Arena 2024-25 NCAA Football Discussion

Indiana and Michigan State are tied at 14 a piece, part way through the 4th Q.

 

And down goes Sparty.


In retrospect, anointing Texas and Michigan State based on wins over Notre Dame might have been premature.

 

So being an OU alum and diehard fan, I expected this season to be disappointing. We aren't allowed to be ranked in the top 5 preseason, nope, never. The game against TCU today....

 

After this weekend ...

1) I'm sorry I doubted Urban Meyer's ability to simply reload. I really thought the young Buckeye Defense would struggle, at least early in the season. Four games into the season, and the Silver Bullets have allowed two offensive touchdowns. Two. That's crazy.

2) I'm sorry I didn't get on board the Washington hype train. I thought it had a bit too much momentum (and still think it's likely they stub their toe at some point), but for as much as I respect Chris Petersen, I really missed the boat on this one. That win over Stanford was legit. I don't remember the last time I saw someone just manhandle Stanford.

3) I am glad I got on the Tennessee hype train. I maybe got a little too far on board it, but seeing the ending of that game Saturday, this team not only has talent, it's charmed. And that makes a difference. Look at the 2002 Buckeyes for a team that walked the tightrope like this one does. I think there's a decent chance they win once if they get two cracks at Alabama (and I think they will get two cracks at them), and that would just put a big old wrench into the committee.

4) As much as I want to see *ichigan fail, I really want 11-0 vs 11-0 the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

 

Outside of the two National Titles, and beating Alabama in the semifinal, my favorite Ohio State memory is #1 vs #2 against Michigan in Columbus. For those of us too young to remember the 10-year war (or not even alive for it), that is the height of the rivalry. Having those kinds of stakes in the game on a regular basis would be fantastic for both fan bases, and for college football in general.

And ... Strong. That really is a shame. I thought for sure Texas would take steps forward this year. I wonder if Strong won't be fired sooner than later to give Texas a lead on getting Tom Herman. The Urban Meyer hiring at Florida is a tell-tale sign to ADs everywhere. If you're going to make a move and pursue a coach you want, do it early. Florida fired Zook early, and got an edge on getting Meyer. Notre Dame should have had an edge on getting Meyer, but took too long to fire its coach, despite knowing they were going to, and ended up with Charlie Weiss. Firing the coach early, right or wrong, means you can pursue the hot coach with full gusto. LSU has already axed Les Miles. I expect a few additional big name schools to fire coaches, too. Texas, Oregon, maybe USC, and maybe even Penn State. And, lower prestige jobs, too - for example, it's impossible to imagine that Purdue won't have a coaching change this year. I think Strong gets fired, but still ends up with a Power Five job next year, but it could be a place like Purdue.

Of course, if Jimbo decides to go to LSU, we could see all kinds of dominos fall. Because if Tom Herman is offered Florida State or Texas. Well. To be honest, I don't know which one I'd choose.

 

Already beat Oklahoma this year, so why not stay and keep building the program?

Texas is not what it used to be. You'd have to pretty much start from scratch which wouldn't be too bad, but that means you would piss off lots of horns grads and the associated fan base in the process going through several "rebuilding years". Not to mention that athletic department at Texas appears to still be a mess since Perrin took over. But this also means that you'd still be stuck in the Big 12. I'd skip on this if I were him.

If you're not going to stay where you're at, why not? He'd be in the SEC, but the arguably harder SEC West, and given his history in Texas (both at the school and Houston) recruiting in Texas would probably be easier as well.

I'd either stay at Houston or go to LSU.

 

There are about five jobs on the same level as Texas. Where you have unlimited resources, a crazy fan base, and a mostly sane alumni base. Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, USC. Historic programs that will understand transition and give a coach time to install his program before calling for his head. Programs that will give you the opportunity to not only win, but win big and become a legend of the game.

If Texas offers you their head coaching job, you take it. Period.

If Texas called up Jimbo Fisher, he'd probably go. If Texas called up Brian Kelly, he'd almost certainly go. If Texas called up Chip Kelly, he'd seriously think about it. Hell, if Texas called Bob Stoops, it's probably 50/50 if he'd go or not.

It's Texas. ****ing Texas. You don't say no to Texas.

 

A number of games on the East coast will probably be delayed/moved/cancelled this weekend, so just keep an eye on the news if you were planning on attending one (or living/travelling in the area)

 

Man I always love to read horns fans use the reasoning "because it's/they/ we're Texas" as if that's enough of a reason to ignore the obvious decline in coaching talent the school has attracted in recent history, among the other issues.

Always good for a laugh IMO.


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... but it's true. I agree with everything Inty said. Texas is, basically, the pinnacle of college coaching jobs due to the confluence of factors, with 3-5 others being tied for 1a...

 

If Texas was still the dynasty it once was sure, but it isn't.


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... which, again, is something a coach can fix... it doesn't reduce any of the cache that the UT program has, be it size, importance in the state, financial backing, alumni, etc.

 

The right coach fixes, well, just about everything. How down was 'Bama before they hired Saban? how about *ichigan before they hired Harbaugh? You don't think USC would quickly regain status with the right hire?

 

I think you're overestimating the importance to the state. And arguably A&M has shown to be just as capable as Texas in funding for the athletic department, and increased in importance since the move to the SEC.

The right part for the puzzle completes the picture, but usually when you get a new HC you get a new coaching staff. Nuking the staff wouldn't necessarily bring a fix.


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I actually don't understand the point you're trying to make there. Yes, a new HC typically brings in a new staff. Harbaugh did this, Saban did this, Meyer (mostly) did this.

 

That the expectation that a new HC will bring an adjustment to their program and lure new prospects "because they're Texas" doesn't hold the same weight it once did. That ended with the Mack Brown era.

Texas is still a power in college football, but not what it once was and many of the other schools currently in the hunt for a new HC right now also have a lot to offer. One of which is that they're not in the Big XII.


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Which is exactly what everyone said about Alabama before they hired Nick Saban. That Alabama wasn't Alabama anymore. That the history and cache didn't matter. That young recruits didn't care about it. Franchione, Shula, DuBose ... all put the program in a perpetual state of mediocrity. But they were still Bama. And when Nick Saban came along, Bama was Bama again. It's not dissimlar to the end of the Mack Brown Era and the Charlie Strong years.

Don't just take my word, Stewart Mandell knowls a lot more about College Football than I do. His Kings and Barons article has lots of good info. His follow-up to that, does, too. Fox Sports emphatically (Today) declares Texas the best job in college football. And, Andy Staples ranking and explanation of the best 20 jobs in college football is pretty good, too.

 

Difference between then and now is that (I'm on mobile right now and can't go find the article) is that recruits have as recently as this summer been choosing schools like Auburn over Texas. And Texas records in past years aren't great, which can be explained by a few things but are immaterial when recruits look at who is going to give them what they what whether that's playing time, a national title, or preparing to play in the NFL.

Saban also had been a proven quantity over years. He had won a title at LSU and was a perennial top performer. I don't think you can say that about Franchione or Strong, which whose performances as HC's at A&M and Texas respectively, have hurt recruiting classes during and after their tenure.


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Yep, ODU moved it's football game to Friday instead of Saturday.