2020-21 College Football Thread

[shoothoops]

Charles Huff named the Marshall Head Coaching position over the weekend. Coached Najee Harris, Saquon Barkley, etc...as good of a recruiter out there as anyone. Good to see him get an opportunity.

[The Sultan]

Looks like its going to get ugly at Tennessee.  Phil Fulmer and Jeremy Pruitt look like they are going to be fired, the latter for cause. 

[Billy Hoyle]

Looks like its going to get ugly at Tennessee.  Phil Fulmer and Jeremy Pruitt look like they are going to be fired, the latter for cause.

Wow, giving into the Twitter mob when making a hire didn't work out? I'm shocked.

Is there a fan base more delusional of their standing in the CFB hierarchy than UT?

[The Sultan]

Wow, giving into the Twitter mob when making a hire didn't work out? I'm shocked.

Is there a fan base more delusional of their standing in the CFB hierarchy than UT?

Yeah I am not sure if Schiano was going to be the right hire, but that would certainly have been better than what has happened over the last three years. Especially giving the AD position to someone who clearly wasn't qualified.  (And yes, Fullmer was about as qualified as Alvarez, but Alvarez has always had a good understanding of what he doesn't do well and had people do that stuff for him.  And it's worked.)

I don't know what UT does now.  Put Kevin Steele in as an interim and do an AD search?  (Steele is the former Auburn DC who was angling his way for that job before being hired as a "defensive assistant.")  Try to get a guy like P.J. Fleck to jump immediately?

But whatever they do, its probably safe to say the opposite choice would have been the better one.

[JWags85]

Wow, giving into the Twitter mob when making a hire didn't work out? I'm shocked.

Is there a fan base more delusional of their standing in the CFB hierarchy than UT?

There are plenty. UT was a good program in the Majors years and a very good program under Fulmer. 2 SEC titles, a National Titles, 6 division titles, all while overlapping Spurrier and Richt. I honestly think they would have excelled under Kiffin if he didn't bolt.  The last decade has been awful, but it's not like older fans are crazy to think that's not a historic or desirable program, administrative and athletic department issues aside.

[GooooMarquette]

There are plenty. UT was a good program in the Majors years and a very good program under Fulmer. 2 SEC titles, a National Titles, 6 division titles, all while overlapping Spurrier and Richt. I honestly think they would have excelled under Kiffin if he didn't bolt.  The last decade has been awful, but it's not like older fans are crazy to think that's not a historic or desirable program, administrative and athletic department issues aside.

Agree. They have been very good historically. Their biggest problem is that in the cutthroat world of SEC football, 'very good' still usually puts them behind schools like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Auburn.

[Uncle Rico]

Wow, giving into the Twitter mob when making a hire didn't work out? I'm shocked.

Is there a fan base more delusional of their standing in the CFB hierarchy than UT?

Michigan, Nebraska would like a word

[The Sultan]

Here's how Wolken describes UT.  It's fair:

"Because the reality is that Tennessee should be good at football. It has the facilities, the financial support and the tradition. Knoxville is an attractive, lively place to be. It's only a few hours from multiple major recruiting hubs. Winning at Tennessee isn't nearly as hard as the Vols have made it look for the last dozen years.

But defeating Tennessee's biggest enemy in its pursuit of football greatness won't be easy. That's because the enemy is thyself.

There's really nothing like it in all of college sports. No other program has Tennessee's combination of media scrutiny and fan toxicity that fuels a crash-and-burn cycle of overwrought optimism and intense disappointment. "

[tower912]

Sounds like scoop.

[Uncle Rico]

Here's how Wolken describes UT.  It's fair:

"Because the reality is that Tennessee should be good at football. It has the facilities, the financial support and the tradition. Knoxville is an attractive, lively place to be. It's only a few hours from multiple major recruiting hubs. Winning at Tennessee isn't nearly as hard as the Vols have made it look for the last dozen years.

But defeating Tennessee's biggest enemy in its pursuit of football greatness won't be easy. That's because the enemy is thyself.

There's really nothing like it in all of college sports. No other program has Tennessee's combination of media scrutiny and fan toxicity that fuels a crash-and-burn cycle of overwrought optimism and intense disappointment. "

And amplified tenfold because of one, Clay Travis

[Mr. Nielsen]

Michigan, Nebraska would like a word

I would list, Auburn & Texas A&M

[GooooMarquette]

I would list, Auburn & Texas A&M

Penn State too.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I would list, Auburn & Texas A&M

Hey!

Oh wait that's true

[Billy Hoyle]

Michigan, Nebraska would like a word

But Keefe said UM is one of the blue bloods, if not THE blue blood of college football.

There are plenty. UT was a good program in the Majors years and a very good program under Fulmer. 2 SEC titles, a National Titles, 6 division titles, all while overlapping Spurrier and Richt. I honestly think they would have excelled under Kiffin if he didn't bolt.  The last decade has been awful, but it's not like older fans are crazy to think that's not a historic or desirable program, administrative and athletic department issues aside.

Good, but not great. Remember, "you can't spell citrus without UT." - Steve Spurrier.

[Uncle Rico]

But Keefe said UM is one of the blue bloods, if not THE blue blood of college football.

Good, but not great. Remember, "you can't spell citrus without UT." - Steve Spurrier.

I'm a Michigan fan.  They can't recruit at the level of Ohio State and the power schools of the south.  They have a declining home base of talent in the state of Michigan. 

They need to move on from the "Michigan Man" BS. Until they understand they're not a "blue blood" anymore and no one cares about Bo Schembechler, they'll keep chasing ghosts.

Nick Saban built his own legacy.  Ohio State built its own legacy post Woody.  Clemson is building a legacy.  The past is nice to reminisce about but it doesn't guarantee anything today

[The Sultan]

If Michigan can't succeed with Jim Harbaugh, and Nebraska can't succeed with Scott Frost, it makes you wonder who CAN they succeed with.

[tower912]

Urban Meyer.   

[The Sultan]

Urban Meyer.   

Actually yeah.  I should have completed my thought.

If these programs can't succeed with alums who were successful with other programs, you are going to have to look long at the model you have built and wonder if it is time to throw it in the trash.

[Uncle Rico]

Actually yeah.  I should have completed my thought.

If these programs can't succeed with alums who were successful with other programs, you are going to have to look long at the model you have built and wonder if it is time to throw it in the trash.

It is.  Chasing past glory is what ails these programs

[Dr. Blackheart]

Actually yeah.  I should have completed my thought.

If these programs can't succeed with alums who were successful with other programs, you are going to have to look long at the model you have built and wonder if it is time to throw it in the trash.

Sounds like Indiana basketball.

[GooooMarquette]

It is.  Chasing past glory is what ails these programs

Happens in hoops too.

Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin say hi.

[Uncle Rico]

Happens in hoops too.

Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin say hi.

Hiring alumni can work.  Roy Williams was successful going back to UNC.  And in fairness to Michigan and Nebraska football, both coaches had success coaching elsewhere.  I'm not sure the formula to making it work in those instances but you can't be a slave to a time that has passed

[JWags85]

Hiring alumni can work.  Roy Williams was successful going back to UNC.  And in fairness to Michigan and Nebraska football, both coaches had success coaching elsewhere.  I'm not sure the formula to making it work in those instances but you can't be a slave to a time that has passed

Roy Williams is a terrible example.  He went to 4 Final Fours and 2 National title games at another blue blood and won less than 25 games only twice in 15 seasons.  99.9% of coaching searches won't have that sort of alumni coach available.

Harbaugh was good at Stanford, but his great season, that lead to him leaving, was the result of a down PAC12.  He lost to Oregon, his only "ranked" win was an Arizona team who finished 7-6, and wins over mediocre USC and ND teams with first year coaches.  It's not like he had a track record of running a consistent Top 25 program.

Scott Frost took over a program that had a bad year but had dominated their conference and was 2 years removed from a Fiesta Bowl.  Easy conference, easy place to recruit to, and minimal expectations.   And he was only there 2 years with 1 great year. That's wildly different than somewhere like Nebraska.

[The Sultan]

Hiring alumni isn't a problem at all.  No one thought at the time that Michigan or Nebraska were making bad hires.  Chryst wasn't a bad hire at Wisconsin either considering how long he was in the program as an assistant coach.

Hiring alumni BECAUSE they are alumni, even though they likely would not have gotten looks elsewhere (like Mullin at St. Johns) is where the problem lies.

[Uncle Rico]

Hiring alumni isn't a problem at all.  No one thought at the time that Michigan or Nebraska were making bad hires.  Chryst wasn't a bad hire at Wisconsin either considering how long he was in the program as an assistant coach.

Hiring alumni BECAUSE they are alumni, even though they likely would not have gotten looks elsewhere (like Mullin at St. Johns) is where the problem lies.

This says it better.