Coaching Carousel (Auburn)

Auburn Tigers

To say that Gene Chizik's tenure at Auburn was a roller coaster is an understatement.  Fans were unhappy that Auburn hired Chizik (who had a 5-19 record at Iowa State) and felt there were better coaches out there.  Chizik answered a lot of critics with a National Championship season in his second year.  Lead by Heisman Trophy winning QB Cam Newton the Tigers went undefeated and beat Oregon in the National Championship Game.  So it's hard to imagine how a coach who won a National Championship two years ago can be fired two years later.

However it was what happened after the National Title season that caused Chizik to be fired.  In year three things started to slide.  Auburn only won 7 games during the regular season, but was dominated by the top teams in the conference.  Without Cam Newton the offense struggled and it was clear there wasn't a lot of talent.  Defensively it wasn't much better.  It was clear that Chizik wasn't brining in the top talent needed to compete in the SEC.
Chizik could have had another year to get things on track, but this year was just flat out awful.  Auburn finished the season with only 3 wins and didn't win a single game in conference.  You can't do that in the SEC and expect the administration to just stand by.  It was a time for a change.

Potential Candidates
Bobby Petrino (Former Arkansas Head Coach)
Remember when Petrino was at Louisville and Auburn tried to hire him before they fired Tommy Tubberville?  Well they wanted him then, they can sure get him now.  For all the crap that Petrino has caused he is a proven winner and would be a great hire for the Tigers.  But do they want to deal with all the headaches associated with that?

Kirby Smart (Alabama Defensive Coordinator)
Smart has been a hot head coaching candidate for the past couple of years.  And Auburn would be wise to kick the tires and see if he is interested.  Smart has coordinated the Crimson Tide defense which has been one of the top defenses in the nation.  But you have to wonder how much of that is him or is it Saban.  Plus you wonder if Smart would be willing to go to Alabama's big time rival and have to compete against Saban.  Doesn't seem to likely.

Charlie Strong (Louisville Head Coach)
Rumor is that Strong has already interviewed for this job.  Don't know if that is true because that usually doesn't take place till after the season.  But Strong would be a great choice.  He has built the Louisville program back up that they are returning to the BCS.  He is a good recruiter and has experience in the SEC.  It's only a matter of time before he gets a better job.

Gus Malzahn (Arkansas State Head Coach)
Another popular name in the coaching search is former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.  It was Malzahn who guided the Tigers offense that won the National Title.  Without Malzhan the Tigers struggled this past season.  Auburn also has a history of hiring defensive minded coaches and may want to bring in an coach whose speciality is offense.  Malzahn also went to Arkansas State to get some head coaching experience which should help when he gets to a BCS job.

Larry Fedora (North Carolina Head Coach)
Fedora has only been at North Carolina for a year, but your sure to hear his name come up in coaching searches.  Mainly because the NCAA is going to be laying down some punishment on the Tar Heels and Fedora may not want to deal with all those sanctions.  He is a very good coach and a proven winner at Southern Miss.  His first year at North Carolina he lead them to the Coastal Division Title, but they can't compete because they are on a bowl ban. 

College Football Kickoff (Week 14)

Games of the Week

#20 Louisville Cardinals (9-2) at Rutgers Scarlett Knights (9-2)
Even though the Big East doesn't have a conference championship game, this is their de facto game.  Right now Rutgers leads the Big East and a win would give them the title.  But if Louisville wins that forces a 4 way tie and the team with the higher BCS ranking will get the title.  That team is likely Louisville.  Both teams come into this game with strong defenses, so expect this game to be low scoring.  The Cardinals do have the advantage on offense.  QB Teddy Bridgewater has slowed down, but he is still a dynamic player.  His play will be the difference in the game.
Prediction:  Louisville 14  Rutgers 13

#19 UCLA Bruins (9-3) at #9 Stanford Cardinal (10-2)
If you feel like this game is deja vu, your not alone.  Because we just saw it last weekend.  In that game Stanford laid the wood to UCLA with their power run game and physical defense to win the game 35-17.  They basically beat down the Bruins.  But there are some that felt UCLA didn't give it their all because they were holding back for this game.  Bruin fans better hope that was true, because last weeks game wasn't pretty.
Prediction:  UCLA 24 Stanford 31

#17 Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) vs #16 Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1)
Can you remember the last time that the MAC Title Game had both teams ranked?  Let alone both teams being in the top 20.  Maybe one of the teams, but not both.  But with the Huskies and Flashes enjoying record breaking years, it's only fitting that they face off against each other for the Conference Championship. Both teams come into this game with high powered offenses and like to score points.  So you may want to take the overs in this one.  Kent State features a pair of 1,000 yard rushers, while Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch was putting up numbers that had some thinking of putting him on their Heisman ballot.  The difference will be the defense and that favors the Huskies who are only giving up 17 points per game.  But they haven't faced a running attack like this one.
Prediction:  Northern Illinois 38  Kent State 31

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1)  vs #3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1)
Who says that college football doesn't have playoffs?  The SEC Championship game between the #2 and #3 ranked teams will have the winner go face off against Notre Dame in the BCS Championship.  Sounds like a semi final round if you ask me.  Much like every other SEC game, this is a match up of elite defenses.  If Georgia wants to win this game they'll need QB Aaron Murray to have a flawless game and not throw any INTs that has hurt him in previous games.  If Alabama wants to win this game they'll have to find running holes against a very stout Georgia run defense.
Prediction:  Alabama 14 Georgia 10

#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2) vs Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)
A tale of two teams in this Big 10 Title Game.  This is Wisconsin's second straight Conference Championship game and they're looking to get back to their 3rd straight Rose Bowl.  Nebraska is in their first Big 10 Title Game and looking to win the Big 10 for the first time in school history.  The Huskers also haven't won a conference championship since 1999.  In their previous meeting this year the Huskers killed themselves with early turnovers, but fought back to win 30-27.  Nebraska is clearly the better team, but Wisconsin has the experience.
Prediction:  Nebraska 27 Wisconsin 24

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Coaches Corner

Gary Pinkel
Record at Missouri: 90-61
Bowl Appearances: 8

Gary Pinkel is no stranger to the coaching hot seat.  Pinkel's first four years at Missouri were pretty uneventful.  They never finished over 3rd in their division, despite having some talented teams.  The term "Pinkeled" was coined from the fact that he seemed to lose games because of bad coaching.  Pinkel's seat started to become warm and there were thoughts that another bad season could cause him to be fired.

2006 is when things started to change.  Pinkel was able to bring in a lot of talented players that would later go on to the NFL.  Guys like Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker, William Moore, Evander Hood, Blaine Gabbert and Sean Weatherspoon all were a part of the program at this time.  And because of all this talent, the Tigers were annual contenders to win the conference.  Missouri won the North Division of the Big 12 three of the next four years and were even ranked #4 in the final AP Standings.

So why would somebody like this now be on the hot seat? In 2011 most of that talent was gone from the program and Pinkel wasn't getting the same impact players in.  They finished the season 8-5.  This was Missouri's last year in the Big 12 and were moving to the SEC.

This past season was the Tigers first in the toughest conference in college football.  There wasn't a whole lot of expectations, but nobody thought the Tigers would be this bad.  Winning only 5 games all season and having their high powered offense sputter.  They finished 81st overall in passing.

Don't expect Pinkel to lose his job this year.  But word out of Columbia is that they aren't too pleased with the teams performance and Pinkel was out coached on a week end and week out basis.  If the administration wants to be a player in the SEC, they could make a move if it doesn't look like Pinkel will get the job done.

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What happened to....

Big East Contenders
Does anybody want to win the Big East this year?  I know teams are leaving left and right for better conferences, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't want to win the Big East Title.

For a better part of the season the Big East was a three team race.  Cincinnati, Rutgers, and Louisville were all in the running for the title and a birth in a BCS Bowl.  With the three teams playing each other in the final weeks of the season we would be treated to some good fought games.  Instead each  teams has dropped games to inferior competition.  Louisville lost consecutive games to Syracuse and UConn.  Rutgers lost to Kent State and Pittsburgh.  And Cincinnati lost to Toledo.  Now with Rutgers and Louisville playing, if Louisville wins we would have a 4 way tie.  They would have to look at BCS rankings to determine the winner.

Doesn't sound like anybody wants this title.  But nobody wants to be in this conference anymore, so I don't blame them.

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How about....

Texas A&M

For a school that has a lot to offer and has been thought to be a potential power school in college football, they really have underachieved.  I guess that's why they have always been considered a sleeping giant rather than a giant.  They struggled for years in the Big 12 to break through and with them going to the SEC West it looked like it could get even worse for the Aggies.

But lucky for them they were able to hire Kevin Sumlin from Houston to replace Mike Sherman.  They were also lucky that Sherman was able to get Johnny Manziel to come to A&M.  Under Kevin Sumlin's tutelage  Manziel has been the talk of college football and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.  The Aggies finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and a signature win over then #1 Alabama.  The Aggies weren't thought to be able to content in the SEC West, but this year they look like they can contend for years to come.

Maybe the Aggies were just a bad fit in the Big 12.  Maybe they needed to get out of Texas' shadow.  But anyway you slice it.  It's hard to ignore the season they are having.

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Player Spotlight

Tavon Austin

Height:  5'9
Weight:  172
School:  West Virginia
Year:  Senior
Position:  Wide Receiver

When West Virginia was enjoying a ton of attention for their early season success, it was QB Geno Smith getting most of the talk.  But one player that can't be ignored is Austin.

Austin is a jack of all trades.  He does most of his work out of the slot.  Austin uses his quickness to get of the line and in and out of cuts.  He has good hands and catches the ball cleanly.  He is also a force in the return game.  He gets to his top speed in a hurry and that allows him to break away from defenders.  Austin is at his best in the open field where his shiftiness and ability to change directions makes it impossible to take him down.  Surprisingly another strong suit we've seen is his ability to run the ball.  West Virginia has also used him as a running back and he even had 344 yards rushing against Oklahoma.  That's one game.

It's hard to compare Austin to another player because there really isn't anybody like him.  Easy comparisons would be Dexter McCluster or Percy Harvin.  But both of those players are a lot thicker than he is.  I don't see Austin holding up much in the NFL if he is going to be taking multiple hand offs.  Austin is starting to get some attention as a possible late 1st round pick, but it will be interesting to see how a team will use him.

NCAA Top 25 (Week 13)

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) LW 1
It's now official the Fighting Irish are now in the National Championship Game with their 22-13 win over USC.  Now Notre Dame gets to wait to face the winner of the Alabama and Georgia game.  The good thing about the Irish is that with their elite defense and neither Alabama or Georgia having explosive offenses, they'll have a great shot to win.


2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) LW 2
There was no sleep walking in Alabama's final regular season game against rival Auburn.  The 49-0 beatdown of the Tigers puts the Tide in the SEC Title game and helps the Tigers end one of the worst seasons in their program's history.  Now the Tide moves on to Georgia and a chance at the National Title.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) LW 3
Just think about this for a second.  It was two years ago that Georgia finished 6-7 on the season.  Then in 2010 the Bulldogs lost their first two games of the season.  Richt's seat was red hot and he was in danger of losing his job.  The Bulldogs rattled off 10 straight wins and he kept he job.  Now he has the Bulldogs at 11 wins and a chance to go to the National Title Game. 


4.  Oregon Ducks (11-1) LW 4
Even with their win over Oregon State, there is nothing the Ducks can do to get into the Pac 12 Title Game.  That's unfortunate for a team that only lost one game all year.  Instead they'll have to wait and see what bowl game they will be going to.  They are likely headed the the Fiesta Bowl against either KState or maybe Oklahoma.


5.  Florida Gators (11-1) LW 7
The Gators won a hard fought battle with in state rival Florida State.  The game went back and forth, but a 24 point 4th quarter gave the Gators the final lead.  The win gives the Gators their 11th of the season, but that one loss to Georgia is keeping them out of the SEC Title Game and possible National Title Game.  But we should see the Gators back in the BCS as an at large team.


6.  Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) LW 6
After losing the week before the Wildcats have an extra week to stool about it.  But with Texas coming up this weekend they can't think too much about Baylor or they could suffer a second straight loss and really ruin their once promising season.  A win against the Longhorns would give the Wildcats their first conference title since 2003.


7.  LSU Tigers (10-2) LW 8
It got a little nerve racking in the second half, but the Tigers were able to hold off Arkansas and secure their 10th win of the year.  But the season didn't go the way they wanted with two losses and no BCS game in their future.  Instead they'll have to settle for the Cotton Bowl against a 2nd tier Big 12 team.


8.  Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) LW 9
In a battle of former Big 12 teams and now new SEC foes, the Aggies were able to keep their momentum going and keep Missouri's struggles going for another week.  Not only did A&M win 59-29, but Johnny Manziel might have sown up the Heisman by breaking Cam Newton's single season yardage record in the SEC.  Not a bad year for their first in the SEC.


9.  Stanford Cardinal (10-2) LW 11
Not too many people gave Stanford a chance this year.  Losing all those pieces on offense and another year removed from Jim Harbaugh.  Instead they exceed expectations and with the win against UCLA the Cardinal got their 3rd straight 10 win season.  But they can't get ahead of themselves because if they want to win the Pac 12 they'll have to beat UCLA twice in two weeks.  A very tough thing to do.


10.  Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) LW 12
Without a chance at winning the conference or going to a bowl game, the Buckeyes finished the season with a perfect 12-0 record.  They did so by beating hated rival Michigan with 9 straight points to get a 5 point win.  They may be undefeated, but I'm not sold on this team as one of the best.  They did win their games, but they struggled in all but one.  I'd take every team ranked ahead of them here any day over the Buckeyes.


11.  South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) LW 13
Steve Spurrier loves to talk and he has never pulled any punches against in state rival Clemson.  However Spurrier and the Gamecocks were able to back it up.  South Carolina's defense was able to slow down the Clemson offense  and put 27 points on the board themselves.  The win also made Spurrier the all time winningest coach in South Carolina history.


12.  Florida State Seminoles (10-2) LW 5
The Seminoles may have lost against the Gators, but they are still going to the ACC Championship Game and with a win over Georgia Tech will get back to a BCS Bowl.  But you have to look at their two losses and wonder what could have been.  They lost in the final seconds to NC State and then lost a 2nd half lead against Florida.  Win those two and they could be in the National Title Game.


13.  Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) LW 14

Landry Jones threw for 500 yards and 3 TDs in Oklahoma's overtime win against Oklahoma State.  But you have to wonder what has happen to the Sooners defense.  Remember when that is what they were known for.  I mean Bob Stoops is suppose to be a defensive genius.  Instead it's their offense that is getting them most of their wins.  They finish the season against TCU who is looking for a signature moment to end their season.


14.  Clemson Tigers (10-2) LW 10
With all the talent on the Clemson team, they just can't beat their in state rival South Carolina.  Their 27-17 loss was their 4th straight to the Gamecocks.  Offensively they were held to only 17 points which is 25 points under their average.  You would have thought if they held SC to only 27 they would probably win with their offense.  Not the case here. 

15.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2) LW 15
It had all the makings of a trap game.  The Huskers had the Legends Division all but wrapped up and were looking ahead to the Big 10 Title Game and possibly their first conference title since 1999.  All that stood in their way was a 4 win Iowa team.  And for the better part of the game it looked like they were going to lose.  But a late Rex Burkhead TD gave them the lead and they never looked back.


16.  Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1) 22
Kent State continued their record setting season with win over Ohio in their season finale.  The 28-6 win was impressive considering many thought Ohio could go undefeated this year.  Now the Golden Flashes will face off against another 11 win team in Northern Illinois to decide the MAC Title. 

17.  Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) LW 25
In one of the worst weather condition games of the year, the Huskies were able to throttle Eastern Michigan 49-7 and set up their match up against Kent State in the MAC Title Game.  The win was even more impressive considering that the field was covered in snow and had to be hard to move at full speed.  But that didn't stop the Huskies from racking up the yards.


18.  Texas Longhorns (8-3) LW 16
Just when you think Texas righted the ship after a couple of losses, they fall right back down with an ugly loss against TCU.  QB David Ash was terrible with 3 turnovers and was pulled for Chase McCoy.  It's too bad because they have a ton of talent on that team, but just can't put it together at the QB position.  With KState coming this weekend, it could get worse.


19.  Louisville Cardinals (9-2) LW 17
In typical Big East fashion, the Cardinals dropped a game they should have won heading into their final game against Rutgers.  But that is the story of the Big East.  Just when you think you have a team or two separating themselves, they end up losing to a weaker team.  Now we have a four way tie atop the conference standings.  These teams are lucky that they still have a automatic bid to the BCS, because if this was next year, we wouldn't see a Big East Champion in the BCS.


20.  UCLA Bruins (9-3) LW 18
With UCLA's loss to Stanford that sets up a rematch with the Cardinal this week in Palo Alto.  It will be interesting to see how the Bruins do in the second game.  You would think that their chances would go down since they already lost to Stanford at home and now the game is at Stanford.  Unless you buy in that UCLA didn't go 100% in the first match up.


21.  Oregon State Beavers (8-3) LW 19
Unlike most Pac 12 teams, the Beavers season is not over.  They still have Nichols State this weekend in a game that was suppose to be played first week but because of a hurricane was pushed back.  This will allow the Beavers to finish their season on a high note after getting blown out in state rival Oregon.

22.  Northwestern Wildcats (9-3) LW NR
The Wildcats have been a yo-yoing in and out of the top 25 the past couple of weeks.  However with their win over in state rival Illinois the Wildcats got their 9th win of the season and a pretty successful season at that.  It's too bad that the Wildcats are in the Legends Division because they could have easily won the Leaders Division and made it to the Big 10 Title Game.


23.  Michigan Wolverines (8-4) LW 20
On the surface 4 losses isn't a great season.  But when you look at who they lost to, it's still a good season none the less.  The Wolverines dropped games to #1 Notre Dame, #2 Alabama, #10 Ohio State, and #14 Nebraska.  It's not like they were losing to Illinois or Purdue.

24.  Utah State Aggies (10-2) LW NR
Gotta give some love to the Aggies from Utah State.  Their win over Idaho gives the Aggies an undefeated record in the WAC and their first WAC Conference Title.  Pretty good for a program that hasn't had much success at the FBS level.  But their success comes at a price because their HC Gary Anderson is likely going to be pursued for a BCS level job and probably will be gone.


25.  Boise State Broncos (10-2) LW NR
I've been reluctant to put the Broncos in my rankings in the past because I don't feel they are that great of a team.  Top 25 sure.  But I don't see them being a top 16 team like a lot of AP voters.  Who have the Broncos really beat?  The only BCS level team they played they lost to, and Michigan State isn't very good.  Other than that, Boise has been average.

Dropped From the Rankings:  Michigan, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State

Heisman Watch (Week 13)

1.  Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M
Last Week:   372 yards passing 3 TDs 1 INT, 67 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Missouri (59-29)  Next Game:  Bowl Game
Comments:  Remember a couple of years ago when Cam Newton ran wild in the SEC and broke the SEC single game yardage record?  Remember he won the Heisman running away?  Well with this recent game, Johnny Manziel just broke Newton's single season yardage record.  Pretty amazing for anybody, let alone a freshman.  With his 439 yard output against Missouri it could have cemented his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy.  A&M not playing this week does hurt him a little, but with nobody else on this list besides Klein playing next week.  It shouldn't hurt him too much.  We could have another anti climatic Heisman Race.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week:  Bye  Next Week: vs Texas
Comments:  Losing against Baylor and then having a bye week right after it can't help Klein's chances at winning the award.  Especially since Johnny Maziel has just taken off.  That's too bad because Klein has had an outstanding year and helped carry the Wildcats to the verge of the National Championship game.  But unlike the rest of the guys in the Heisman Race, Klein is the only one with a game left on the schedule and if he has a huge game against Texas, he could make giving out this award a lot tougher on voters.

3.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Last Week: 5 tackles 1 INT at USC (22-13)
Next Game:  BCS Championship Game

Comments:  Te'o has been a force for the Notre Dame defense all season long.  Te'o's 5 tackles put him over 100 tackles on the season (and for the third straight season).  Te'o also registered his 7th INT for the seasons which is quite the feat for a linebacker.  He also benefit's from Notre Dame being #1 and going to the BCS National Championship.  Something that only he can claim. 

4.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  189 yards passing 1 TD, 57 yards rushing vs Michigan (26-21)  Next Game:  Season Completed
Comments:  Braxton Miller didn't have a huge game against rival Michigan in his final game of the season, but he did help the Buckeye's get the win and finish with a perfect 12-0 record.  But even with the average game, it's hard to ignore the impact he has had on this undefeated team.  On a team that didn't have many impact players, it was Miller who carried the load game in and game out.  He used both his arm and feet to rack up the yards and get points on the board.

5.  Marqise Lee WR USC

Last Week:  5 receptions for 75 yards O TDs vs Notre Dame (13-22)  Next Game:  Bowl Game
Comments:  Marquise Lee didn't have a big game against Notre Dame's elite defense, but Lee also was dealing with a backup QB and not Matt Barkley.  Still with constant double teams and added focus against him, Lee was able to get 75 yards and make an impact.  It's also hard to ignore the season that Lee has had.  He's totaled up 1,680 yard receiving and 14 TDs.  Pretty amazing no matter the situation.  Lee won't win the Heisman, but he is clearly one of the top 5 players this year and should be in New York for the Heisman Ceremony.

Coaching Carousel (Tennessee)

Tennessee Volunteers

When Lane Kiffin left Tennessee after only serving one year on the job the administration chose to go in a different direction hiring Louisiana Tech Head Coach Derek Dooley.  The decision to hire Dooley was a cause for concern because he wasn't a hot coaching name and his 17-20 record at LaTech wasn't very good.  Heck he was 4-8 in his last year.  But Dooley had a good pedigree   His dad was legendary Georgia Coach Vince Dooley, and Derek was from the Nick Saban Coaching tree.  But you have to wonder if the AD hired Dooley with the thought he wouldn't leave for the next best job like Kiffin did.

As many expected, things didn't go very well for Dooley.  His first year was his best.  He ended with a 6-7 record and made it to the Music City Bowl.  In year two they finished with only 5 wins and only won one SEC game.  His hot seat was getting pretty warm in year 2.

This year looked like it could go pretty well.  The Vols entered the season with a ton of talent on the offensive with QB Tyler Bray and WRs Justin Hunter, Da'Rick Rodgers, and Cordalle Patterson.  However Rodgers was kicked off the team.  Tennessee started the season with a big win over NC State, but once SEC conference play started the wheels fell off.  They lost a 2nd half lead to Florida, lost by less than 10 points to Georgia, Miss State, and South Carolina but all of them are losses.

After losing to Vanderbilt, Dooley got the ax.  Failing to win a single SEC Game this year had to sting the administration big time.  Now that the job is open it will be easier for them to talk to potential candidates and hopefully get the first crack at a lot of top names.  The Tennessee job isn't the most appealing, but it's an SEC job and it's in the weaker (relatively speaking) East Division.  Plus word out is that their willing to spend  in the $4 million range.  That makes the job more desirable 

Potential Candidates

John Gruden (Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach)
Gruden has to be their top choice and would be a great hire.  He is a proven winner with both the Raiders and the Bucs.  There is a connection to the program.  Gruden was a Grad Assistant at Tennessee for a season and met his wife there.  But other than a couple of years he doesn't really have any college experience and we don't know if he wants to go to college.  As good as this sounds, don't look for it to happen.

Butch Jones (Cincinnati Head Coach)
His name has been thrown around quite a bit lately and with good cause.  Jones has done a great job where he has gone.  But you have to wonder how good has he been or has he just reaped the benefits of Brian Kelly.  He followed him at Central Michigan and then Cincinnati.  With his experience in the area he could be a good fall back candidate if they don't get one of their top choices.

Dan Mullen (Mississippi State Head Coach)
Here is the guy that I believe could be the best choice.  Mullen has a ton of exprience in the SEC.  He was Urban Meyer's offensive coordinator at Florida and then went on to Mississippi State and has built them into a top 25 team.  But it's extremely hard to win in the SEC West unless you are at LSU or Alabama.  Mullen isn't likely to stay at Miss State, so this could be his way out.  The SEC East is much more winnable and Mullen could see this opprotunity as a good one.  He is clearly one of the most underrated coaches in the nation.

John Chavis (LSU Defensive Coordinator)
One name that is very popular with the Vol fans is former Tennessee player and defensive coordinator John Chavis.  Chavis is enjoying a ton of success at LSU and if he's interested could make his head coaching debut for the Vols.  But that's part of the issue.  Chavis has never been a head coach and hasn't necessarily indicated that he wants to.

David Cutcliff (Duke Head Coach)
Much like Chavis, Cutcliff's name has been very popular because of his former ties to the Volunteer program.  Cutcliff is a former Vol offensive coordinator who had much success when Payton Manning was there.  Cutcliff has had success at Ole Miss and now at Duke.  And if you can win at Duke, you are a good coach.  However Cutcliff has already turned Tennessee down once and just signed a long extension at Duke.  So it doesn't look likely that he'll be in Knoxville.

Kirby Smart (Alabama Defensive Coordinator)
All depending on what he wants to do, Smart could be the next Volunteer coach.  He's a very popular name with ADs because of the success he's had at Alabama with Nick Saban.  But there are some ties to Tennessee because their AD Dave Hart came from Alabama and knows Smart.  He could be their first choice and if he wants it, it's likely his.

Coaching Carousel (California)

California Bears

Tedford came to Cal with the reputation of being a QB guru.  He tutored the likes of Trent Dilfer, David Carr, Akili Smith, and Joey Harrington.  Things started out good for Tedford.  In his first year he took them from one win to seven.  From 2003-2006 the Bears won at least 8 games and even were ranked #2 at one point.  He was even Pac 10 coach of the year twice.  A big reason for the success early on was due to the ability to get top flight talent into the program.  Aaron Rodgers, DeSean Jackson, and Marshawn Lynch are just a few of the top players he's had.

Things started to change in 2007.  That season they started off 5-0 but ended up losing 6 of their last 7 games and finished with a 7-6 record.  But over the past 5 years (not including this year) he only averaged 4 wins per year.  Whats worse is that he's been able to get some top flight talent in the program, but hasn't been able to translate those into wins.  The biggest blow could have been this past off season when ace recruiter Tosh Lopoi left for the same position at Washington.

With only 3 wins on the season the administration felt the need to move on and bring a fresh new face into the program who could bring it back to what Tedford had in his earlier years.

Potential Candidates

Chris Petersen (Boise State Head Coach)
Seems like every time a job opens up everybody wants to put Petersen's name in the mix.  Almost every time it isn't a good fit.  Petersen is a West Coast guy.  He's always (expect a brief stint at Pitt) coached on the West Coast.  He's got it made at Boise State and seen several coaches leave and struggle.  He's only going to leave for the right fit.  Well this could be a great fit.  He's coached at UC Davis which is right in the Berkeley area and has ties to California from his time at Boise State and Oregon.  Cal isn't a high profile job so he can still keep a low profile.  If Petersen were going to leave Boise State, this (and Oregon) could be the job that gets him.

Hue Jackson (Cincinnati Bengals Assistant Coach)
Jackson is the favorite of many Cal insiders.  Jackson if you remember had a one year stint as the Oakland Raiders Head Coach.  Jackson lead the Raiders to an 8-8 record and probably deserved another year, but with Al Davis passing and Reggie McKenzie taking over, he wanted his own guy.  Jackson is known for being a good offensive coach and a good QB mentor.  But some could be scared off because that sounds a lot like Jeff Tedford.

Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers Head Coach)
The latest name to surface is that of the current Panthers head coach.  Rivera is a Cal alumn and was is in the College Hall of Fame.  Rivera looked like he had the Panthers going in his first year, but they have stalled and now he  is rumored to lose his job.  A perfect landing spot for him would be back at his old college home.

Mark Helfrich (Oregon Offensive Coordinator)
Another name to watch is the current Oregon offensive coordinator.  Helfrich's name gets thrown around a lot because of the success that Oregon's spread offense is getting.  Many teams would love to get that type of output and think that Helfrich could bring it to them.  However Chip Kelly calls his own plays and you have to wonder how much of that is solely on Kelly and how much does Helfrich have credit for.  But Kelly's had a ton of success and Helfrich has more than likely learned a lot from him.

Mike MacIntrye (San Jose State Head Coach)
If you can win at San Jose State, you should be able to win almost anywhere.  Mike MacIntrye has lead the Spartans to a 9-2 record with losses to Stanford and Utah State.  It's hard to ignore that type of success.  MacIntrye brings to him knowledge of the area and experience leading a program.  But it's experience in the WAC.  But there is something to be said for having success at each level you've been at.  Ask Brian Kelly.

College Football Kickoff (Week 13)

Games of the Week

#7 Florida Gators (10-1) at #5 Florida State Seminoles (10-1)
During the 1990's this game always had a  big time implications, but recently it's just been another game due to one of the teams not being very good.  However with both teams ranked in the top 10 and both teams looking to possibly sneak into the National Title game if teams ahead of them slip up.  Both teams have really good defenses and this should be a low scoring game.  The big question will be Florida's offense.  They are not very dynamic, but are returning QB Jeff Driskel from injury.  If he can be the play maker we saw earlier in the season the Gators can win.  But FSU has a lot more weapons on offense and that should be the difference maker.
Prediction:  Florida 10 Florida State 20

#4 Oregon Ducks (10-1) at #19 Oregon State Beavers (9-2)
This game doesn't have the same impact as it did a week ago.  This was going to be the game that Oregon could slip up.  But they did that last week.  Now it will be interesting to see what Oregon team shows up.  A pissed off one looking to prove that last week was a fluke.  Or a team that is still thinking about last week and could see their second straight loss.  Oregon State wants to show that they are the best team in the state and want to knock off the mighty Ducks.  Unlike last week this will be a high scoring game.  The Beavers don't have as good of a defense as Stanford and will struggle to slow the Duck offense down.  Add in that Oregon State doesn't have the fire power to stay in a shoot out and this could get ugly.
Prediction:  Oregon 45 Oregon State 27

#11 Stanford Cardinal (9-2) at #18 UCLA Bruins (9-2)
The worst part (or maybe the best part depending how the game goes) about this game is that it could be replayed next weekend.  UCLA has already locked up their spot in the Pac 12 Title Game.  A Stanford win would clinch their spot in the game.  But don't expect a let down game here.  Stanford is playing for a lot and UCLA even though they are already in are looking to show they are a not a flash in the pan.  We'll see a good match up with UCLA's spread offense vs the Cardinals physical defense.  Will QB Brett Hundley and RB Jonathan Franklin be able to run against the Cardinal?  Or will OC Noel Mazzone be able to out scheme this defense?  But don't forget that UCLA must stop RB Stepfan Taylor and they've shown that they can be run on.
Prediction:  Stanford 20  UCLA 17

#13 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2) at #10 Clemson Tigers (10-1)
This is one of the most intense rivalries in college football.  Things have only gotten more interesting with both Dabo Swiney and Steve Spurrier trading shots all year long.  Look for this to be a really physical game.  We'll see Clemson's high octane offense face off against a stout Gamecock defense.  South Carolina's defense is good, but is it good enough to slow down Tajh Boyd and Sammie Watkins?  You have to know that the struggling Gamecocks offense is excited to a bad Tiger defense.  The big concern for Clemson will be if their defense can hold the Gamecocks down enough to out score them.  I like those chances with Marcus Lattimore not in this game.
Prediction:  South Carolina 27  Clemson 31

#20 Michigan Wolverines (8-3) at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0)
Now that Brady Hoke has the Wolverines on the upswing this rivalry is starting to get back to where it use to be.  This game could have major implications if the Buckeyes weren't on probation and were vying for a spot in the National Championship Game.  But if Nebraska loses to Iowa and the Wolverines win, they will go to the Big 10 Title Game.  But no matter what, both of these teams wants to beat the crap out of the other.  Now that QB Dennard Robinson is back the Wolverines offense has an extra wrinkle in it.  It will be interesting to see what OC Al Borges has worked up for a thin Buckeye defense.  Ohio State will need a big game out of QB Braxton Miller because Michigan has an underrated defense and the Buckeyes don't have a lot of weapons besides him. 
Prediction:  Michigan  20 Ohio State 21

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Coaching Hot Seat

Skip Holtz
Record at South Florida: 
Bowl Appearances: 

A couple of years ago, Skip Holtz was an up and comer in the college football coaching circles.  After winning the Conference USA title two years in a row at East Carolina Holtz got his first crack at a BCS conference job.  Holtz took over at South Florida for Jim Leavitt who was fired for alleged abuse of players.

The South Florida job is one that many thought could be a sleeping giant.  They are in the fertile Florida recruiting grounds, had improved facilities, and were in a winnable conference.  Leavitt had them all the way up to #2 in the nation at one point before he was fired.  Holtz was a hot coaching name and many thought he could take them to that level.  Instead it's been three years and instead of Conference Championships and BCS Bowls we are talking about him possibly losing his job. 

It started out well for Holtz.  His first year in Tampa was alright.  They won 8 and beat Clemson in the Mieneke Car Care Bowl.  However the success of that initial season didn't last.  They only won 5 games last year and only 3 games so far this season.  Add in that Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are their remaining opponents and it looks like they'd be lucky to win one of them.  That leaves us to Holtz.  His best year was with Leavitt's players.  They've gotten worse every year.  Are three years enough to evaluate his program?

Probably not, but that seems to be the trend in college football.  He'll more than likely get another year.  But the seat is hot.  If he can't show vast improvement next year, we could be talking about South Florida looking for their 3rd coach in program history.

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What happened to....

West Virginia Mountaineers
At the beginning of the season everybody was intrigued how West Virginia was going to do as the new member of the Big 12 conference.  Especially after winning the Big East the year before.

The Mountaineers were thought to be the perfect team for the Big 12.  They, much like almost every team, run a spread attack and don't play much defense.  West Virginia HC Dana Holgerson had experience in the conference from his time as an assistant at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.  With the talent the Mountaineers had on offense they were deemed a sleeper pick to win the conference.

West Virginia started the season off with a bang winning their first five games, mostly by dominating fashion.  QB Geno Smith was putting up monster numbers and was the far and away leader for the Heisman Trophy.  But after starting out 5-0, the Mountaineers hit a huge wall and have lost their next 5 games.  The offense began to stall and the defense was incapable of stopping anybody.  West Virginia has two games remaining, Iowa State and Kansas.  Both should be wins, but Iowa State is feisty and is always capable of winning every night.

What went wrong?  Have teams figured out Holgerson's offense?  Did they beat up on inferior competition to start the season?  Or did the grind of the Big 12 catch the Mountaineers off guard?  To be honest it's probably a combination of them all.  Their first five games were against poor competition.  Texas was struggling at the time and Baylor was their next best opponent.  Add in that the Mountaineers aren't use to playing top 25 teams on a consistent basis (have you seen the Big East) and the grind can wear on a team.

This season can be chalked up to a failure, but look for West Virginia to reload and be a player in the Big 12 for years to come.

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How about....

Conference Realignment

Two years ago Conference Realignment was a hot topic.  Nebraska, Colorado and Utah all joined new conferences.  The next off season we saw Texas A&M, Missouri, TCU, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse all move conferences.  Everything seemed to be stabilizing themselves.  But as you know, things have picked up once again and we have a new batch of teams moving around.

It all started with Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish are the most famous Independent Team in college football.  But this past summer they moved their non football teams from the Big East to the ACC.  This was a move that was good for both Notre Dame and the ACC.  It gave the ACC another big name and put them into a secure spot.  The Big 10 was always a conference that wanted Notre Dame, but with this move that was never going to happen.  With the possibility of 16 team super conferences looming, the Big 10 didn't want to be left picking up the scraps.  So they made the next move.

Enter Rutgers and Maryland.  They are your newest members of the Big 10.  Not what most people expected when they thought of the Big 10 expanding.  But as we know, it's all about money.  Rutgers and Maryland bring new big markets to the conference.  Now the Big 10 Network would be able to expand into New York City and Baltimore increasing the exposure of the conference and getting BTN on even more TV sets.  That means more money for the conference.

But what does that mean for the other conferences?  Now the ACC is scrambling.  Who are they going to get for their 14th school?  Do they have to turn to UConn or Louisville?  What schools will move next?  The SEC and Big 10 will be looking eventually to get to 16.  The place they'll likely look is the ACC.  What was thought to finally be a secure conference, is starting to feel a little insecure.

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Player Spotlight

Jonathan Franklin

Height: 5'10
Weight: 198
School:  UCLA
Year:  Senior
Position:  Running back

With the UCLA Bruins on the rise and poise to play in their second straight Pac 12 Title Game, we've become a lot more familiar with Jonathan Franklin.  Franklin has been a huge part of the Bruins success on offense this year.  Going into the final game of the regular season Franklin is 5th in the nation in rushing yards (1,426 yards) while hauling in 12 total TDs.  He's gone over 100 yards in all but 3 games.  He even had over 200 yards in his first two games of the year.

All this success has brought a lot of attention to the senior running back.  Jonathan Franklin is a natural runner who doesn't have a lot of wasted movement and does does a great job of finding cut back lanes and openings.  He doesn't have elite top end speed, but is fast enough to get to the edge or break through the middle.  This season he has shown that he can also catch the ball, but has some work to do improving his route running and catching the ball more cleanly.

Overall Franklin has taken a huge step forward this year and is one of the top backs in college football this year.  His play has been a huge reason UCLA has a shot to win the Pac 12 Conference.  There will be several NFL teams looking to add him to their roster this upcoming draft.

NCAA Top 25 (Week 12)

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) LW 3
By the time Notre Dame got done routed Wake Forrest they couldn't have believed by the end of the day they'd be the #1 team come Sunday night.  It was the Irish that thought they'd be left out of the National Title picture, but now all they need is a win over USC and they are a lock.


2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) LW 4
SEC fans were all up in arms at the notion that their conference champion being left out of the National Title Game.  However all they needed was a little patience and with KState and Oregon both losing, that leaves the title game wide open.  Alabama after their loss to A&M are now on track for a possible back to back championship season.  Just have to get past Georgia now.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) LW 5
Georgia is sitting in a good spot now.  Because of the top two teams losing, the Bulldogs are a SEC Championship away from making it to the National Title Game.  They'd face Alabama, but as we saw against A&M they are clearly beatable.


4.  Oregon Ducks (10-1) LW 1
I guess we saw how good the Ducks offense truly is.  Facing off against poor Pac 12 defenses all season, the first true test for the Ducks was Stanford.  It was Stanford's physical defense that beat down the Ducks fast offense and held them to only 14 points.  Ouch!  Now Oregon needs UCLA to beat Stanford or Oregon can't even compete for the conference championship.


5.  Florida State Seminoles (10-1) LW 7
The Seminoles make the jump up to five mainly because they are playing much better than KState and Florida.  This past weekend they blew out Maryland to improve their record to 10-1 with a game against in state rival Florida coming up this weekend.  If the 'Noles can play like they did this weekend, they should be able to beat the struggling Gators for the third straight year.


6.  Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) LW 2
What stings the most about the Baylor loss is that how could the Wildcats only score 24 points on one of the worst defenses in the nation?  But Kansas State fans should be use to this.  If you remember 1998 the Wildcats were ranked #1 and poised to go to the championship game before losing to Texas A&M.  Another case of history repeating itself.


7.  Florida Gators (10-1) LW 6
Ever since the Georgia game, the Gators just haven't been right.  Probably doesn't help that starting QB Jeff Driskel didn't play most of the Louisiana-Lafayette game and all of the Jacksonville State game.  But even without they they should have lost to both Missouri and Lafayette.  They better get things figured out, cause if they don't Florida State will roll right over them. 


8.  LSU Tigers (9-2) LW 8
LSU almost had a scare against Ole Miss but used a TD with 15 seconds left on the clock to take the lead and get the win.  Not what Tiger fans were thinking going into this game.  But they were lucky to get the win and as long as they don't lay an egg against Arkansas they should find themselves in the Sugar Bowl.


9.  Texas A&M Aggies (9-2) LW 9
A&M must feel like a true SEC team now.  This week they got their standard FCS opponent before the end of the season.  It's truly amazing that people criticize other schools for scheduling FCS schools, but nobody ever says anything about the SEC doing it.  Anyways, A&M cruised past Sam Houston State and now has their final game against fellow SEC newcomer and old Big 12 mate Missouri.  A win here could put the Aggies in contention for a BCS Bowl.


10.  Clemson Tigers (10-1) LW 10
They no longer have as shot at going to the ACC Title Game, but with a win over South Carolina the Tigers could make it back to their second straight BCS Game.  However they haven't won in over three years.  The game should be interesting since both HCs have been taking shots at each other all year long.  I don't think they'll brawl again, but this game means a lot to both schools.


11.  Stanford Cardinal (9-2) LW 14
Not too many people (me included) thought too much of Stanford going into this season.  Not only are they two years removed from Harbaugh, but they lost a ton of talent on a record setting offense.  They offense has struggled this year, but the defense has picked up the slack.  They've knocked off both Oregon and USC and should have beaten Notre Dame if not for a questionable replay review.  If they beat UCLA this weekend they will have their chance at winning the Pac 12 for the first time since 1999.


12.  Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) LW 11
I'm really curious to see where the Buckeyes would be ranked in the BCS if they weren't on NCAA probation.  Even with an undefeated record I couldn't see them too high.  They really haven't beaten anybody besides Nebraska and have struggled with some poor teams.  We should see how good they really are when they face Michigan this weekend.


13.  South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2) LW 12
Tied at halftime with Wofford, it was clear that the Gamecocks were looking ahead to in state rival Clemson.  However South Carolina kicked it into gear in the 2nd half and put away the FCS school to get their 9th win of the season.  The Gamecocks have to be looking forward to the Clemson game to get their 4th straight win over the Tigers.  But they can't start slow in this one, or Clemson's high powered offense could put the game out of reach. 


14.  Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) LW 13

In a wild game against West Virginia, the Sooners were able to escape with the win in the final seconds.  It took a Kenny Stills TD reception with 24 seconds left to take the lead and secure the win.  But you have to be concerned about Oklahoma's defense who gave up 344 yards rushing to Tavon Austin and 205 yards receiving to Stedman Bailey.  With Oklahoma State coming to town this weekend they cannot afford another poor defensive showing against another powerful offense, because the Sooner offense might not be able to keep up again.

15.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2) LW 15
After weeks of come from behind wins, the Huskers had an easy one against Minnesota.  The Huskers jumped out to a 38-0 lead before pulling the starters on senior day.  The win puts the Huskers one more game away from clinching the Legends Division and setting up a rematch game against Wisconsin, who they beat earlier in the season. 


16.  Texas Longhorns (8-2) LW 16
With no more Big 12 Championship Game, we are seeing some teams in the conference taking a bye week so that they can still have a game the last weekend of the year.  But add that with Texas playing TCU on Thursday and that's why the Longhorns are off.  It will be interesting to see how Texas' offense does against the test TCU defense.  They could get QB David Ash fits all game long.


17.  Louisville Cardinals (9-1) LW 17
Before their beat down against Syracuse the Cardinals looked to be cruising towards the Big East Title.  But now they needed to use the bye week to refocus and finish the season out strong.  They shouldn't have any trouble with UConn this weekend, but with Rutgers on the horizon, they cannot afford to look ahead.


18.  UCLA Bruins (9-2) LW 20
Beating USC is a big step forward for the Bruins, now they are the team on the rise while the Trojans are spinning their wheels.  But they cannot stop there with Stanford on the schedule next.  A win against the Cardinal will set up the Bruins to face Oregon in the Pac 12 Title game.  But a loss to Stanford would mean a rematch in Palo Alto.


19.  Oregon State Beavers (8-2) LW 21
Oregon State got a great blowout victory over Cal to improve to eight wins.  However they are effectively eliminated from the Pac 12 Championship race.  Even with a win over Oregon and UCLA beating Stanford, the Cardinal would have the tie breaker against them.  But if that does take place and UCLA wins the Pac 12 Title, we could see Oregon State become an at large team in the BCS.  But they have to beat a pissed off Oregon team first.


20.  Michigan Wolverines (8-3) LW 22
In their game against Iowa we got to see a glimpse of what the Wolverines plan on doing with both Devin Gardner and Dennard Robinson.  And frankly it's a smart idea.  Even when his arm is 100%, Robinson isn't a great thrower and the offense was better with Gardner at QB.  But against Iowa they used Robinson as a RB, QB, and WR.  It made the defense have to guess what he was going to do.  Add in that Gardner has been playing at WR, they can leave both in at the same time and do multiple things.  That should drive the Ohio State defense crazy and could be enough to score a bunch of points against them.


21.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-1) LW 25
With their win over Cincinnati the Scarlet Knights are in the drivers seat to win the Big East.  All they need to do is beat Pittsburgh and then Louisville and they are the Big East Champions.  And we've seen they have the defense to do so.  They held Cincinnati to only 3 points.  But they can't look past Pittsburgh because they are very capable of knocking off the Scarlet Knights.


22.  Kent State Golden Flashes (10-1) 24
Kent State's victory over Bowling Green gives the Flashes the most wins in their program's history and also puts them into the MAC Title Game against Northern Illinois.  But the Golden Flashes can't be thinking ahead because they have a very tough game against Ohio this weekend.  The Bobcats might be struggling now, but they were a top 25 team earlier this year and could halt Kent State's momentum before the championship game.


23.  Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-3) LW NR
After a horrible three game stretch where the Bulldogs went from undefeated to three losses, the streak finally came to an end against Arkansas.  Miss State blasted the Razorbacks and got back into the win column.  Now all that's left is in state rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.  However this isn't the same Ole Miss they've seen lately.  It will be a hard fought game that is even harder since it's at Ole Miss.


24.  Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3) LW NR
Oklahoma State was just too much for Texas Tech and for a second straight year the Cowboys dominated the Red Raiders for the win.  The win improves their record to 7 wins and gives them some much needed momentum going into Bedlam with in state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys have to be licking their chops seeing what West Virginia's offense was able to do to the Sooners.  We could see much the same with #6 passing attack.


25.  Northern Illinois Huskies (10-1) LW NR
Northern Illinois win over Toledo secured their place in the MAC Title Game against Kent State.  Now all they have to do is not look past Eastern Michigan and they have a huge showdown against the Golden Flashes.  The Huskies make their debut in the rankings because of a MAC leading offense that has carried them to 10 wins on the season.


Dropped From the Rankings:  USC, Louisiana Tech, Texas Tech

Heisman Watch (Week 12)

1.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week:  286 yards passing 2 TDs 3 INTs, 39 yards rushing 1 TD at Baylor (24-52)  Next Week: Bye
Comments:  It was an all around bad day for everybody involved with the KState football program.  Not only did their perfect season and shot at a National Title hopes go up in flames, but Collin Klein had a clunker of a game.  Now he didn't lose his lead in the race, and is still the favorite to win the award.  But the gap between him and the rest of the field is a lot narrower now.  Luckily for him there really isn't anybody knocking at the door.  But he'll need to finish the season strong or somebody could find their way into the discussion for the award.

2.  Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M
Last Week:   267 yards passing 3 TDs 1 INT, 100 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Sam Houston State (47-28)  Next Week:  vs Missouri Comments:  Another quality game for Manziel and the Aggies as they trounced FCS Sam Houston State.  Manziel was his normal having 367 combined yards and 4 TDs.  This was a great showing especially with KState QB Collin Klein struggles against Baylor.  This performance closes the gap between the two, but is it enough to get him some votes?  Not being able to play in the conference championship game hurts.  But you also have to wonder if him being a freshman will hurt his chances too?  Remember when Tim Tebow got the award as a sophomore and people having a problem with it?  Who knows, but it's hard not to argue with Manziel's season and impact.

3.  Kenjon Barner RB Oregon
Last Week:  66 yards rushing 0 TDs, 13 yards receiving 0 TDs vs Stanford (14-17)  Next Week:  at Oregon State
Comments:  This is two straight weeks of clunkers for Barner.  After an impressive 321 yard rushing day against USC, he's kinda fallin off.  He only had 63 yards against Cal and now in their loss to Stanford, Barner was unable to do anything and finished with only 79 total yards of offense.  Ouch!  His Heisman chances were remote, but it's beginning to look like he's out of the running.  But you could say that about anybody besides Collin Klein and Johnny Manziel.  Barner just has to hope that he has two monster games left and Klein and Manziel have a couple of clunkers.  But that doesn't look likely.  But he should still get an invite to New York.

4.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Last Week:  6 tackles vs Wake Forrest (38-0)
Next Week:  at USC

Comments:  It wasn't a spectucular game against Wake Forrest, but that was expected as Notre Dame was clearly the better team.  Te'o finished with 6 tackles but didn't play much into the 4th quarter.  Te'o's final game to impress is this upcoming weekend agaisnt USC.  But with USC being down a big game won't have the same impact it did a couple of weeks ago.  Te'o's chances of winning the Heisman are slim at best, even with being on the #1 ranked team in the BCS.  But as a defender and not having a "dominant" season it was going to be hard to get enough votes.  Even in this down year.

5.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  97 yards passing 0 TDs, 48 yards 0 TDs at Wisconsin (21-14) Next Week: vs Michigan
Comments:  Much like the guys ahead of him, Miller didn't have an impressive Saturday.  Against a good Wisconsin team, Miller only had 145 total yards and 0 TDs.  Not what we are use to seeing out of Miller this year.  But the Buckeyes got the win and that's all that matters.  Now Miller looks to the Michigan game to end the season.  Much like Barner and Te'o, Miller's chances of winng the award is long gone, but a good showing aganist the Wolverines and Miller should find himself in New York for the ceremony.  This could also give him some momentum for next year as he should be one of the favorites.

College Football Kickoff (Week 12)

Games of the Week

#14 Stanford Cardinal (8-2) at #1 Oregon Ducks (10-0)
Easily the game of the week we have the top two teams in the Pac 12 facing off against each other.  The winner of this game would represent the North Division in the Pac 12 Title Game.  We'll see Oregon's high octane offense go up against Stanford's physical defense.  Last year Stanford couldn't handle Oregon's speed and athletism, will they be able to this year?  Can Stanford QB Kevin Hogan pick up where he left off and help keep the Cardinal in the game?  Or will Oregon's improved defense shut down Stanford?
Prediction:  Stanford 24  Oregon 42

#2 Kansas State Wildcats (10-0) at Baylor Bears (4-5)
Just looking at these two teams records it doesn't look like too good great of a match up.  But Baylor is a lot better than their record indicates.  They have the ability to score a ton of points and will put a lot of pressure on KState's defense.  But Baylor's defense is one of the worst in the nation and that isn't a good sign when you have KState's efficient offense coming to town.  This could be a big game for QB Collin Klein that could help him solidify his Heisman chances.  But this game could go to a shootout.  And Baylor might be due to knock somebody off.
Prediction:  KState  44  Baylor 32

#18 USC Trojans (7-3) at #20 UCLA Bruins (8-2)
This game doesn't have the national appeal we thought it was going to have early in the season, but there is still a lot to play for here.  Not only is this the battle for Los Angeles, but the winner of this game will represent the Pac 12 South in the Conference Title Game.  With a loss USC will have four on the season and with Notre Dame coming next week could be their 5th.  UCLA has a lot to prove.  New HC Jim Mora will want to make a statement against USC to keep the Bruins momentum going.  But will UCLA have enough defense to slow down the potent USC offense.  But can UCLA's running game expose USC's lack of depth on defense?
Prediction:  USC 35  UCLA 38

#25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-1) at Cincinnati Bearcats (7-2)
The Big East race will come down to how Rutgers, Cincinnati, and Louisville play each other.  The team that wins the round robin will be the conference champion.  Cincinnati has already lost to Louisville, so they really need to knock off Rutgers here.  However Rutgers has been playing very good lately especially on defense.  Not a good sign for the Bearcats who haven't had good consistent play out of the QB position.  They could really use Munchie Legaux to regain his old form if they want to win. 
Prediction:  Rutgers 24  Cincinnati 17

#23 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-3)
Unlike the rest of the games listed here this game doesn't have any affect on a conference or nation title.  But it is still a quality game between to top 25 contenders looking to finish the season strong.  Texas Tech is looking to get some revenge from last year's blow out loss to Okie State.  Oklahoma State is looking to get things back on track but will have to do so with some uncertainty at QB.  But we do know that this will be a high scoring affair with the #1 (Tech) and #4 (Okie State) passing offenses in the nation.  So it could be the team with the ball last will bed the winner.
Prediction:  Tech 45  Oklahoma State 38

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Coaching Hot Seat

Lane Kiffin
Record at USC:  25-10
Bowl Appearances:  0

Some people may be surprised to see Lane Kiffin's name associated with being on the hot seat, but you shouldn't be surprised.  USC was ranked #1 at the beginning of the year and there were a lot of expectations.  The Trojans returned star QB Matt Barkley and had stud WRs in Robert Woods and MarQuise Lee.  They have two talented RBs in Silas Redd and Curtis McNeill.  The offense was loaded at at a minimum were going to be able to outscore a lot of opponents. 

It's safe to say that the Trojans haven't lived up to them.  They've lost 3 games so far this season and with games against UCLA, Notre Dame, and possibly Oregon (again) it's safe to say they might lose two more.  Even with the sanctions they have enough talent to be better.  But QB Matt Barkley has struggled to be consistent and the defense has holes all over it.

Adding insult to injury there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Kiffin.  Against Colorado USC had a backup QB change his jersey to be the same as the punter (who is also the FG holder) and then ran a fake off of it.  A clear violation of NCAA rules.  Then there was the case of the deflated footballs.  USC "fired" a student manager because it was found out that the Trojans were deflating the footballs below NCAA standards.  Most people know that a student manager isn't going to do that without direction from the head coach.  Why bring this up, because Kiffin is widely known for bending the rules from his days at Tennessee and was on staff at USC when NCAA violations were broken. 

But the biggest reason why Kiffin's job might be in jeopardy is because USC Athletic Director Pat Haden wasn't the AD that hired Kiffin.  And word is that Haden isn't too pleased with Kiffin's run ins with NCAA rules.  Add that to a struggling team and Haden could feel the need to change coaches.  USC is one of the top jobs in college football and they could get whoever they wanted.  This could be Haden chance to get his own guy.

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What happened to....

Wake Forrest Demon Deacons
Let's take a look back to 2006.  That was the year that Wake Forrest made a big jump.  The went 10-2 on the regular season, won the ACC Championship, and went to the school's first BCS Bowl Game (Orange Bowl).  Head coach Jim Grobe was hailed for his coaching and schools (almost got the Nebraska job) were looking to hire him away from the Winston-Salem school.  Grobe was known for redshirting every freshman with the thought that his 4th year juniors and 5th year seniors would lead to success.    Linebacker Aaron Curry went #4 overall to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Wake Forrest used the momentum from the 2006 ACC Championship season to reel off a 9 win and 8 win years.  The future was bright for Wake Forrest and it looked like they would be a consistent threat in the ACC's Atlantic Division. 
However, Wake Forrest was never able to maintain that success.  Since the 2008 season the Demon Deacons have only 14 wins and made it to only one bowl game (Music City Bowl loss to Miss State).  This year Wake Forrest has gotten better, but only have 5 wins on the season.  But with games against #3 Notre Dame and Vanderbilt left on schedule it doesn't look like they'll be bowl eligible.  That's a far cry from the program that we thought Grobe had built around 2007. 

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How about....

UCLA Bruins
Often times there are lists made of underachieving programs or schools that have the potential to become college football powers.  A name that you always see on both lists is the UCLA Bruins.  And why not, UCLA is in the fertile recruiting grounds of Los Angeles that produces a ton of football talent.  The Bruins have had some tradition of success.  But they've never really been able to put it together to reach a consistent level of success.  The Bruins have brought in several different coaches to try and turn their fortune around, but they usually end up firing the coach because a lack of success.

Well they may have finally found the guy that can get the job done.  Jim Mora Jr was hired this past year and there were a lot of negative reactions.  Mora wasn't very successful while being a head coach in the NFL (being fired twice) and his only experience coaching in college was when he was a GA at Washington in 1984.  Many thought that Mora was hired because all the top names they wanted turned down the job. 

But sometimes it's not the first choice that ends up being the best choice.  When Mora took over he hired assistants that have had a ton of experience in the college game.  His OC Noel Mazzone is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football.  Together they have transformed a UCLA offense that was rather pedestrian into one of the best in the Pac 12.  RB Jonathan Franklin has emerged as one of top RBs in the nation, while freshman QB Brett Hundley is thriving in the spread attack.  The Bruins have been a regular in the top 25 and if they can beat USC this weekend they will make it to the Pac 12 Title Game with a chance to get to the Rose Bowl.

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Player Spotlight

Chase Thomas

Height:  6'4
Weight:  240
School:  Stanford
Year:  Senior
Position:  Rush Linebacker

Andrew Luck may get a lot of the attention for helping Stanford become a yearly Pac 12 contender, but a huge reason for their success is the improved play of their defense.  One player that has really embodied the physical play of the defense is outside linebacker Chase Thomas.  Playing outside linebacker in the Cardinal defense it is Thomas' responsibility to seal the edge and put pressure on the QB.  Thomas played DE but once the Cardinal moved to the 3-4 Thomas was able to transition easily to the OLB spot.  He has a high motor, good quickness, and an understanding of how to get to the QB.  His specialty is the sack/fumble.  A skill that defensive coordinators love.  A good comparison might be current Bear and former Boise State Broncos Shea McClellian.  Teams are always looking for pass rushers and we are beginning to see teams take guys regardless of scheme (Bruce Irvin, McClellian) which only helps somebody like Thomas.