Meyer's Lieutenant, Mullen, New Mississippi State Head Coach

After five dismal seasons at Mississippi State Sylvester Croom, the first black coach in the SEC, resigned. Miss State wasted no time and was able to claim Urban Meyer's right hand man as their next head coach.

Dan Mullen, a former All-Conference tight end at Ursinus College, has been with Meyer at three different stops. He was the QB coach at Bowling Green and is credited with tutoring Josh Harris, who wrecked havoc as the Bowling Green signal caller. He then moved with Meyer over to Utah and continued his QB work with future #1 overall pick Alex Smith. He filled in as interim offensive coordinator in the Fiesta Bowl and lead the Utes to a big-time win over Pitt. Once again he made the leap with Meyer to Florida, but this time as the offensive coordinator and QB coach. He is credited with Chris Leak's performances in 2006, which lead to a BCS championship and more recently has worked closely with Mr. Tebow himself. In fact Tebow holds him in such high regards that he said Mullen's status would weigh into his decision to stay at UF another year.

Those are pretty solid credentials. Although the big question is whether he can bring in the necessary talent to win the SEC. He is going to have to compete with Ole Miss over the states top players but should be able to get a foothold in Florida after his years as coordinator with the Gators. Mullen said after his introduction that "We’re going to get on the road recruiting right away, get those players in here from the state. We’re going to try to control this state in recruiting as best we can right now and get it cranked up and put a great team on the field next year."

Mississippi State is not known for their long line of great QBs. Mullen should be fine though, being able to walk into a young man's house and tell him he could be the next Tebow is a pretty good recruiting line.

Urban Meyer... Man or Myth

In 2005, after two very successful stints at Bowling Green and Utah, Urban Meyer accepted the head coaching job and Florida to much controversy. People screamed that his spread offense was great for a Utah or a mid-major but it could not handle the speed of the SEC. They said he didn't belong. Oh how wrong they were.

While Urban Meyer was successful as the head coach at Bowling Green it was at Utah that he really put himself on the map. In his first season in 2003 he went 10-2 and was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year. In 2004 his success continued as he lead the Utes to an undefeated season that culminated with a win against Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the first time a mid-major appeared in the BCS.

He became the main target of Notre Dame and Florida, eventually choosing the Gators. But when he finally took the job many people predicted his doom. His spread offense, which was basically the west coast offense mashed with the option could not succed on the next level. People said that speed that SEC defenses possessed would tear apart the gimmick "offense."

Four seasons later it is safe to say that his offense has done just fine and the critics have been silenced. In 2005 Meyer lead the gators to a 9-3 season and an undefeated record at home. His offense did not take full form yet because he did not have the right trigger-man. Chris Leak, once a prize recruit was just not the type of player that Meyer was looking for to run his offense. He brought in blue-chip recruit Tim Tebow to groom for the job. Using Leak's passing ability and Tebow's running prowess Meyer lead the 2006 Gators to a BCS Championship.

2007 was a down year, by Meyer's recent standards although Tebow did win the Heisman.

Now in 2008 Meyer stands on the verge of another title, powered by Tebow and the offense that could not succeed. If the Gators can pull in another BCS championship against OU this Janurary then Urban Meyer may just emerge as the best coach in the short BCS era. Over time he may solidfy himself with the likes of Bryant and Schembechler. Not bad for a coach who didn't belong.

Lets go Bowling

The regular season has come to an end which means BOWLSSSSSSSSSSS. Most of them suck/no one cares about but there are some gems to be seen. Here is a list of some potential great ones:

Pioneer Las Vegas Dec 20th
BYU vs. Arizona

Arizona is a better team than most people think. BYU is still thinking about what could have been.

Meineke Car Care Dec 27th
West Virginia vs. North Carolina

Two underachievers will want to try and end with a win

Pacific Life Holiday Dec 30th
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Both are good teams. Oregon lost 3 times this year and only one of them was by more than 10 points (USC)

Chick-fil-A Dec 31st
LSU vs. Georgia Tech

After beating Georgia to end the season Georgia Tech is looking to go 2-0 against the SEC

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi Jan 1st
Penn State vs. USC

This one has the potential to be the best game of the bowl season. Or USC will just rumble through JoePa's lions

AT&T Cotton Jan 2nd
Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

Ole Miss beat Florida... enough said

Allstate Sugar Jan 2nd
Utah vs. Alabama

Can Utah win another BCS bowl?

Tostitos Fiesta Jan 5th
Ohio State vs. Texas

Can Ohio State finally show up in a big game?

FedEx BCS National Championship Game Jan 8th
Florida vs. Oklahoma

Tim Tebow, Sam Braford, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops... the list keeps on going

Heisman Watch: Week 15

This is the last watch for the season. More in depth analysis will follow in the days leading up to the ceremony this Monday.

Sam Bradford

Another game... another 300+ yards passing. Oh ya and two touchdowns. It was the 5th consecutive time his offense has dropped 60+ on a team. His chances look good but it is just too hard to tell. Being a sophomore may hurt, although it had no effect on Tebow last year. Performance Grade: B+

Colt McCoy

He had the weekend off thanks to the Big XII but his trip to NYC has already been booked. It appears to be down to him and Bradford but there is always....

Tim Tebow

His numbers are not as good as last year but I bet he has no problem with trading a SEC title and a possible national title for a Heisman. Although who knows. Maybe he can have both. Going 14-22 for 216 yards and 3 TDs (56 yards rushing) against the #1 team will sure help. Performance Grade: B+

Graham Harrell

He was off as well this weekend and he has no shot at the trophy but the question remains. Will he be invited to New York for the ceremony? That in itself is quite a stride for a Texas Tech QB.


For more analysis Heismanpundit

Tearing Down Dennis Dodd

This is an absolute special gem from CBSsports.com college football writer, Dennis Dodd:

Looking to fix BCS system? Here's an answer: Two national champs

From the start you know this is going to be too easy.

I'm here to help. After much thought, after sifting through hundreds of e-mail suggestions over the years and after being struck by a bolt of lightning this playoff revelation came to me ...

1. If you can accept the concept of two national champions each season then read on. That's what this playoff proposal is based on.

This looks like a good place to start. No I can not accept two national champions. What the hell does the word champion even mean to you? Right now the NCAA can't figure out a way to crown one true champion but you want them to try and tackle two. Genius.

In my BIG (Bald, Idiot, Goofball) playoff, the first national champion is named after the regular season, just like the old days. This season that would mean Florida already would have a trophy based on the AP poll. It doesn't have to be AP, it can be coaches, Harris, heck, any one of them. The point is, in the BIG playoff there is a regular-season champion and a playoff champion, not unlike baseball which has pennant winners and a world champion.

Ok so you propose naming a national champion with polls. What poll? Even this week the AP poll has Florida at #1 but the USA today poll has OU. How can you decide which poll is king? Is that not the problem with the BCS. Play the games. Decide a champion. Why does college football insist on not playing the games. I mean heck why don't we just take the pre-season poll and just give them the championship cause well the polls said they were the best. And do you watch baseball. This system is nothing like a pennant. You have to work your way through the playoffs in order to win one of those puppies. The pennant does not mean "regular season champion"

I know what you're thinking. What's Dodd been smoking? Hang with me. There have been a handful of split national champions through history. No one was hurt. Why not make it possible every year?

What's the downside of doubling the number of teams that can claim national titles?

Think of the offseason arguments. Think of the banners that would be hung. In my playoff, this probably means the end of the conference championship games, but we'll leave that up to the leagues themselves. That's all details. The structure is now in place.

Ya no one was hurt but split championships suck. Everyone likes to think the one that they won is the title. And the downside with having two national titles is that we won't have a true champion. Thats the problem with todays system. Not that we have too many... that we don't have one. But ya lets have two. That makes sense. The NCAA should focus on naming one true champion, not dance around the issue. And think of the off season arguments? I hate the off season arguments. Sure it gives people like me and you something to "write" about but I would trade that all for a true playoff. That will give me plenty to argue about.

Still reading? Good. Here's the next bombshell.

Let the Rose Bowl go off on its own.

Any discussion of a playoff is a non-starter with the Pac-10, Big Ten and The Granddaddy. Without getting into all the reasons and picking at all the old sores just realize that this 21-school, one-bowl alliance is extremely loyal to the Tournament of Roses Parade.

So let 'em go off on their own. We're going to have our own playoff. It's possible, if you've already determined a regular-season champion. That way the Big Ten and Pac-10 are competing for a national championship and get to keep their traditional postseason home. The only way this doesn't work is if the Big Ten and Pac-10 champions are ranked 1-2 in the polls. A 1-vs.-2 game might devalue an eight-team playoff but we'll take our chances. A 1-vs.-2 Rose Bowl has happened twice in the more than century-long history of the game.

If you're cool with letting the Rose go out on its own, let's get to the meat of the issue.

For real? You propse a system where two of the strongest conferences in the country are left out of the race. So teams like USC, Ohio State, Penn State, Cal don't get a shot at the second title? I'm sure they will be OK with that. The Rose Bowl officials will love this one. Make their game even less important.

Bracket your playoff.

We're using this Sunday's final BCS standings. We have to remove No. 5 USC and No. 8 Penn State because they have chosen not to participate. Fair enough. That means the eight-team playoff includes teams 1-4, 6-7 and 9-10 in the BCS. Good news for Utah and Boise State. They're both in.

This playoff folds in all the major bowls in three weekends in January.

Just one question. How can the winner of this "playoff" call themselves a champion? They wouldn't even have to deal with the #5 or #8 team in the country. If USC was #1 and Penn State #3 and Ohio State #7 (all possible) how can the winner of your "playoff" call themselves a champion without playing the best teams in the country.

He continues with some logistical nonsense about his "playoff." I won't go on because even Dodd can't mess up copy and pasting dates and names of BCS bowls. I really wonder if this guy even watches college football. Although I do love articles like this for two reasons:

1) It gives me something to do instead of my homework

2) It gives me hope because if this guy is getting paid to write.. anyone can f-ing do it

week 15 Roundup

Florida 31 Alabama 20

Well Florida took care of business on Saturday and their reward is a trip to the BCS title game. Tim Tebow made good on his promise after the Ole Miss loss. A lot of good did come from that game. It lit a fire under the entire Florida team and they realized just how great they could be.

Oklahoma 62 Missouri 21

Well so much for a possible Missouri upset. OU showed that they belong in the championship game although there will without a doubt be some doubters. It is hard to say that Texas didn't deserve a shot but that can't be changed now.

USC 28 UCLA 7

When UCLA beat Tennessee in the first week of the season everyone circled this game on the calendar. 8 losses later and no one even cared. People checked to see if USC would find a way to blow it but no such luck. Bring on Penn State.

Cincinnati 28 Hawaii 21

While it would have no effect on the Big East championship it is not a good sign that Cinci is squeaking past Hawaii.

Virginia Tech 30 Boston College 13

Same teams as last year. Same result. Taking the red-shirt off Tyrod Taylor has proved to be a good choice. The battle with Cinci in the Orange bowl will be to prove who sucks less.

Rutgers Salvages Season

While the expectations for Rutgers football were much higher than a non-BCS bowl this season, the Scarlet Knights are pretty happy about where they stand now at the end of the year.

Rutgers started this season with very high hopes as they floated in and out of peoples pre-season polls. Their opening game against Fresno State was utterly embarrassing, however. Really both sides played poor but it was Rutgers would found a way to lose that one. Then came losses to North Carolina and Navy. They floundered to a pathetic 1-5 start, their only win against Morgan State.

Last night, however, the Scarlet Knights capped off their amazing turn around. After losing narrowly to Cincinnati, Rutgers has reeled off six straight wins and has become only the seventh team ever to start 1-5 and then become bowl eligible. Their most impressive game was a 54-34 win at Pittsburgh, who was #17 at the time.

QB Mike Teel has been a strong part of that resurgence. Last night against Louisville he threw 447 yards and a Big East record 7 touchdown passes. Which is a big turn around from his seven interceptions in the first 4 games to start this season.

Teel's career at Rutgers is pretty much over (with just a bowl game left) and it has been marked by ups and downs, just like this season. He has not quite panned out the way many thought when he signed on with the Scarlet Knights after a very successful high school stint at Don Bosco Prep in NJ. He was a part of the the 2006 Rutgers team that beat Louisville (they were #2 in the country then) and lost in triple overtime to WVU and a chance at a BCS bowl. But when Ray Rice and Brian Leonard departed Teel struggled. He always showed flashes of greatness but a propensity to throw to the other team always hurt him and Rutgers. He has, however, turned things around for himself and for Rutgers this year and showed a lot of class and moxy.

It was indeed a great last game in Piscataway for Mike Teel and Rutgers.

The Tommy Tubberville Saga

Well this whole situation just got a lot more interesting...

This morning there were a number of reports of disgruntled Auburn assistants' families who criticized the way that Auburn handled the the "resignation" of head football coach Tommy Tuberville. Donna Dunn, the offensive line coach's wife, called a sports talk radio show and said her husband found out from a recruit that he was visiting that he no longer had a job.

Amy Enzminger, wife of offensive coordinator said her husband was on a recruiting trip in Maryland. They both strongly criticized the administration for their handling of the situation.

Tuberville's momma even stepped in the ring for her son and told the local paper the he was indeed fired and did not resign.

Things have gotten pretty interesting now. Apparently Auburn AD Jay Jacobs said the decision was entirely Tommy's and that he had his job if he had wanted to stay. Which does make more sense because it seemed unjustifiable to fire him but that is beside the point. Jacobs said that Tuberville did this because he thought it was best for his family. Although ESPN also reports that Tuberville:

"believed he did not have the support of certain members of the Auburn Board of Trustees -- and therefore the full support of the Auburn administration."

This situation is getting interesting. I mean no matter what Tommy Tuberville is not the coach at Auburn. The question in this saga is what the hell happened? And who is the next coach at Auburn?

[Deadspin]
[ESPN]

Rose Bowl Needs to Grow Up

With the BCS bowls fast approaching the match ups are starting to form but one seems to lack that sparkle and it is time for change. No I'm not talking about a playoff, this time... The Big-10 vs Pac-10 tradition of the Rose Bowl needs to be abolished.

With USC winning the Pac-10 again, barring any miracles from UCLA, we will see them in the Rose Bowl for the 4th year in a row, the third against the Big-10. How many times do we have to watch them beat up on the same conference? If we can't have a playoff can't we see match ups that we would rarely watch during the regular season (we were close to a USC Ohio state repeat)? What about a USC vs Florida/Alabama or Texas/OU, depending on outcome of this weekend? These are games that rarely happen and would pit some of the best teams in the country against one another.

I for one am all for tradition and all that jazz but this one is outdated. Really the Rose Bowl is the only game that still has a two-sided match up (Pac-10 vs Big-10). The others usually have a one side tie in so that fans can get to the game which is alright by me (i.e. Sugar Bowl has SEC champ and is in New Orleans) but having a two-side tie in robs the fan of some really special games.

Last year instead of having USC 's romp of Illinois we could have had USC vs Oklahoma or USC vs West Virginia and in 2007 what about USC vs Wake Forest or Lousiville. While this years USC Penn State game could prove to be a great one there are other more unique match ups fans are missing out on. Watching the high octane Tebow take on Rey Malaluga and Brian Cushing is a game I can only watch in my dreams.

Week 14 Preview/Conference Championships

Ball State vs Buffalo

The year of the mid-major continues on Friday night as Ball State tries to keep their perfect season alive although I doubt that Buffalo will give them much of a scare. Hopefully we see them lined up against a big time program during bowl season. Give them a chance to show their stripes. Keep on eye on Nate Davis if you haven't heard the name you should because he can play.

Alabama vs Florida

This has the potential to be the game of the year. Both teams boast speed, size and power. Both have national championship winning coaches and both are staring down a berth in the BCS title game. It is going to be an absolute grudge match. The big question right now is the status of lightining fast Percy Harvin who finds himself with another nagging injury. Just hope the game lives up to the hype.

Missouri vs Oklahoma

OU has a chance to win their third straight Big XII title. This is a matchup of last years game where Missouri was the favorite and OU played spoiler. Now the roles are reveresed. Can Missouri avenge last years loss?

USC vs UCLA

Oregon States only chance at the rose bowl is if Rick Neuheisal can pull a miracle out of his ass. Fat chance. SC will stomp the Bruins and try and leave a lasting impression for the poll voters and maybe sneak in if OU loses.

Boston College vs Virginia Tech

VT has come a long way since redshirting Tyrod Taylor... yay that wasn't a good choice. But they righted the ship and were able to navigate the mediocre ACC. Boston College has managed just fine without Matt Ryan. Don't expect much flash to this game, the ACC just doesn't have much of it this year.

Another SEC Coach hits the unemployment line

Well the most recent victim in the coaching world comes as a bit of a surprise as Tommy Tuberville is out at Auburn. There had been whispers about this one but no real confirmed reports. I mean he really just had one off year, this year, and now he finds himself looking for a new job. The SEC is getting a little out of control. There is no patience in that conference.

Tommy Tuberville spent 10 seasons at Auburn and amassed 85 wins and an SEC championship. The four seasons prior to this season he had an 82.5 winning percentage and had beaten rival Alabama the last six years. His 2004 team that included Jason Campbell, Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown went 13-0 in the SEC and was snubbed in the BCS championship game. We could very well be talking about a national champion coach here had things played out a little differently.

This year, however, his team is 5-7 and got crushed by 'bama 36-0 this past weekend, in what has turned out to be Tuberville's last game. I think Auburn is going to find it surprisingly hard to fill the shoes of Tuberville. He really has only had one bad year in recent memory and it just seems like Auburn is jumping the gun on this one. His recruiting class is currently ranked #12 by rivals and we shall see how many jump ship. Tuberville will be fine, however, any program should consider themselves lucky to get a coach of this caliber.

Reports say that Mike Leach, head coach at Texas Tech has been contacted to gauge his interest. Although early reports are also showing that Steve Spurrier has already called him a cheater. Well keep you posted on that one.

Big XII blew this one

I guess it is time to weigh in on this issue.

After an absurd season in the Big XII south the unthinkable happened. The most convoluted absurd scenario played out right before our very own eyes. Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all had the same record and they all happened to beat each other (Texas Tech beat Texas but lost to OU, Texas beat OU but OU beat Texas Tech who beat Texas.... exactly) So how to decide this?

Of course! The BCS! Those computer nerds can solve this problem as they have streamlined all of college football for the fans! The Big XII conference rules stated that the team with the highest BCS ranking would advance to the title game, very black and white. But when the computers churned out OU as the winner of the Big XII south, proving losing early is the way to do it, all hell broke out and for good reason. But in this situation the blame lies with the Big XII and not the BCS.

The reason for the rule is to ensure that the team that has the best chance of representing the Big XII in the national championship gets the shot (which makes sense) but a blind following of the computers is not the way to go. The SEC has this one right. The BCS rankings are used unless the teams are within five spots of one another, then it looks at heads up play. Using that scenario Texas would be the one in the title game. Now whether or not you believe it should be OU or Texas you can most certainly admit that system is more fair. There are so many flaws with the computer calculations that you just can't follow them blindly. Head-to-head play should reign supreme when breaking a tie not a computer formula. What would be really ironic is if OU loses to Missouri and Texas sneaks into the national championship... what would people do then...

I hate the BCS as much as the next guy but for once the majority of blame lies with the conference on this one. Alas BCS you have narrowly escaped this one.

Tennessee Hired a Football Coach

It is always kind of funny to see how a coach's stock rises and falls for no good reason. Lane Kiffin is a wonderful example of an unproven coach turning into this year's hottest prospect.

Tennessee has replaced their national championship winning legend (152-52 record) with a coach whose biggest claim to fame is being an offensive coordinator for Leinart and Bush at USC. I'm sorry but anyone could have coached those two. "Here is the ball Reggie... RUN!" Not hard. He also had a terrible stint in Oakland for a season and a half where he won a combined 5 games. 5 games. He also no ties to Tennessee and has to start fresh recruiting in the SEC.

It just seems an odd hire for Tennessee; its not a surprise because everyone knew Kiffin was their guy its just unclear how an unproven coach became such a hot commodity. It seems like no one paid attention to the whole getting fired thing and they just handed him the keys to one of the biggest college football programs in the nation.

Granted Kiffin has never been a head coach in college football and no one is really sure how it is going to turn out. To his credit he is surrounding himself with talented assistant coaches like Ed Orgeron and word is his father, Monte Kiffin is joining his staff. He could be a colossal success and make UT look like geniuses but I think Tennessee is expecting to much from a coach who just does not have the credentials to be coaching in the SEC.

Heisman Watch: Week 14

Well we are now out of Heisman previews and onto the race. This is what our top contenders did this weekend and where they stand.

Sam Bradford

Another great game against Oklahoma State that added 370 yards and four touchdowns to his totals. Every week this guy has put on a show. I always felt him being a sophomore would really hold him back but a strong performance in the Big XII title game could clinch the trophy for this stellar QB. Performance Grade: B+

Colt McCoy

Over 300 yards in the air and four total touchdowns (two passing, two running) and Colt McCoy is looking like his old self after struggling the last two games. Only problem is he doesn't have another game to impress voters. That could help or hurt him depending on how Bradford does this weekend. Performance Grade: B+

Tim Tebow

180 yards through the air for three TDs and 80 yards on the ground and a score. Ah Tebow. He is not going to win the Heisman this year but he is on his way to NYC with McCoy and Bradford. Performance Grade: B

Week 14 Roundup

Texas 49 Texas A&M 9

This is definitely not unexpected. Texas is a damn good football team. Although obviously not good enough according to the BCS (more on that later).

Boise State 69 Fresno State 10

Well here we are again... Boise State is undefeated... Problem is so is Utah and Utah is the sexier choice this year. It is too bad we can't have them both in the BCS. I for one am all for it.

Pitt 19 WVU 15

Two years in a row Pitt beat WVU. Not looking good in Morgantown. I was at this game in '06. These people hate each other/are scum of the earth. But you gotta love it.

Alabama 36 Auburn 0

Bring on Florida. No one was particularly scared of Auburn but in the SEC you just never know.

Oklahoma 61 Oklahoma State 41

Bradford and that offense are just too good. They put up points at will. This was a HUGE win for OU because it propelled them over Texas in the BCS standings and into the Big XII championship game.

Florida 45 Florida State 15

This Saturday's SEC championship game is going to be a GREAT game. Tebow and co. can score in bunches and some have been saying this defense is as good as the '06 Gators that won BCS championship. That is a good combination.

USC 38 Notre Dame 5

Well Charlie Weiss couldn't salvage a little respect at the end of this season. After last weeks heartbreaking loss to Syracuse the big guy is on the hot seat. I don't think he will get fired in the off season but a rough start next year could mean the end of his tenure in South Bend.

Texas Tech 35 Baylor 28

Not enough to jolt them over Texas or OU. It was a good ride and they brought TTU football to the next level.

Cincinnati 30 Syracuse 10

Well the Big East sucks and cinci is off to the BCS...

Boston College 28 Maryland 21

Well BC snuck their way into the ACC championship game again without Matt Ryan. The ACC may be as bad as the Big East. The Orange Bowl is going to the awesome this year.

Heisman Watch: Week 13

Well we are now out of Heisman previews and onto the race. This is what our top contenders did this weekend and where they stand.

Colt McCoy

With Graham Harrell's loss to OU, McCoy sneaks his way into the top spot and deservedly so. Performance Grade: No game last weekend

Sam Bradford

A huge game for him against Tech but you don't become the front-runner overnight. The sophomore thing will loom over him. If McCoy has a poor game on Thursday against A&M and Bradford lights it up then he may take over the top spot. Performance Grade: A-

Graham Harrell

Oh how the mighty have fallen. A QB from Texas Tech could really only win the Heisman if he were to lead his team to an undefeated season and a BCS championship game. That won't be happening now. Performance Grade: C+

Tim Tebow

He is not going to win this race by any means but hes playing great right now and should steal some votes from the other players and alter the race. Performance Grade: B (did not play past second half)

This is a two horse race between Bradford and McCoy. I've said that more than once and boy was I wrong (with different players). This will come down to the last game and really any of these four could take it but it does appear to be down to McCoy and Bradford. We shall see how the last few games pan out.

The Lowly State of Notre Dame Football

Charlie Weiss was once believed to be the savior, the hero, the messiah. With this warrior at the helm it was only a matter of time till the national titles and Heisman trophies poured into South Bend, or so they thought.

Fast forward to now and the state of Irish football is in complete disrepair. This team is 9-16 in the last 25 games. Which includes only two wins over teams with a winning record. They were 3-7 last year and currently sit at 6-5 this year with an almost certain loss coming this weekend against USC. Charlie Weiss no longer looks like a hero, but rather the villian.

The tipping point came this past weekend against Syracuse. They had a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter and managed to lose by a point to one of the worst teams in the country. Some players on the team said after the game that the sideline was dead. There was no passion. That falls completely to the head coach. He can't be blamed for everything that happens on the field but the sideline is his domain. It is 100% his job to get his team in the right mindset to play the game. He has to instill that killer instinct in his team. They have to want to step on the other teams throat... push their head under while they are drowning. All the best teams know how to go for the jugular. The Irish are about as dangerous as a flower.

What is even worse is that there is so much pure talent on this team that is going to waste. The last three recruiting classes have all been top-10 classes, including last years class which Rivals ranked #2. They have one of the best QB prospects of the last 5 years and he is being squandered away. Their 2009 class, which is still being built, is projected to be another top-10 class. There is no doubt that this program has loads of talent but they are getting nothing out of it. That falls on the head coach. His job is not only to bring in the players but to get their potential out of them. This should not be a "decent" football team, as Weiss himself put it. Their recruiting classes rank with LSU, USC, Florida and Texas. Those teams are fighting for championships, not winning records. If Charlie Weiss can't squeeze the talent out of these kids something is very very wrong and they must get a coach who can utilize these exceptional atheletes.

This weekend could very well be Charlie Weiss's last as the Notre Dame coach. While I somewhat doubt that he will be fired this year he is without a doubt on the hotseat. There are a number of good coaching prospects out there and Notre Dame should seriously consider severing ties with Weiss, who still has 7 years left on his 10 year contract, and going after a coach who thinks outside of the box and who can build a program. Someone with college football expierence. Not Tom Brady expierence.

Lets talk about polls

Now that Texas Tech shit the bed against Oklahoma this past weekend who knows what the hell is going on anymore. So lets break it down.

BCS STANDINGS

1) Alabama- No surprise here. They have a lock on the top spot but they still have to deal with Auburn next weekend.

2) Texas- This ranking is going to be very important for Texas. If all three (Texas, TTU, OU) win next week the team with highest BCS ranking will get into the title game...

3) Oklahoma- They have Oklahoma State next week, #11, so that could help them leapfrog Texas if both teams win.

4) Florida- They are probably playing the best football in the country right now (sounds like USC last year). Florida somewhat controls their own destiny. If they can beat Alabama in the SEC title game that should put them in the national championship.

5) USC- The Trojans need a lot of help to sniff the championship game. Right now they may not even win their conference. They have a shot at an at-large bid if the win this weekend, though.

6) Utah- Can you say the new Boise State?!?! (ironically Boise State had a perfect season). Who knows what this team can do against the big boys but the program did beat Pitt a few years ago back when Alex Smith was at the helm. It will be interesting to see the matchup they get.

7) Texas Tech- They still have a shot because if then can sneak into the Big XII title game and win they are in the BCS and who knows what the will happen above them.

Week 13 Roundup

Georgia Tech 41 Miami 23

Every one in the ACC is just not good. Whenever someone looks like they are going to march into the title game they find a way to make it very interesting.

Utah 48 BYU 24

This should be all that Utah needs to get into a BCS bowl. A perfect season with some quality wins including this one over BYU, who was thought to be a BCS crasher as well. This will make Utah's second BCS bowl. Not to bad. Guess Urban Meyer really started something special there.

Oklahoma 65 Texas Tech 25

Well then. This just made the who BCS picture very confusing (and the Heisman). With one week left in the season Texas, TTU and OU are all tied atop the Big XII south. If they all remain tied after next week GUESS WHAT!? The BCS computers will decide who plays Missouri for the conference title. Texas has Texas A&M, TTU has Baylor and OU has it the hardest with 11 Oklahoma State.

Penn State 49 Michigan State 18

Well Penn State gets to represent the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl. Will they be the next great Big-10 team to crumble at the feet of the Pac-10?

Oregon State 19 Arizona 17

The Beavers kept the dream alive with a late game-winning field goal from Justin Kahut. They take on Oregon next week with the conference championship and BCS game on the line. USC and Pete Carroll are feeling mighty nervous. Althought they can still claim an at-large bid.

Florida State 37 Maryland 7

Maryland is just hilarious. Ranked team=no problem. Non-ranked team=loss. Thats the ACC for you.

Ohio State 42 Michigan 7

This doesn't surprise anyone but this will make Rich Rod's off-season a lot longer. Look for Michigan to greatly improve next year. Rich Rod knows what hes doing and If you don't believe it look at WVU after his first year. Michigan, though, has nothing going for them. Their cars suck and BOTH football teams suck.

Site Update

Thanks to anyone who actually stops by and reads us here. I have a few site updates to announce:

1) BOTF is joining the yardbarker network over the next few days. If you read an article and you like click it then the "bark it up" icon which will help increase traffic through the network.

2) Over the next two weeks I will be doing a bit of traveling and will not be able to post this weekend or next weekend. I will have posts Monday- Thursday next week. Thanks for your patience.

-Joe