Podcast: Episode 58

We're glad to be back after a week off from the podcasting world. Phil and Tom needed a little rest, but now they are ready to look at some of the hot topics in college football.

We start with an evaluation of the coaching hires around the country and evaluate who will make the most immediate impact, who will be the best long-term hire and who is the worst hire. Next, we discuss all of the recruiting wars and player poaching by coaches. Is it not time to have an early signing date for college football, much like basketball and other sports? We then shift our focus to the next decade. The SEC dominated the football landscape during the 2000s, but can it continue its dominance in the teens? There's a good chance, but as conferences look to add new teams the chances are good the SEC will come back to the rest of the pack.

We tried to get through a show without mentioning Lane Kiffin, but we couldn't do it. Sorry guys. We also pick the college football program we would play for today if either of us were 18 and had a lick of talent. Where would you go? Enjoy the show.

You can relax now

With Urban Meyer's change of heart today that he'll just take a leave of absence as head man at UF, there are fans at many other places who are much more at ease today than just the Gator Nation.

These are the programs who can breathe a sigh of relief that their coach won't be shopping for a new home in Gainesville.

1. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State. Mullen may have only went 5-7 in his first year in Starkville, but he's Meyer bred, has a great offensive mind and could complete a near seamless transition. The Bulldogs can relax for now that Mullen will be back in 2010.

2. Kyle Whittingham, Utah. This would likely be Meyer's choice to replace him, but AD Jeremy Foley knows this is his call. Still, Whittingham would be a great pick and he's proven he can beat Alabama.

3. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas. This just feels like a horrible fit, but Petrino can flat out coach. He's slimy and no one can trust him (just ask the fans at Louisville). Just imagine what he could do with the talent in Gainesville. It's kind of scary.

4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. I don't really think he'd leave Norman for this job, but he'd have to give it some serious consideration. Sooner fans just have to get tired of hearing his name come up so often. The funny thing about this one is some ESPN talking head (I think it was Dr. Lou Holtz) who said they should consider his brother Mike at Arizona. That could possibly be the worst suggestion ever (surprised he didn't suggest Skip Holtz from East Carolina).

5. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford. I still think he's waiting to take over at Michigan after next year, but it would be hard for someone as competitive as Harbaugh to not consider going to Florida. Stanford fans want to remind everyone that Harbaugh just signed an extension, but what does that really mean today? The Gators would love this guy's moxie.

6. Kevin Sumlin, Houston. If this had happened there would have been a lot of surprised Florida fans. But Sumlin is well respected and many think he'll get a big-time job in the next year or two. His offensive mind may be better than Meyer's and Mullen's. Houston knows it can't keep Sumlin forever.

7. Chris Petersen, Boise State. Rumor is Petersen is not looking to upgrade from his gig in Idaho, but could he really turn down a choice job like UF? I think not. If you can win the way he has in Boise imagine what he'd do with the talent you can attract in Florida? However, Boise fans can relax because Petersen loves right where he is.

8. Gary Patterson, TCU. Both the 'Eye and the 'Eer are big Patterson fans, so we think this would have been one of the top three options for Foley. The Horned Frogs have been highly competitive during Patterson's tenure, and they play some of the best defense in the nation. He'd also be a great fit in the SEC.

9. Charlie Strong, Louisville. There's probably no one more pleased to hear Meyer will probably be back for 2010. Strong, who has taken the Louisville job, has remained in Gainesville to coach the defense in the Sugar Bowl. If not for the new job, Strong could have been a legitimate inside candidate. Now Strong doesn't have to consider reneging on Louisville.

10. Bill Stewart, West Virginia. I can dream right? He would give the Gators a chance to see what it would be like to have Bobby Bowden coach at UF. Stewart would also coach the superbly talented Gators to a second- or third-place finish and confuse the fans with random, unintelligible post-game comments.

Will Florida notice loss of Strong?

When Charlie Strong officially cuts ties with the Florida Gators following the Sugar Bowl should Urban Meyer start worrying about his future success?

Look, Meyer is a great coach with a slew of talent in a four-mile radius that should equate to unparalleled success by most in the SEC and in the nation. But with Strong's exit to be head coach at Louisville, Meyer loses his second consecutive coordinator in as many seasons. Meyer has actually had seven former assistants go on the be head coaches.

Dan Mullen, the Gators OC in 2008, did an admirable job with Mississippi State this past season and the Bulldogs might just challenge Alabama and LSU in SEC West. Strong will likely be even more successful at Louisville as the Cardinals can become competitive in the Big East in a few years.

But what does this all mean for Gator Nation?

It's going to hurt recruiting ... even for Florida. Many of the outstanding players on Florida's top-ranked defense were recruited directly by Strong, who is considered by many as one of the best recruiters in the country.

So last weekend's dismantling by Alabama may become more familiar than Florida is accustomed to under Meyer.

Why? Call it the Pete Carroll effect. USC had dominated the Pac-10 for nearly a decade and was among the nation's elite. But after losing coordinators to become head coaches (Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, DeWayne Walker, Ed Orgeron, etc.).

It didn't happen overnight in SoCal, but Meyer will lose a level of comfort he had with these guys. So will the players. It may not be noticeable next season, but a dip is certain to occur.

Just watch.

Podcast: Episode 52

OK, we all saw Tim Tebow crying. Let it go. It's not that big a deal.

What's making us cry are these BCS bowl match ups. Really? TCU vs. Boise State. That's not what anyone wants to see. Give the little guys a chance. Now one of them will end up undefeated and their congressman will run to Capitol Hill begging and pleading for a playoff.

And who out there doesn't think the Gators won't put a beat down on Cincinnati? Bearcats coach Brian Kelly may not even be around to see it happen as he's interviewing at Notre Dame and wants nothing more than to get out of The Queen City by Saturday so he can start recruiting for the Fighting Irish.

We applaud the Mike London hiring at Virginia and also think Charlie Strong to Louisville is a good call.

With the five Heisman finalists announced we think Alabama's Mark Ingram is the best bet to win, but we like Nebraska long shot Ndamukong Suh. Phil believes the bowl schedule bodes well for the Big 10 this year, while Tom is confident the Big East will hold its own (except Cincinnati).

The first one falls...

Louisville mercifully ended the Steve Kragthorpe era today, letting the formerly hot coaching name go after three years of really bad football.

He wasn't alone as Akron ditched J.D. Brookhart, who never seemed to transfer his recruiting prowess from Pitt to NE Ohio.


While driving I heard ESPN's Pat Forde, a Louisville resident, give the preliminary list of potential replacements being discussed by the Cardinal brass. Houston coach Kevin Sumlin and Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong were mentioned. Then the list went into typical Louisville "we think way more of our football program than anyone else does" with Gary Patterson at TCU, Bronco Mendenhall of BYU and Kyle Whittingham of Utah.

Okay guys, sure. Too bad Jon Gruden signed that MNF contract or he'd be dying to coach at Papa Johns Stadium.

Will it really help?

I was ready to write about HBO's new documentary, "Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football," which premiered earlier this week. The hour-long special is a gritty look at the challenges African-Americans faced getting accepted into college football--especially in the South.

Not that I consider myself an expert on the history of racism in college athletics, but I was shocked at how much I learned while watching it the other night. Following the episode I felt more enlightened and proud of the progress that has been made.

Then came today's news. Floyd Keith, the executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators, is building a Civil Rights violation case against all of the colleges and universities who are still slow to hire African Americans as head football coaches.

Keith told The Associated Press: "I think someone is going to get tired of listening to the excuses. We're giving them (the coaches) every opportunity, but we can't select the individuals. The individuals have to bring this forward. We are looking very strongly at every case, and we're taking it on an individual basis."

But will it really work? Or help?

Seems Keith and the BCA need a sacrificial lamb to take the lead. A black coach who is willing to give up his dream so others can successfully follow. The BCA has said it needs someone like Curt Flood in the 1960s who challenged Major League Baseball. While Floyd was ostracized by management his fight led to free agency.

But who will step up? Turner Gill? Don't count on it. Gill is still in line to be one of the hot coaches in 2009. Others possibilities? Michigan OC Calvin Magee, Florida DC Charlie Strong or Ole Miss DC Tyrone Nix. Probably not since all are well-paid coordinators with much to lose. It will take someone who's not on the coaching radar with a lot less to lose.

The BCA recently opened a national telephone hotline that offers legal advice to coaches, a move the organization believes could eventually lead to a landmark case against universities under civil rights legislation.

One bit of advice that could be useful is something I read by Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock. His theory on how to be a successful coach is for, "Top-flight black BCS assistant coaches should be targeting mid-major head-coaching jobs. The MAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West and Conference USA are good proving grounds for future BCS coaches."

It has worked for Gill and could work for many more. Guiding coaches to the right job is something the BCA has tried to do. Now they just need more ADs willing to take a chance on these proven, African American coaches.

The time is right for more drastic measures. Just wish it didn't have to involve the legal system. Guess there's still hope.

Tennessee: 2008's Michigan

Big-name coaches are lining up to tell University of Tennessee thanks, but no thanks.

Today, Duke's David Cutcliffe, North Carolina's Butch Davis and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier have all publicly stated they aren't interested in the void left by the bitter Phil Fulmer.

Programs like Tennessee (Clemson and Syracuse pay attention) need to realize they aren't that attractive to established coaches. (See post below. Rich Rodriguez had it much better at WVU than he does at Michigan). Those coaches don't need the headache or rebuilding nightmare that it requires.

Now Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is ready for the challenge and would embrace it. Or maybe consider Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong or consider a young and emerging coach like Buffalo's Turner Gill (who may be a better fit at Syracuse).

Bad news for Alabama

Watching Florida dance all over Georgia (from a bar stool in Columbus, Ohio) made me realize one simple thing. The Gators may be the best team in college football.

This is bad news for Alabama as the Tide will likely get the Gators in the SEC championship game. If Bama doesn't lose at LSU next weekend or at home with rival Auburn on Nov. 29, then the dream season will collapse in the conference title tilt on Dec. 6 in the Georgia Dome.

Seriously, did you see that performance by Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin? That's downright scary to try to stop, especially with both of them being healthy now. Equally impressive was the defensive performance turned in by Charlie Strong's unit.

The Gators have a few teams to jump still, but no one wants to face this team in the BCS Championship game.