As the Coaching Carousel Turns: Volume 8, Oregon Spinning and Other Fun Stuff

Once again, it has been one hell of a week on the coaching carousel. As quick and seamless most searches were the first week or so, things have gotten much more murky at this point for several jobs that have been opened or filled. Here is what we know now:

Oregon
I will start with the most recent opening, that being at Oregon, where Willie Taggart, after much wheeling and dealing, finally decided on a move and left for his "dream job" at Florida State. Of course, when it comes to Taggart, every job has been his "dream job", so take it all in with a massive grain of salt. The reality is that Taggart was not exactly forthcoming, as much as he claims to be, about the entire process, up to and including when he and Rob Mullen first started to converse on the topic. Taggart also took a donor's private plane on a recruiting trip to Phoenix to see a recruit, and turned it into a business meeting with Florida State reps, which is about as classless as it gets.
Here are the current candidates (real or not), and my take on which ones make sense, and which do not:

Mario Cristobal, Oregon OC and Interim Coach
Cristobal was fired at FIU as head coach there for ridiculously mysterious reasons, and it was a huge mistake that the Panther program still has not entirely recovered from. He then went on to work for Nick Saban at Alabama, signing on for the Master Class, before moving on to work under Taggart at Oregon. He has tremendous support from the administration and from the locker room, so I would say that this candidacy has solid footing.

Jim Leavitt, Oregon DC
There may be a few issues here. Leavitt was perfectly content to follow Taggart out of Eugene as the DC at Florida State before realizing that he could be a candidate at Oregon. If I were the administration, and AD Rob Mullens, I would hold that memory dear. He has support, but not like Cristobal.

Greg Schiano, Ohio State DC
Schiano may still be in shell shock from the debacle at Tennessee, and he still may very well be considering his legal options there. That said, Schiano was interviewed last season for this job, and if he is interested, they would still like to have a conversation or two with him. That said, after the Knoxville experience, I see him going back to Ohio State.

Matt Ruhle, Baylor
He was interviewed last season, and was considered a strong candidate before landing at Baylor to clean up the mother mess of all messes in Waco. He signed a seven year deal there, so I would say his candidacy is a long shot, at best.

PJ Fleck, Minnesota
Again, Fleck interviewed for the job last year, and lost out to Taggart. Offensively, I am not certain that his philosophy meshes well with the Oregon roster, but things can change. He also just signed a two year extension with the Gophers, so again, this looks long shot to me.

Jim McElwain, Fired at Florida
Some have told me that McElwain was the guy that Oregon really wanted last year when they hired Taggart, but he refused and returned to the Gators, where that relationship imploded this year. He still could be considered, as he had strong backing for the job last year. Still, the way he spurned them then, followed by getting canned by Florida is not a great look. I still give this an average chance of happening.

Justin Wilcox, California
Wilcox has strong family ties in Eugene and with the Ducks. It is very rare to have a coach leave one PAC-12 school for another, so that could be an issue. Wilcox did a solid job at Cal this season, and would be viewed as many as a no brainer choice for the job, but would he bail on Cal now, to coach a rival in the same division of the same conference? I say this is an average shot, but less likely in reality.

Kevin Sumlin, Fired at Texas A&M
Sumlin makes a ton of sense for the Ducks, as his offensive philosophy would fit perfectly with what the Ducks like to do. He was the initial name attached to this job when rumors began circling around Taggart, and he was neck deep in the UCF job search, before suddenly pulling out. Sumlin to Oregon makes perfect sense in every way here, so I would stamp his candidacy as high level.

Jeff Tedford, Fresno State
Tedford has ties to Oregon as well, and nobody can deny what he pulled off in one season at Fresno State. The issue here would be his overall age, first of all, and his desire to get this job, and then his final days at Cal need to be examined before any power school would reach out to him again. I say this has an average to high chance.

Mike Leach, Washington State
There is virtually zero chance of this happening, and would be a basic pipe dream. While there has been talk of Leach leaving Pullman after Bill Moos left for Nebraska, this move would even be zany by Leach standards.

Bryan Harsin, Boise State
Harsin was really into this job last year, and did indeed interview for it. He could be the dark horse of the group, but would they make this move right before Oregon/Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl? That could add some saltiness to the mess.

Neal Brown, Troy
A severe outside shot guy who could be waiting for his chance in the SEC. His philosophy fits, but he has never been a west coast guy.

Jason Candle, Toledo
He was really invested in the UCF search that ended up going to Josh Heupel. He could be a very interesting fit here.

Mike Norvell, Memphis
Memphis just locked him down with a nice contract extension, but with PAC-12 ties at Arizona State, Oregon would be wise to reach out anyway.

Lane Kiffin, FAU
Extensive PAC-12 experience, and after his Nick Saban studies, blew up at FAU. This could be crazy, but just crazy enough to work.

More on this job as news starts becoming available...

SMU
With Chad Morris off to Arkansas, it's time now to look at who could be in play at SMU. Morris is looking to take a ton of his current staff with him to the Razorbacks, so let us examine who could fit with the Mustangs...

Jeff Traylor, SMU Interim Coach
Traylor will get an audition for the full time job as he coaches the Mustangs in the Frisco Bowl this month. As part of the current staff, he could be a choice for continuity.

Todd Graham, Fired at Arizona State
Has strong ties to the region, and coached at Rice, where he won enough to move on before David Bailiff derailed the program. Graham is off finishing second in the PAC-12, and at 7-5, was still fired in one of the more bizarre moves this year.

Seth Litrell, North Texas
Did a solid job as OC at North Carolina before moving on to resurrect success at North Texas. He won the CUSA West this season, and a move to SMU would be a huge boost in both money and resources. His Texas ties are rock solid.

Other early names could end up being Neal Brown of Troy, Blake Anderson of Arkansas State, Colby Carthel of Texas A&M Commerce, Willie Simmons of Prairie View, or Steve Campbell at Central Arkansas.
If SMU wants a big splash, they could work on Clemson's Brent Venables, as they also hired Morris away from the Tigers staff.

Kent State
The last word on this job was that Bob Nielson was being honed in on as a front runner for this job. Neilson is the current coach at South Dakota, where his team just lost to Sam Houston State in the FCS playoffs. He had previously coached at Western Illinois. Over the last 72 hours, there has been nothing at all on this job, other than Nielson saying that he is still the head coach at South Dakota.

UL-Lafayette
Brent Pry (DC Penn State), Matt Canada (OC, LSU), and Doug Nussmeier are the latest names out of the Ragin' Cajuns hunt, and this job has been a popular one at that. Look for Lance Guidry of McNeese State to be in on this as well. Expect other names that are involved at other schools to get in on this as well, like Steve Campbell of Central Arkansas, Willie Simmons of Prairie View, and Colby Carthel of Texas A&M Commerce. This will take some time to sort through.

South Alabama
The two primary players at USA appear to be Will Healy of Austin Peay, who would be the youngest coach in FBS football at 32 years old, and Chip Lindsey, the OC at Auburn. I would expect these two names to be the finalists in Mobile.

Tennessee
It would appear the Phil Fulmer has settled on a trio of finalists that would be very non-Gruden like for the Tennessee fan base. He is looking at Georgia DC Mel Tucker, Alabama DC Josh Pruitt, and Auburn DC Kevin Steele. These appear to be the finalists, but remember that Pruitt was telling people that he had intended on taking the Mississippi State job that ended up going to Joe Moorhead. Stay tuned.

UTEP
It would appear that KC Keeler of Sam Houston State is still the number one candidate, but Sam Houston State is still right in the thick of an FCS title hunt, so until the Bearkats are eliminated, stay tuned.

More news later!

John Conlon National Offensive Player of the Year: FBS 2017

If you have been reading this blog for any period of time, you know that this is the time of year where I start naming my annual All-Bilo teams. That will still be happening in the days ahead. Today, it is my pleasure to name the quarter finalists for a brand new award, the John Conlon National FBS Offensive Player of the Year. Here are my selections for quarter finalists:

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
McKenzie Milton, UCF
Drew Lock, Missouri
Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
Bryce Love, Stanford
Jonathon Taylor, Wisconsin
Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic
James Washington, Oklahoma State
Anthony Miller, Memphis
Anthony Johnson, Buffalo
Diontae Johnson, Toledo

Here are my quarter finalists for the John Conlon National FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award:

Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State
Chris Streveler, South Dakota
Devlin Hodges, Samford
Taryn Christion, South Dakota State
Dominick Bragalone, Lehigh
De'Lance Turner, Alcorn State
Ryan Fulse, Wagner
Zane Dudek, Yale
Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State
Jaelon Acklin, Western Illinois
Jesper Horsted, Princeton
Davion Davis, Sam Houston State

And finally, here are my quarter finalists for the John Conlon D2 Offensive Player of the Year Award:

Luis Perez, Texas A&M Commerce
Connor Jessup, Shepherd
Tanner Garry, Slippery Rock
Amir Hall, Bowie State
Marc Jones, Gannon
Robert Chesson, Bowie State
Walter Fletcher, Edinboro
Trenton Cannon, Virginia State
Austin Ryan, Bentley
Jalen Tolliver, Arkansas-Monticello
Weston Carr, Azusa Pacific
Marcus Johnson, Slippery Rock

Stay tuned tomorrow, as I introduce our William Bilo Defensive Player of the Year Quarter Finalists!

In Review: 2017 Charlotte 49ers (#127)

What Went Wrong
This incredibly young football program is still paining to gain any traction in FBS football. I still wonder aloud why this program is playing FBS football at all, especially when the Power Five and ESPN has so much sway over things that G5 football is largely becoming more of an afterthought than ever.
Brad Lambert was thought to be on his way out the door as head coach at the end of the season, but he made some staff changes, and will be given one more season to work it all out.
The passing game for the 49ers was a mess. They averaged just 136.9 yards passing per game, and a QBR of just 91.35 as a football team. Not great. Hasaan Klugh's QBR was marginally hire than the team average at just over 96, but he tossed 13 INTs to just 10 TD passes. No single receiver caught more than 31 passes, and a deep threat was merely a dream.
The 49ers defense really fell off as well, as they picked up just 50 TFLs this season, while allowing 78, and that is a sizable gap. The defensive unit also only picked up 11 sacks all season as well, while the offense allowed 22.
The secondary was a hot mess as well, picking off just two passes all season, while allowing 248.8 yards passing per game, and the defense as a while allowed 205.83 yards rushing per game. Charlotte rushed for just 13 TDs on the year, but allowed 26 rushing TDs, and also allowed 18 passing TDs against their almost non-existent two team INTs. Not one player defended more than five passes as well on the season.
The field goal unit was also abysmal, hitting just 4/13 FGs all season long. Three different kickers attempted FGs, all with negative results.

What Went Right
It certainly was not in fan support, as Charlotte never drew as many as 20,000 fans to a single home game all season. The lone win all season did, however, come against a resurgent UAB football team, and that was the bright spot.
As bad as the offense was, the 49ers still rushed for over 166 yards per game, with Klugh providing most of the scoring with nine rushing scores. Benny LeMay and Aaron McCallister both averaged over five yards per carry.
Senior Punter Arthur Hart was rock solid as well for a guy who so much was asked of. He averaged 43.47 yards per punt on 7.1 punts per game.

What Does the Future Hold?
Lambert gets one more season to try and get this football team on the rails again, but this team fell off miserably from any progress made in 2016 after a four win season. The needle is pointing the wrong way at this point, and so the battle is all uphill.
Tough games loom at home and on the road in non con play, as the 49ers get Fordham and Appalachian State at home, while they get an improving U Mass and Tennessee on the road. I would say Lambert making it back for another go after 2018 has long odds.

In Review: 2017 Oregon State Beavers (#128)

What Went Wrong
If not for Kansas, Oregon State would have been the worst Power Five program in the nation in 2017. Gary Anderson quit on the team mid-season, because, quite frankly, he did a terrible job with this program. He bemoaned his staff's deficiencies to reporters instead of dealing with them himself, given that he is the guy who hired those staffers. He never seemed t be comfortable leading this program, and he very well may not coach for some time on any Power Five level job, if he does ever again.
On the field, the Beavers were a mess. Jake Luton gave them hope early at QB, but when he went down, Darrell Garretson could not get it done, averaging just 146.5 yards per game, and completing just 57.9% of his passes. It may have gone better, but Marcus McMaryion was chased out of the program, and transferred to Fresno State, where he ended up starting for a division winning football team. Bad decisions...
Ryan Nall, the best player on the offensive side of the football was only limited to 15 carries per game, and that was a shockingly bad decision when it came to game planning, and not one receiver caught as many as 35 passes for the season.
Defensively, the Beavers were abysmal, allowing 43 points per game. No one player finished with more than six TFLs for the season, and the Beavers finished with just 50 total TFLs. The Beavers also only finished with seven INTs for the season, while allowing 12, and no one player had more than four PBUs.
There was little help from the field goal unit either, as Jordan Choukair hit on just 12/19 FG attempts, or just 63.2%.
The punting unit was not much better. Nick Porebski and Alex Brand combined to average just 38 yards per punt on the season, which completely screwed their defense.

What Went Right
There really was only one thing that went collectively right, and that was the play of Nall. Nall rushed for 861 yards for a terrible football team, and he had a knack for the big play, but when he was the only skill player that showed up to work every single week, he literally had nothing to work with.

What Does the Future Hold?
Former Beaver QB Jonathon Smith has returned to Corvallis after working with Chris Peterson in Washington as the OC for the Huskies. His return has generated a ton of buzz for the program, but the reality is that he has not been a head coach at any level, and he has a massive mountain of doom ahead of him in trying to not rebuild this program, but build it from scratch. With Oregon right down the road, the facilities and resources still pale by comparison in Corvallis, and he is way behind the ball in recruiting. The Beavers open at Ohio State next season, but winnable games against Southern Utah and Nevada come after. One thing to remember is that Oregon State has not been great against FCS Big Sky teams as of late, so that SUU game looms larger than it should.

In Review: 2017 Kansas Jayhawks

We have already reviewed our #130 ranked team in our PRS Rankings with UTEP, and now move on to Kansas, who comes in at #129. Kansas gets the distinction of being the biggest Power 5 dumpster fire brewing in the nation once again in 2017, and the program is going absolutely nowhere with David Beaty in charge, which led to him not actually being fired, because someone in the administration just likes him so darned much. Blah, blah, blah...

What Went Wrong
It all started when David Beaty wasn't fired at the end of the 2016 season, continued on through 2017, and was told he would be back in 2018. Let me tell you now that we will be right back around this spot this time next year.
Once again, Kansas could not settle in on one QB, and played two, and neither could pass a 1:1 ratio on TDs to INTs. Peyton Bender was the best they had at 10:10, while Carter Stanley finished at 4:7.That's not turning the dial in the passing game for Kansas. Khalil Herbert probably should have been the feature back, but again, they gave a large amount of carries to three different backs, even though Hebert was the lone back that averaged over five yards per carry. Still, Beaty found it in his heart to dole out 141 carries to Taylor Martin and Dom Williams, neither of which broke the 3.5 yards per carry barrier.
Only one receiver caught more than 30 passes, and only two caught as many as 30. In total, the Jayhawks combined for 14 TD receptions as a team, while allowing 31.
Kansas had no issue with making plays behind the line on runs, but when it came to sacks, Kansas was fairly below average at pressuring QBs on passing play. Daniel Wise was the only player to finish with five or more sacks in 2017, as he finished with seven. Nobody else generated more than 2.5.
Pass defense was a mess as well when it came to generating turnovers, as Kansas managed just four INTs as a team all season. Only one player managed more than five PBUs as well.
The defense, which was not terrible every week (more on that shortly), was not given any gifts by the punting game, as the Jayhawks averaged just 39.47 yards per punt on the season.

What Went Right
When you go 1-11, it is hard to find the light at the end of the tunnel. In the case of Kansas, where the program has been down so long, it makes it even tougher.
While not great, the passing game did manage to generate some yards between the 20s, averaging 226.4 yards per game. Now, someone needs to step up and take the job, and give them some stability under center. Bender and Stanley both return. Steven Sims, Jr. needs to decide if he is coming back, but he is the default receiver to go to in that passing game, as he caught 59 passes on the season and caught six TDs. Someone needs to develop as a credible deep threat to make this passing game go.
Herbert needs to be the guy at RB moving forward as well. He ran for 663 yards, and averaged over five yards per carry.
If the line can develop on offense, all other things can start to move forward, but you cannot allow over two sacks per game and 7.67 TFLs per game and succeed on any real level.
Defensively, some improvements were evident at times, but giving up 31 TDs to just four INTs on the season makes those improvements harder to recognize. The team did improve by 62 yards per game against the run, however. Joe Dineen, Jr and Daniel Wise had terrific seasons on the whole, as did Dorance Armstrong, Jr. That group combined for 50 TFLs on the year. Hasan Defense gave them some effort as well, as he finished with nine PBUs.
The field goal unit was solid as well, as Gabriel Rui, a junior, hit 17/20 FG attempts on the season. He should return as a senior in 2018.

What Does the Future Hold?
Beaty returns in 2018, for better or for worse. Kansas has the revenue and resources to do better than what they have done under him, and so better options should be out there, but Kansas has to prove that they want all in on football, and that they are no longer satisfied with being a basketball school. There are some decent pieces coming back next fall, and there should be opportunities to improve. A 4-8 season next year would be reason to celebrate. The non con schedule is manageable with games against Nicholls State, Central Michigan, and Rutgers. The Jayhawks just have to go get those wins.

In Review: 2017 UTEP Miners

When you are the lone winless team in the nation, playing in the Conference USA West Division, no less, things obviously went wrong in every way. Sean Kugler, who was largely thought to be on the hot seat entering the season, never made it past the midway point of the year, and resigned. Here's a look at what went wrong, a look at anything that can be derived as right, and what the future seems to hold for UTEP football...

What Went Wrong
Everything. Sean Kugler, who two years ago had UTEP heading in an upward trajectory with Aaron Jones at RB, never could find the key to the formula to keep things moving up after Jones left early for the Green Bay Packers. The run game was a point of negative emphasis, as the Miners averaged just over 95 yards rushing per game this season, and freshman Joshua Fields led the team with just 362 yards on the season. As a team, the Miners rushed for just 3.32 yards per carry, and scored just eight rushing TDs on the year. If you were expecting anything better from the passing game, well, that was a disappointment for you as well, as the MIners averaged just 134 yards passing per gameand as a team, threw just seven TD passes to 14 INTs. Miners QBs completed just 45.5% of their passes, and the offense scored over 20 points just twice all season, and averaged just 11.8 points per game.
Defensively, the Miners allowed 36.8 points per game. It could have been much worse, but it wasn't a stellar year there either. Teams rushed for 234 yards per game against UTEP, and only Alvin Jones seemed to be able to get into backfields to make plays, as he finished with 10.5 TFLs. Nobody else finished with more than 4.5. The UTEP defense generated just 0.92 sacks per game, while they allowed 2.08. UTEP also only generated six INTs all season, while allowing 14.
ooking for help from your field goal unit? Yeah, same story, as the Miners connected on just 3/7 FG attempts all season long.
Attendance also tanked, as the Miners drew over 20,000 for a home game just twice all season long, against Arizona and against Western Kentucky. Only 16,597 fans showed up for the home finale against Louisiana Tech, but that beats the 11,411 people that caught them on the road against Middle Tennessee.

What Went Right
Very few things were areas of brightness. Punter Alan Luna was a busy guy, punting 6.6 times per game, and averaged over 44 yards per attempts. You have to start somewhere, but he is a senior, and will need replacing next fall. Fields and Quardez Wadley showed some promise in small doses, and could use a bump from a new coaching staff and scheme to make the most of their talents in the run game. Kalon Beverly and Nik Needham, both of which should be seniors next fall, were both decent in pass defense, combining for 16 PBUs.

What Does the Future Hold? 
Finding a coach is the top priority at this moment for the Miners. Mike Price came in as the interim, but had little effect on the program, and will not stick around for the full time gig. As of this moment, Sam Houston State coach KC Keeler is the front runner, but no deal has been done yet.
The schedule should not be terrible out of conference next fall, as UTEP has non con games against UNLV, Northern Arizona, and New Mexico State, which all represent opportunities for wins, but this program has to start building from rock bottom, as that is where they have currently reached.

Final Regular Season FBS PRS Rankings

Sunday, December 3, 2017
Rank	Points	Team	Record	Opponent
1	2793	Oklahoma	12-1	Def. Texas Christian 41-17
2	2711	Central Florida	12-0	Def. Memphis 62-55 2 OT's
3	2607	Wisconsin	12-1	Lost to Ohio State 27-21
4	2484	Georgia	12-1	Def. Auburn 28-7
5	2443	Clemson	12-1	Def. Miami (FL) 38-3
6	2395	Ohio State	11-2	Def. Wisconsin 27-21
7	2294	Alabama	11-1	Regular Season Over
8	2162	Penn State	10-2	Regular Season Over
9	2106	Southern California	11-2	Def. Stanford 31-28
10	2038	Toledo	11-2	Def. Akron 45-28
11	1899	Memphis	10-2	Lost to Central Florida 62-55 2 OT's
12T	1849	Oklahoma State	9-3	Regular Season Over
12T	1849	Washington	10-2	Regular Season Over
14	1792	Boise State	10-3	Def. Fresno State 17-14
15	1776	Florida Atlantic	10-3	Def. North Texas 41-17
16	1726	Troy	10-2	Def. Arkansas State 32-25
17	1695	Auburn	10-3	Lost to Georgia 28-7
18	1674	Texas Christian	10-3	Lost to Oklahoma 41-17
19	1671	San Diego State	10-2	Regular Season Over
20	1628	Miami (FL)	10-2	Lost to Clemson 38-3
21	1613	South Florida	9-2	Regular Season Over
22	1586	Notre Dame	9-3	Regular Season Over
23	1474	Northwestern	9-3	Regular Season Over
24	1453	Stanford	9-4	Lost to Southern California 31-28
25	1401	Virginia Tech	9-3	Regular Season Over
26	1343	Michigan State	9-3	Regular Season Over
27	1304	Louisiana State	9-3	Regular Season Over
28	1280	Washington State	9-3	Regular Season Over
29	1188	North Texas	9-4	Lost to Florida Atlantic 41-17
30	1154	Fresno State	9-4	Lost to Boise State 17-14
31	1116	Ohio	8-4	Regular Season Over
32	1106	Louisville	8-4	Regular Season Over
33	1099	Michigan	8-4	Regular Season Over
34	1085	Appalachian State	8-4	Def. Louisiana-Lafayette 63-14
35	1034	Army	8-3	Bye
36	1014	Central Michigan	8-4	Regular Season Over
37	986	Northern Illinois	8-4	Regular Season Over
38	961	Southern Mississippi	8-4	Regular Season Over
39	940	North Carolina State	8-4	Regular Season Over
40	926	Mississippi State	8-4	Regular Season Over
41	880	Alabama-Birmingham	8-4	Regular Season Over
42	876	Arkansas State	7-4	Lost to Troy 32-25
43	801	Florida International	8-4	Def. Massachusetts 63-45
44	797	South Carolina	8-4	Regular Season Over
45	791	Iowa	7-5	Regular Season Over
46	783	Arizona	7-5	Regular Season Over
47	751	Marshall	7-5	Regular Season Over
48T	691	Arizona State	7-5	Regular Season Over
48T	691	Missouri	7-5	Regular Season Over
50	656	Boston College	7-5	Regular Season Over
51	644	Colorado State	7-5	Regular Season Over
52	641	Wake Forest	7-5	Regular Season Over
53	632	West Virginia	7-5	Regular Season Over
54	630	Southern Methodist	7-5	Regular Season Over
55	624	Iowa State	7-5	Regular Season Over
56	564	Oregon	7-5	Regular Season Over
57	555	Kansas State	7-5	Regular Season Over
58	547	Navy	6-5	Bye
59	515	Houston	7-4	Regular Season Over
60	478	Texas A&M	7-5	Regular Season Over
61	458	Kentucky	7-5	Regular Season Over
62	445	Wyoming	7-5	Regular Season Over
63	440	Texas	6-6	Regular Season Over
64	391	New Mexico State	6-6	Def. South Alabama 22-17
65	330	Texas-San Antonio	6-5	Regular Season Over
66	319	UCLA	6-6	Regular Season Over
67	267	Western Michigan	6-6	Regular Season Over
68	254	Georgia State	6-5	Lost to Idaho 24-10
69	237	Texas Tech	6-6	Regular Season Over
70	234	Akron	7-6	Lost to Toledo 45-28
71	219	Utah State	6-6	Regular Season Over
72T	203	Buffalo	6-6	Regular Season Over
72T	203	Middle Tennessee State	6-6	Regular Season Over
74	200	Florida State	6-6	Def. Louisiana-Monroe 42-10
75	184	Utah	6-6	Regular Season Over
76	128	Mississippi	6-6	Regular Season Over
77	125	Western Kentucky	6-6	Regular Season Over
78	109	Duke	6-6	Regular Season Over
79	96	Eastern Michigan	5-7	Regular Season Over
80	68	Louisiana Tech	6-6	Regular Season Over
81	48	Temple	6-6	Regular Season Over
82	24	Virginia	6-6	Regular Season Over
83	-22	Purdue	6-6	Regular Season Over
84	-61	Georgia Tech	5-6	Regular Season Over
85	-143	Air Force	5-7	Regular Season Over
86	-144	Minnesota	5-7	Regular Season Over
87	-187	Indiana	5-7	Regular Season Over
88	-189	Nevada-Las Vegas	5-7	Regular Season Over
89	-195	Colorado	5-7	Regular Season Over
90	-210	California	5-7	Regular Season Over
91	-233	Tulane	5-7	Regular Season Over
92	-234	Miami (OH)	5-7	Regular Season Over
93	-255	Louisiana-Lafayette	5-7	Lost to Appalachian State 63-14
94	-307	Vanderbilt	5-7	Regular Season Over
95	-364	Florida	4-7	Regular Season Over
96	-373	Pittsburgh	5-7	Regular Season Over
97	-378	Louisiana-Monroe	4-8	Lost to Florida State 42-10
98	-465	Old Dominion	5-7	Regular Season Over
99	-569	Nebraska	4-8	Regular Season Over
100	-685	Idaho	4-8	Def. Georgia State 24-10
101	-687	South Alabama	4-8	Lost to New Mexico State 22-17
102	-693	Arkansas	4-8	Regular Season Over
103	-725	Syracuse	4-8	Regular Season Over
104	-730	Maryland	4-8	Regular Season Over
105	-767	Massachusetts	4-8	Lost to Florida International 63-45
106	-806	Cincinnati	4-8	Regular Season Over
107	-815	Tennessee	4-8	Regular Season Over
108	-873	Rutgers	4-8	Regular Season Over
109	-897	Brigham Young	4-9	Regular Season Over
110	-921	Nevada-Reno	3-9	Regular Season Over
111	-961	Hawaii	3-9	Regular Season Over
112	-990	Coastal Carolina	3-9	Def. Georgia Southern 28-17
113	-1000	Georgia Southern	2-10	Lost to Coastal Carolina 28-17
114	-1013	North Carolina	3-9	Regular Season Over
115	-1096	Tulsa	2-10	Regular Season Over
116	-1124	New Mexico	3-9	Regular Season Over
117	-1145	East Carolina	3-9	Regular Season Over
118	-1148	Connecticut	3-9	Regular Season Over
119	-1348	Bowling Green State	2-10	Regular Season Over
120	-1458	Illinois	2-10	Regular Season Over
121	-1509	Texas State	2-10	Regular Season Over
122	-1606	Kent State	2-10	Regular Season Over
123	-1647	Baylor	1-11	Regular Season Over
124	-1686	Ball State	2-10	Regular Season Over
125	-1689	Rice	1-11	Regular Season Over
126	-1814	San Jose State	2-11	Regular Season Over
127	-1853	Charlotte	1-11	Regular Season Over
128	-1955	Oregon State	1-11	Regular Season Over
129	-2011	Kansas	1-11	Regular Season Over
130	-2301	Texas-El Paso	0-12	Regular Season Over

Mountain West Championship Preview

Boise State Broncos (9-3, 7-1) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3, 7-1)

This is the second straight week these two teams have played each other, as Fresno State won last weekend by a score of 28-17. It was the first loss in conference play for Boise State, who may not have put all of their cards on the table based upon the fact that both teams knew they would be playing again this week.
For Boise State, they are averaging 33.3 points per game. Brett Rypien has had time taken away from his reps by Kansas transfer Montell Cozart, and they have combined for over 3000 yards passing and 24 TDs to just five INTs. That said, it seems to disturb the flow of the game once Rypien gets pulled for Cozart and then comes back in, as Boise State has, at times, had struggles moving the football against certain opponents. Alexander Mattison has rushed for just over 1000 yards this seasonwith 11 scores, but the Broncos are not consistent in this area, and run for just 149 yards per game. They are averaging 254 yards per game through the air.
Cedrick Wilson is the star at WR, as he has rolled up  1142 yards receiving and has scored six times, while TE Jake Roh has been the other go to option, with 9 TD receptions this season.
On the defensive side, Leighton Vander Esch emerged as the leader this season, as he wraps the regular season with 13 tackles, with 71 tackles being solo jobs. Kekoa Nawahine has been a star as well at DB with 90 tackles. Freshman LB Curtis Weaver has been a major threat up front with 10 TFLs, and Tyler Horton has defended 11 passes.
On the Fresno State front, the Bulldogs have had one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA history under first year coach Jeff Tedford. Oregon State transfer Marcus McMaryion gave the Bulldogs some stability at the QB position, which they had not had since Derek Carr graduated. They went to a team approach at RB, and rushed for 158 yards per game. KeeSean Johnson emerged at WR as well, catching 64 passes this season while scoring 8 times.
On defense, the Bulldogs made major strides and went from allowing 30.9 points per game in 2016, to allowing just over 17 in 2017. Sophomore LB Jeffrey Allison finished with a solid 103 tackles, while LB Robert Stanley joined defensive linemen Tobenna Okeke and Malik Forrester to combine for 25.5 TFLs on the season. JuJu Hughes and Jaron Bryant, both sophomores, combined for 13 PBUs as well.

Conference USA Championship Preview

Florida Atlantic Owls (9-3, 8-0) vs. North Texas Mean Green (9-3, 7-1)

FAU dominated North Texas in an earlier meeting this season 69-31, and looks to be heavily favored coming into this contest as well. All eyes are on the Lane Train, as Lane Kiffin has put FAU football back on the map in one single season, and seems to be having fun doing it.
Jason Driskel is the key player at QB for the Owls, and has tossed 12 TDs to just four picks since taking over the starting job from Daniel Parr early in the season. All eyes, however, will be on RB Devin Singletary, who rushed for a nation leading 26 TDs on 1632 yards rushing. Willie Bright is the key receiver for the Owls when passing.
Defensively, FAU allows just 24.8 points per game, and generally finds ways to outscore everyone with a barrage of offense. The Owls do allow 233 yards passing per game, and another 172.8 yards per game rushing. LB Azeez Al-Shaair is the star, with 123 tackles.
North Texas had a stunning season in their own rights, but they are the underdog heading in. They are led by the play of Mason Fine, who passed for 3393 yards and 27 TDs to 11 INTs. Senior RB Jeffrey Wilson gives them balance with 1215 yards and a whopping 16 rushing scores of his own. Jalen Guyton and Rico Bussey, Jr. combined for 15 TD receptions and Michael Lawrence added 50 receptions on the season.
Defensively for the Mean Green, they are allowing a whopping 3 points per game. If they cannot shore up their scoring defense deficiencies, the Owls are going to jump all over them early, just like the first time around. They allow 212 yards passing per game and teams are running all over them to a tune of 202 yards per game on the ground.

MAC Championship Game

Akron Zips (7-5, 6-2) vs. Toledo Rockets (10-2, 7-1)

Toledo hammered Akron 48-21 back on 10/27, and the Zips rebounded to shock everyone and win the East division over Ohio. Akron scores just 23.3 points per game on offense, and has ridden solid defense to this point by only allowing just over 24 points per game. Freshman QB Kato Nelson has taken the team on his shoulders with the injury to Thomas Woodson, and the Zips are 2-1 in his starts. The Achilles for the Zips on offense is a run game that averages just 107.75 yards per game.
Defensively, Akron is led by LB Ulysees Gilbert III, who finished the regular season with 117 tackles, with 8.5 for loss. DE Jamal Davis II leads the team with 10.5 TFLs, and Kyron Brown leads the secondary with 11 passes broken up. Jordan Georgie picked off four passes this season as well.

For the Rockets, they have been on a solid run, scoring over 50 points per game the last two weeks in wins over Bowling Green and Western Michigan, as they were coming off a loss to Ohio in which they scored just 10 points. Logan Woodside, despite missing a ton of talent around him coming into the season, has been rock solid again, passing for 287.6 yards per game, with 24 TDs to just three INTs. Senior RB Terry Swanson stepped up big, rushing for 1139 yards on the year, while scoring 12 times. Freshman RB Shakif Seymour also managed to rush for 12 scores on 665 yards rushing. The favorite target in the passing game is Diontae Johnson, who finished the regular season with 1139 yards receiving and 11 scores.
Defensively, Toledo allows just over 25 points per game. DE Olasunkamni Adeniyi is the star, with 16.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks on the season. Most nights, Toledo will be happy just trying to outscore opponents while not having much in the way of any special talent on defense.

ACC Championship Preview

Clemson Tigers (11-1, 7-1) vs. Miami Hurricanes (10-1, 7-1)

Clemson Wins If: Kelly Bryant Finds Consistency
Kelly Bryant has been solid in 2017, but what he needs to be is consistent to win this football game, and that has not been his strong suit this fall. Bryant has passed for just 12 TDs on the season with six picks, and his rushing totals are all over the place as well. Miami has one of the better front sevens in college football, and Bryant will have to be on his A game to beat it.

Clemson Wins If: They Follow the Game Plan That Pitt Rolled Out Last Week
Malik Rosier completed just 44% of his passes in an upset loss to the Panthers in the regular season finale last week, and Clemson has to be able to pressure Rosier into making mistakes in ball placement this week as well. Clemson allows just 169.7 yards passing per game, and that could spell trouble for the Hurricanes this week.

Miami Wins If: Travis Homer Finds a Way To Explode
Homer has done an admirable job taking over for the injured Mark Walton, but he has not found a consistent week to week groove, and he was shut down by Pitt last week to the tune of just 12 yards rushing on seven carries. He has rushed for 861 yards this seasonand had a 146 yard effort against Notre Dame in the win. If he can replicate that night, Miami has a shot,because the passing game cannot do it alone.

Miami Wins If: They Don't Bend and Break On Defense
The Hurricanes allow just over 18 points per game, but they do allow a bit of activity between the 20s. Miami allows 210 yards passing per game, and just over 152 yards rushing, and if you allow that to Clemson, you are playing with fire.

Clemson Key Players Offense: QB Kelly Bryant, Rb Travis Etienne, RB Tavien Feaster, WR Deon Cain, WR Hunter Renfrow, WR Ray Ray McCloud
Clemson Key Players Defense: LB Dorian O'Daniel, LB Kendall Joseph, DL Clelin Farrell, DL Austin Bryant, DL Christian Wilkins, DB Ryan Carter, DB AJ Terrell, DB Taryvon Mullen

Miami Key Players Offense: QB Malik Rosier, RB Travis Homer, WR Braxton Berrios, TE Christopher Herndon IV, WR Jeff Thomas
Miami Key Players Defense: LB Jaquan Johnson, DL RJ McIntosh, DL Trent Harris, DL Joe Jackson, DL Chad Thomas, DB Malek Young

Big 10 Championship Preview

Wisconsin Badgers (12-0, 8-0) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1)

Wisconsin Wins If: Alex Hornibrook Doesn't Have to Do Too Much
Hornibrook is the consummate game manager, but when he has to become a passer, train wreck status looms. He has tossed 21 TDs this season, but has also tossed 13 INTs as well. This is a game in which Jonathon Taylor just has to take over at RB. Taylor has rushed for 1806 yards and 13 TDs, and this game is his shining moment opportunity.

Wisconsin Wins If: They Take Advantage Of a Gimpy JT Barrett
Barrett just had arthroscopic knee surgery in the last 36 hours, and yet will play this week. WIth Wisconsins's athleticism on defense, they should be able to take advantage of what could be a gimpy Barrett who has a tricky knee. If they can take Barrett out as a weapon, the Badgers win this football game. Even if he can throw the ball, he has to avoid Nick Nelson and Natrell Jamerson (30 combined PBUs).

Ohio State Wins If: Barrett Is Completely Healthy and Able
I don't like the chances of this happening, just having had surgery. Barrett will likely be slow, and his knee will be shot up with meds to make him get by, but he will not likely be at full speed. If he takes a bad hit, there could be trouble. If he is a miracle man, and is 100% healthy, he was just named Big 10 QB of the Year for a reason.

Ohio State Wins If: They Contain Taylor
That will be the key to winning this week. They have to keep Taylor from being able to do whatever he wants to in the run game. If they can do that, it puts too much of a load on Alex Hornibrook, and things could fall apart. The Buckeyes simply have to make Taylor a non factor. Wisconsin runs for 243 yards per game, and if they get near that number, the Buckeyes are in trouble.

Wisconsin Key Players Offense: QB Alex Hornibrook, RB Jonathon Taylor, WR Quintez Sephus, TE Troy Fumagalli, WR AJ Taylor
Wisconsin Key Players Defense: LB Ryan Connelly, LB TJ Edwards, LB Garret Dooley, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, LB Leon Jacobs, DL Alec James, DB Nick Nelson, DB Natrell Jamerson, DB Derrick Tindall, DB Joe Ferguson

SEC Championship Preview

Auburn Tigers (10-2, 7-1) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1)

Auburn Wins If: Their Hot Hand Continues
The Tigers were a mess for the first month of the season, but suddenly the jets turned on across the board, the offense clicked, and they ran through the rest of their schedule, including earlier blowout wins over both Georgia and Alabama. Auburn is one of the hottest teams in the nation right now, and they are getting hotter by the minute on the field.

Auburn Wins If: The Defense Continues to Dominate
The Tigers give up just 16.4 points per game, and that number was lower against Alabama, as they allowed just 14 points against the Tide. The Tigers only allow 177 yards passing per game, and just 125 yards rushing. If that continues to be the trend tomorrow, the Tigers will be your SEC champs.

Georgia Wins If: Jake Fromm Clears His Head From the Last Meeting
Fromm was terrible against Auburn, completing just 46% of his passes. He will need to be a passing threat in order to keep the Tigers from bunching up with eight in the box to stop backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Chubb was able to run for just 27 yards, while Michel was held to 21 yards in that loss, all because Fromm could not spread the field as a passing threat.

Georgia Wins If: The Defense Outplays Auburn's Defense
With the offense going into complete failure mode last time in a 40-17 loss, the defense quickly became overwhelmed. Georgia, on average, allows just 13.8 points per game, but imploded that day to allow a total of 40. With Auburn having injury concerns in their run game, the Bulldogs have to make that work in their favor, and slow down Auburn's ground attack. On the season, Georgia allows just 112 yards rushing. They will have to keep the number somewhere near there to have a shot here.

Auburn Key Players Offense: QB Jarrett Stidham, RB Kerryon Johnson (Could be injured), RB Kam Martin, WR Ryan Davis, WR Darius Slayton
Auburn Key Players Defense: LB Jeff Holland, DL Derrick Brown, DB Carlton Davis, DB Jamel Dean, DB Stephen Roberts, DB Javaris Davis

Georgia Key Players Offense: QB Jake Fromm, RB Nick Chubb, Rb Sony Michel, WR Javon Wims, WR Terry Godwin
Georgia Key Players Defense: LB Roquan Smith, DB JR Reed, LB D'Andre Walker, LB Lorenzo Carter, DB Deandre Baker, LB Davin Bellamy

Big 12 Championship Preview

Oklahoma Sooners (11-1, 8-1) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (10-2, 7-2)

Oklahoma Wins If: Baker Mayfield Does His Thing
Mayfield averages over 341 yards passing per game and has tossed 37 TDs to just five picks all year long. In their 38-20 win over the Frogs this season, Mayfield passed for 333 yards and three scores, with no INTs. Marquis Brown, Mark Andrews, and CeeDee Lamb will all get plenty of opportunities to catch the football, because you cannot double up all of them.

Oklahoma Wins If: They Play Defensively More to What They Did In the Earlier Win
Oklahoma beat TCU 38-20, but does allow over 25 points per game on average. If the Sooner can frustrate the Frogs and QB Kenny Hill early enough, and keep TCU from scoring a bunch of first half points, the Sooners should easily win this football game.

TCU Wins If: Kenny Hill Has the Game of His Life
Hill has not thrown a pick since 10/28 in a loss to Iowa State. He has to keep on that track if the Frogs are to have a shot tomorrow in this game. Look for Oklahoma to try to bottle up the edges and keep Hill in the pocket where he will have to make throws against an opportune play making secondary. Hill completed just 46% of his passes in the earlier loss to Oklahoma, and if that happens again, it will be another long day.

TCU Wins If: They Keep Mayfield From Tossing More Than Two Scoring Passes
Mayfield is at his best when he is hitting strikes in the end zone and helping OU run away with the win. When the Sooners get trapped into having to move the ball on the ground, they slow up and that does not fit their personnel. On the season, TCU allows just over 15 points per game, and they will have to do what they did to get there this time around, but that is a huge task.

Key Players Oklahoma Offense: QB Baker Mayfield, WR Marquis Brown, WR CeeDee Lamb, TE Mark Andrews, RB Rodney Anderson
Key Players Oklahoma Defense: LB Emmanuel Beal, DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DB Parnell Motley, DB Tre Norwood

Key Players TCU Offense: QB Kenny Hill, RB Darius Anderson, Rb Siwo Olonilua, WR John Diarse, WR Jalon Reager
Key Players TCU Defense: LB Travin Howard (Missed last 2 games), DL Ben Bonogu, DL Mat Boesen, DB Ranthony Texada, DB Jeff Gladney