska	9-3	Def. Iowa 37-34 OT
24	1411	Arizona State	9-3	Lost to Arizona 42-35
25	1384	Cincinnati	8-3	Def. Temple 14-6
26	1370	Louisville	9-3	Def. Kentucky 44-40
27	1366	Mississippi	9-3	Def. Mississippi State 31-17
28	1331	Duke	9-3	Def. Wake Forest 41-21
29	1308	Air Force	9-3	Def. Colorado State 27-24
30T	1288	Clemson	9-3	Def. South Carolina 35-17
30T	1288	Louisiana Tech	8-4	Def. Rice 76-31
32	1257	Southern California	8-4	Def. Notre Dame 49-14
33	1254	East Carolina	8-3	Def. Tulsa 49-32
34	1152	Utah State	9-4	Lost to Boise State 50-19
35	1099	Western Michigan	8-4	Lost to Northern Illinois 31-21
36	1086	Central Florida	8-3	Def. South Florida 16-0
37	1051	Brigham Young	8-4	Def. California 42-35
38	970	Toledo	8-4	Def. Eastern Michigan 52-16
39	935	Western Kentucky	7-5	Def. Marshall 67-66 OT
40	928	Auburn	8-4	Lost to Alabama 55-44
41	909	Louisiana State	8-4	Def. Texas A&M 23-17
42	904	Louisiana-Lafayette	8-4	Def. Troy 42-23
43	904	Utah	8-4	Def. Colorado 38-34
44	881	Minnesota	8-4	Lost to Wisconsin 34-24
45	791	Notre Dame	7-5	Lost to Southern California 49-14
46	776	Washington	8-5	Def. Washington State 31-13
47	714	Rice	7-5	Lost to Louisiana Tech 76-31
48	699	Houston	7-4	Def. Southern Methodist 35-9
49	696	Arkansas State	7-5	Def. New Mexico State 68-35
50	687	Texas-El Paso	7-5	Def. Middle Tennessee State 24-21
51	628	West Virginia	7-5	Def. Iowa State 37-24
52	625	Texas A&M	7-5	Lost to Louisiana State 23-17
53	615	Texas State	7-5	Def. Georgia State 54-31
54	586	Nevada-Reno	7-5	Def. Nevada-Las Vegas 49-27
55	579	Stanford	7-5	Def. UCLA 31-10
56	562	Appalachian State	7-5	Def. Idaho 45-28
57	539	San Diego State	7-5	Def. San Jose State 38-7
58	509	Iowa	7-5	Lost to Nebraska 37-34 OT
59	506	Central Michigan	7-5	Regular Seaon Over
60	502	Bowling Green State	7-5	Lost to Ball State 41-24
61	500	North Carolina State	7-5	Def. North Carolina 35-7
62	499	Maryland	7-5	Lost to Rutgers 41-38
63	466	Boston College	7-5	Def. Syracuse 28-7
64	405	Rutgers	7-5	Def. Maryland 41-38
65	385	Florida	6-5	Lost to Florida State 24-19
66	330	Navy	6-5	Def. South Alabama 42-40
67	263	Texas	6-6	Lost to Texas Christian 48-10
68	252	Arkansas	6-6	Lost to Missouri 21-14
69	246	Alabama-Birmingham	6-6	Def. Southern Mississippi 45-24
70	220	South Alabama	6-6	Lost to Navy 42-40
71	192	Penn State	6-6	Lost to Michigan State 34-10
72	191	Pittsburgh	6-6	Def. Miami (FL) 35-23
73	187	Miami (FL)	6-6	Lost to Pittsburgh 35-23
74	185	South Carolina	6-6	Lost to Clemson 35-17
75	169	Middle Tennessee State	6-6	Lost to Texas-El Paso 24-21
76	149	North Carolina	6-6	Lost to North Carolina State 35-7
77	137	Old Dominion	6-6	Def. Florida Atlantic 31-28
78	130	Tennessee	6-6	Def. Vanderbilt 24-17
79	100	Fresno State	6-6	Def. Hawaii 28-21
80	83	Virginia Tech	6-6	Def. Virginia 24-20
81	3	Illinois	6-6	Def. Northwestern 47-33
82	-82	Temple	5-6	Lost to Cincinnati 14-6
83	-157	Oklahoma State	5-6	Bye
84	-164	California	5-7	Lost to Brigham Young 42-35
85	-167	Michigan	5-7	Lost to Ohio State 42-28
86	-190	Ohio	6-6	Def. Miami (OH) 24-21
87	-211	Buffalo	5-6	Def. Massachusetts 41-21
88	-264	Virginia	5-7	Lost to Virginia Tech 24-20
89	-276	Akron	5-7	Lost to Kent State 27-24
90	-284	Kentucky	5-7	Lost to Louisville 44-40
91	-302	Ball State	5-7	Def. Bowling Green State 41-24
92	-324	Northwestern	5-7	Lost to Illinois 47-33
93	-342	Oregon State	5-7	Lost to Oregon 47-19
94	-467	New Mexico	4-8	Def. Wyoming 36-30.
95	-483	Louisiana-Monroe	4-8	Lost to Georgia Southern 22-16
96	-601	Texas-San Antonio	4-8	Def. North Texas 34-27
97	-613	North Texas	4-8	Lost to Texas-San Antonio 34-27
98	-632	Army	4-7	Bye
99	-655	Texas Tech	4-8	Lost to vs. Baylor 48-46
100	-670	Indiana	4-8	Def. Purdue 23-16
101	-755	Wyoming	4-8	Lost to New Mexico 36-30.
102	-790	Massachusetts	3-9	Lost to Buffalo 41-21
103	-830	Florida International	4-8	Regular Seaon Over
104	-836	Florida Atlantic	3-9	Lost to Old Dominion 31-28
105	-848	South Florida	4-8	Lost to Central Florida 16-0
106	-869	Purdue	3-9	Lost to Indiana 23-16
107	-882	Hawaii	4-9	Lost to Fresno State 28-21
108	-958	Washington State	3-9	Lost to Washington 31-13
109	-988	Tulane	3-8	Bye
110	-1060	Troy	3-9	Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 42-23
111	-1081	San Jose State	3-9	Lost to San Diego State 38-7
112	-1109	Syracuse	3-9	Lost to Boston College 28-7
113	-1184	Wake Forest	3-9	Lost to Duke 41-21
114	-1184	Colorado	2-10	Lost to Utah 38-34
115	-1195	Southern Mississippi	3-9	Lost to Alabama-Birmingham 45-24
116	-1205	Kansas	3-9	Lost to Kansas State 51-13
117	-1209	Kent State	2-9	Def. Akron 27-24
118	-1261	Iowa State	2-9	Lost to West Virginia 37-24
119	-1279	Tulsa	2-10	Lost to East Carolina 49-32
120	-1308	Vanderbilt	3-9	Lost to Tennessee 24-17
121	-1346	Miami (OH)	2-10	Lost to Ohio 24-21
122	-1410	Idaho	1-10	Lost to Appalachian State 45-28
123	-1415	Connecticut	2-9	Lost to Memphis 41-10
124	-1459	New Mexico State	2-10	Lost to Arkansas State 68-35
125	-1643	Nevada-Las Vegas	2-11	Lost to Nevada-Reno 49-27
126	-1658	Eastern Michigan	2-10	Lost to Toledo 52-16
127	-1914	Georgia State	1-11	Lost to Texas State 54-31
128	-2216	Southern Methodist	0-11	Lost to Houston 35-9

As the College Football Coaching Carousel Turns: 12/2/14

The Carousel is turning at top speed, even if the projected firings have fallen short as of this posting. There have not been nearly as many firings as most projected in the field, especially with coaches like Kevin Wilson at Indiana and Tim Beckman at Illinois living to fight another season in 2015. Here are the openings, and what we have heard in regards to who may be coming in to fill them...

Florida
There only seems to be two candidates to replace the ousted Will Muschamp, and one may be staying where he is. Hugh Freeze apparently has an offer in hand from the Gators, which of course is being denied by Jeremy Foley. Freeze also has a fat extension in hand from Ole Miss to retain him, so he may indeed be sticking around Oxford, where he could be a God for years in the Grove.
If Freeze falls through, expect Colorado State coach Jim McElwain to get a call and an offer in short order.

Nebraska
I don't know if I'd be in a hurry to grab at this job. The money should be great, and the facilities are loaded, but that fan base and administration are anchored to Tom Osborne's legacy, and that just isn't fair. The game has changed, but the expectations remain.
Oregon OC Scott Frost is a leading candidate, but look for Wyoming coach Craig Bohl to be heavily in play here as well. Jim Tressel's name has been floated, and Jim McElwain could be targeted if he doesn't go to Florida. Memphis coach Justin Fuente could be a dark horse way in back of the pack.

Kansas
Clint Bowen is a candidate in name only according to several sources, and will likely stay onboard as DC next fall. Memphis Coach Justin Fuente and Georgia Southern's Willie Fritz are the popular names here. I would favor Fritz here, as his connections here run deep. DOn't count out dark horse candidate Ed Orgeron.

SMU
SMU made a Thanksgiving night splash by hiring Clemson OC Chad Morris. There is no doubt that his Texas connections were a huge sell for the Mustangs, and this is a splashy hire for a big price, as Morris is likely to be paid between 2.5 and 3 million per season.

Tulsa
With Blankenship officially out, names are starting to emerge. Look for Oklahoma assistant Josh Heupel and TCU assistant Doug Meacham to both get good long looks here. Texas A&M assistant Jake Spavital could also be in the mix, as could Oklahoma DC and former Arizona Coach Mike Stoops.

Troy
The Trojans certainly had their pick of candidates. This is a good job, and Troy made a solid move by nabbing Kentucky OC Neal Brown, a former Troy assistant under Blakeney. Look for the Trojans to rebound fairly quickly.

UNLV
There may be no shortage of local candidates to put in for the job. Hell, I've considered putting my name in, and no, I'm not kidding. This could be a really good job, but the right candidate has to show interest and drive. Bobby Hauck is a good guy and a solid coach, but he was never dynamic enough. Look for Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez to get a good long look here. He comes with local backing, and lots of cash in donor power. If he falls through, look for UCLA OC Noel Mazzone o get a call, or even Colorado Mines coach Bob Stitt.

Buffalo
Wisconsin-Whitewater coach Lance Liepold is the new coach at Buffalo. This was an out of the box hire for the Bulls, and Liepold has been a big time winner, challenging D3 power house Mount Union annually for the national title. I like this kind of thinking.

Michigan
The Hoke firing is happening within hours, so we can look at some candidates early on. Certainly consider Les Miles as a serious candidate, but not Jim Harbaugh. Miles may be ready to move on from LSU at this point. Harbaugh will either be coaching the Raiders or Dolphins in 2015. Also expect Greg Schiano to get a call. I would expect Pat Narduzzi to reject this position without seriously considering as a sign of loyalty to Mark Dantonio.

Montana
With their coach retiring, it would not at all surprise me to see Bobby Hauck return to the Grizzlies after being let go at UNLV. This move would be as smart as they come, as Hauck enjoyed solid success here before bolting. Paul Wulff could also get a call.

That's all for now, more news from the Carousel will be delivered tomorrow (Tuesday) night!

Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool: Week 15

There may still be a few more coaches who become victims of drowning in the Dead Pool for this season. Look for a major announcement coming tomorrow on the future of Brady Hoke, who will likely be fired tomorrow (Tuesday, 12/2). Here's a list of Dead Poolers still awaiting their fates:

Brady Hoke, Michigan: Will likely be fired before a scheduled 3PM EST team meeting tomorrow (12/2). He meets with the interim AD before this meeting, where it is expected to be announced that Hoke will not be returning.

Paul Haynes, Kent State: Haynes is still holding on for now. There has been no chatter in the wind on the Kent State job, so Haynes is still there for the time being. He may be one of our few Dead Poolers that survives to tread water for another season.

Norm Chow, Hawaii: Cash may be a factor in getting rid of Chow, as in they have none to work with. June Jones is highly thought of to come back and try to turn the tide, but the wall is huge in Honolulu.

In our next post, I will go over the jobs that have opened, and what may be happening with those postings...

Coaches on the Hot Seat: Week 15

There have already been several firings spread throughout this week, which was the final regular season eek for most schools. With that fact in mind, let's take a look at some coaches who may or may not be moved out as it pertains to these final weeks and also the weeks heading into the 2015 season...

Willie Taggert, USF (2015)
USF made some moves in the right direction this fall, moving up from two wins to four. That's a great start for Taggert, who worked miracles at Western Kentucky before moving to Tampa. What must happen in 2015 is that USF must compete for six wins, and get into a bowl. That should be the measuring stick used, or else Taggert could be in trouble.

Curtis Johnson, Tulane (Now)
No movement has been made on Johnson, and there is little chatter going on around this job, but do not be fooled. Tulane needs butts in seats in their brand new stadium, and a three or four win season this year will not get that done in 2015. Johnson is currently a Hot Seat candidate, and may shift to the Dead Pool entering 2015 depending on how recruiting closes out.

Dave Doeren, NC State (2015)
Doeren is a good coach. Of this there is no doubt. However, when you look at the results that he has brought to Raleigh, what has separated him from what Tom O'Brien did before him on the field. Doeren has made strides, but he has to continue elevating the program moving into 2015.

Scot Shafer, Syracuse (Now)
Shafer seems safe for now, but there will be staff changes in the offseason, and they will be necessary. Syracuse seems adrift under Shafer's guidance, and a change after next fall would not be surprising if this team doesn't start to rise.

Larry Fedora, North Carolina (Now)
Getting blasted by NC State won't quell the critics, and many people around the nation are jumping on my bandwagon to expose Fedora as a fraud. Fedora has never won with his own talent, and he has had mostly middling results as a head coach at Southern Miss and UNC, using other people's talent. 6-6 won't cut it again next season.

Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh (2015)
Chryst is a decent guy by most reports, but he has got to get Pitt past this middling place in the history of their program. Chryst brought stability during a time of great upheaval, but he hasn't made the Panthers better. That is the point.

Al Golden, Miami (Now)
Golden could still be fired if Miami loses a bowl game to finish 6-7. That is very realistic. Golden has lost the bandwagon fan base at Miami, even if he hasn't entirely lost his bosses within the administration.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech (Now)
Beamer is largely believed to be gone either after this bowl season, or after next season, but he likely doesn't have any time left beyond that. His better days are far behind him now.

Mike London, Virginia (2015)
London got a vote of confidence after leading UVA to a 6-6 record coming off of two wins last fall. He certainly deserved another season, but what he does with it is up to him. London needs to win at least seven or eight games next fall.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech (Now)
Kingsbury isn't going anywhere this winter, but if he loses his team again next fall like he did this season, it'll be a no brainer to pull the trigger and get him out after the 2015 season. This season was a mess enough all by itself.

Paul Rhoades, Iowa State (2015)
The AD gave Rhoades his full vote of confidence and looks forward to working with Rhoades into the future. In AD speak it really means that ISU cannot come up with the ridiculous $5 million buyout that it would take to dump him just now.

Kyle Flood, Rutgers (2015)
Seven wins this season saves Flood Five or six wins in 2015 will likely get him canned. Maybe he still goes after the bowl game if Greg Schiano is still hanging around and Rutgers feels pressured to rehire their one time coach.

Kevin Wilson, Indiana (2015)
Wilson somehow managed a miracle despite finishing at 4-8 in a season when IU was supposed to go bowling and turn a major corner. Injuries at QB certainly did not help, but Wilson has done nothing to gain this trust, and I have to disagree with anyone saying this program is headed in the right direction, because I sure as hell have no idea what the hell you people are talking about.

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa (2015)
If Bo Pelini got canned after winning 9 games or more per season for seven seasons, how does Ferentz stick around averaging 7 or 8 per year while being one of the ten highest paid coaches in America. Does this make sense to you?

Tim Beckman, Illinois (2015)
Beckman won six games and got the Illini into a crappy bowl. Now they are giving him an extension meaning it will be more costly to dump him when he fails to get back there next fall. Bad business decision.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern (Now)
The Wildcats have been the Mildcats the last two seasons, and Northwestern finishes with 4 wins for the second straight season. NO matter how much the administration loves Fitz, this cannot continue for long.

Darrell Hazell, Purdue (2015)
It is time to turn a corner for the Boilers, who have been fairly lifeless in two seasons under Hazell. Progress must shine through next fall. It's year three next fall.

Mike Riley, Oregon State (2015)
If you couldn't get to a bowl with Sean Mannion at QB, what can you do without him? Riley has gotten a little more than stagnant, and it may be time to go.

Mike McIntyre, Colorado
It's year three coming up, and he's won four games. I like McIntyre a bunch, but it's time to move the Buffs out of the basement in the PAC-12 South.

Butch Jones, Tennessee
Speaking of guys heading into year three, Jones joins the crowd. He got the Vols to 6-6 this season, but it's time to show something for those touted recruiting classes. The Vols had better win 8 next fall, or those nuts touting Jones as the savior of SEC football will start to look foolish.

Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Mason is starting to look like a bad hire. I personally felt that his roots would fit in nicely in Nashville, but the Commodores were a mess from the opening game. Karl Dorrell has already been fired as OC (huge shock there, right?) so changes are coming on the staff.

Others
Ron Turner, FIU
Ron Carragher, San Jose State
Bob Davie, New Mexico
Todd Berry, UL-Monroe
Doug Martin, New Mexico State
Paul Petrino, Idaho
Trent Miles, Georgia State