2021 College Football Thread

[Pariah]

CBS sports is reporting that USC will hire Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley as their next head coach.

 

The question I would ask Coach Riley is this: Why?! Oklahoma to USC right now isn't even a lateral move. Oklahoma is a perennial National championship contender. USC just sucks.

 

They must be offering him a ****load of money.

[Iuz the Evil]

3 minutes ago, Pariah said:

CBS sports is reporting that USC will hire Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley as their next head coach.

 

The question I would ask Coach Riley is this: Why?! Oklahoma to USC right now isn't even a lateral move. Oklahoma is a perennial National championship contender. USC just sucks.

 

They must be offering him a ****load of money.

Reportedly $12M per year. I don’t even know if I believe it, but that would make some level of sense. Much bigger loss than last night’s game.

 

[Pariah]

And now reports are coming in that Oklahoma is looking at ... Kliff Kingsbury? Really?

 

Who here thinks the head coach of the team with the NFL's best record, with a viable MVP candidate at QB, would seriously consider leaving that job for a college gig? Any college gig? Yeah, me neither.

 

Meanwhile, Duke and David Cutcliffe are amicably parting ways after 14 seasons. I can't imagine he'll be out of work for long, unless he wants to be. I mean, he made the Duke football team respectable. No mean feat.

 

It'll be interesting to see how the coaching carousel spins in the next week or two.

[unclevlad]

I don't buy the Kingsbury angle.  It's reported he's still got a year on his deal, and Arizona's got the best record in the NFL so the team's got to be extremely happy to have him.  Figure that might just be a smokescreen.

 

I can...sorta believe $12M.  IIRC, that's MUCH more than even Saban's making...I think he's a touch under $10M.  And well, with his track record, that's readily believable.  But, I'd buy that USC is paying Riley that much because a) it's USC and they're desperate to get back to the national conversation for their on-field performance;  b)  Riley has put up the numbers at OU;  and c) he's young and dynamic.  That's valuable in SoCal.

 

And, of course, d)  he wasn't gonna leave OU, which arguably has a *better* football pedigree than even USC, for less than a few armored cars' worth of cash.  Looking...Riley was...oh poooor boy....ONLY making $7.6M at OU.  So yeah, I definitely believe the $12M.

[Starlord]

Oklahoma and LSU - please leave Luke Fickell alone.

[Grailknight]

6 hours ago, Starlord said:

Oklahoma and LSU - please leave Luke Fickell alone.

 

Throwing vast sums of money at coaches  is a college football tradition.

 

We do seem as a society to have a different standard towards job loyalty for coaches and athletes though. If an engineer or a bartender were offered a 40% raise to move from Norman, OK to Los Angeles, CA no one would bat an eye if they left. USC and that $12 million look an awful lot better when you consider that he'll be at the most storied job in the conference as opposed to one of the scrum of not-'Bama schools in the SEC.

[Pariah]

That +40% will probably just about cover the cost of living increases associated with the move, too.

[Starlord]

2 hours ago, Pariah said:

That +40% will probably just about cover the cost of living increases associated with the move, too.

 

And he may be taking a 5 star QB recruit with him.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/malachi-nelson-5-star-quarterback-announces-decommitment/ar-AAReLXn?li=BBnbfcL

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Florida got a new coach immediately, Ragin Cajun Billy Napier. I have no idea if that's a good thing or not. Meanwhile, interim coach Knox got the win against hated rival FSU and made us bowl eligible. Can't wait to see what glorious bowl game awaits.

 

Something like the Einstein's Bagels Third-Wheel Bowl. Presented by Lutz Jalapeno Chips.

[Pariah]

The annual season-ending game between Colorado and Kansas State ( of the old Big 8 )  used to be known informally as the Tidy Bowl. 

 

It was the closest either of those schools would get to a bowl game back in the day.

[Pariah]

4 hours ago, Starlord said:

And he may be taking a 5 star QB recruit with him.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/malachi-nelson-5-star-quarterback-announces-decommitment/ar-AAReLXn?li=BBnbfcL

 

...which may leave OU in something of a lurch as opening day starting QB Spencer Rattler has entered the transfer portal.

[Iuz the Evil]

39 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

...which may leave OU in something of a lurch as opening day starting QB Spencer Rattler has entered the transfer portal.

If they manage to keep Williams from following as well, it’ll be okay. Sounds like the replacement might be Venables?

[unclevlad]

And now we've got Brian Kelly going from Notre Dame to LSU.

 

Yeah, schools throwing money at coaches is common, but NOT like this.  The Napier hire is common:  for the coach, it's an upgrade in programs, so it's climbing the ladder.

 

With Riley and Kelly, it's not climbing the ladder.  The schools are at basically the same levels.  THAT is unusual, at least that I can recall.  It's uncommon, I think, when the coach gets fired at the old school first, but that's not happening here.

 

It was reported that it's Kelly wanting a better shot at the national title...but is that true?  Found a story explaining how ND is going to stay independent in football...and that seems like an *easier* route to the playoffs than trying to smash through Alabama to even win your division, along with 3-4 other programs that are good to very good in most years.  I think that's particularly true if the playoffs expand to 12;  ND will very likely push hard for their special status WRT the New Year's 6 games (they qualify rather easily).  

 

Other than the money angle, or maybe not wanting to deal with the issues at ND.  Catholic school.  Tighter academics.  But it hasn't hurt them that much, so...it goes back to the money, it seems.  

[Iuz the Evil]

Yeah, it’s a good market for college coaches with a winning record right now.

[Pariah]

I did NOT foresees Brian Kelly, Notre Dame's all-time winningest coach (and that's not nothing) up and leaving for LSU. Totally shocked by that one.

 

Oh well, I guess now he'll be able to recruit football players without having to worry about those pesky academic standards he had to work with in South Bend. 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

29 minutes ago, Pariah said:

I did NOT foresees Brian Kelly, Notre Dame's all-time winningest coach (and that's not nothing) up and leaving for LSU. Totally shocked by that one.

 

I don't think anyone did. Including the admin at Notre Dame. 

[Pariah]

Especially the admin at Notre Dame. It reminds me of Bronco Mendenhall's departure from BYU a few years ago when he took the head coaching job at Virginia. Nobody knew he was even in the running.

[Pariah]

I'm looking at the Round of 16 for the FCS playoffs, and I'm seeing some big, big spreads. Here are the eight games:

 

Kennesaw State is favored by 2.5 at East Tennessee State

Montana is favored by 3 at home against Eastern Washington

South Dakota State is favored by 8.5 at Sacramento State

Montana State is favored by 12.5 at home against Tennessee-Martin

Villanova is favored by 13 at home against Holy Cross

Sam Houston is favored by 13.5 at home against Incarnate Word

North Dakota State is favored by 14.5 at home against Southern Illinois

James Madison is favored by 15 at home against Southeast Louisiana

 

Mind you, all the home teams had first round byes last weekend.

[unclevlad]

My, my...I did say I could see Michigan vaulting to #2.

 

Georgia, Michigan, Bama, Cincy, OK State, Notre Dame.

 

With that lineup, I can't see Bama staying in the top 4 if they lose, unless *2* others lose.  

 

I loathe Notre Dame...have for years.  BUT, it would be delicious irony if they made the CFP...because Kelly won't be coaching.  Booted by the AD, which is, of course, no surprise.  Oh, you wanna go somewhere to win a title...so you leave a team that makes the playoffs!!!!   <2 paragraphs of derisive unprintable commentary omitted>

 

Conversely, if push really came to shove, would Kelly's departure sway the committee to keep them out of the playoffs?  They'll get a New Year's 6 bowl, that's a given.  But it means they've got a significant hole, and major questions...how do the players feel?  Perhaps Notre Dame will maintain discipline, but that's always an issue...a month off?  And now, no head coach?  On the cusp of the CFP.  Got to believe some of the players will feel betrayed.  If I were to bet, I'd take their opponent sight unseen, and give the points unless it really looks like that's already been factored into the line.

[Pariah]

Quote

If I were Bob Bowlsby, I would be calling both schools and would laugh on the phone until they hung up on me. Maybe that’s why I am not a commissioner of a power five conference, but at the very least, Bob should be breaking out his best bourbon or cracking a cold one while lighting up a hundred-dollar cigar. While there is still plenty to be sorted out in the Big 12 going forward, Bob Bowlsby is the one with the last laugh of 2021.

 

With Oklahoma, Texas Implosion, Bob Bowlsby Gets Last Laugh of 2021

[unclevlad]

31 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

With Oklahoma, Texas Implosion, Bob Bowlsby Gets Last Laugh of 2021

 

I prefer this part of the story:

 

Quote

No matter what your opinion is of Lincoln Riley, one thing is for sure: He stabbed Oklahoma right in the back. Does one really believe that Lincoln had some sudden change of heart in the last few days? I sure don’t. In fact, I think Lincoln has known for awhile and sat on the news for as long as he could. Does that sound familiar? Yes, it does because it just happed a few months ago to Bob Bowlsby and the Big 12. Now, it is Oklahoma and Athletic Director Joe Castiglione who are scrambling to find a new plan.

 

It also sounds familiar because I think it's *frequently* true.  GM:  no, the coach is safe.  HA!  Coach:  I'm not going anywhere.  HA!

[Cancer]

I could see someone in this sort of position calling up the head of their local physics department and asking if (for adequate considerations to be granted in return) they could provide them with a small amount of polonium-210 suitable for this sort of thing.  I mean, it's not life or death; it's football, right?

[Pariah]

His tenure ended with a six game losing streak and an ejection from the season finale with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
 

Steve Addazio out as Colorado State football coach after just 16 games

 

Honestly, I'm not sure why he was hired in the first place.  CSU must do better with their next hire. Maybe an established, successful FCS coach?

[unclevlad]

9 hours ago, Pariah said:

His tenure ended with a six game losing streak and an ejection from the season finale with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
 

Steve Addazio out as Colorado State football coach after just 16 games

 

Honestly, I'm not sure why he was hired in the first place.  CSU must do better with their next hire. Maybe an established, successful FCS coach?

 

Short answer:  never gonna happen, or almost never.  For that to happen, it'd have to be a step up the ladder...and CSU is middle of the pack in conference, the conference is known ONLY because of Boise State, no one else appears on TV, and CSU is in a total media desert.  The school has a couple great programs, I understand:  forestry, and vet school, top notch.  But Fort Collins is a HARD sell, especially trying to get an urban-raised, young black player.  80% non-Hispanic White.  1.5% black.  (Back in the day, and even for a long time after I left, Boulder and CU had a similar problem...Boulder's suburban-yuppie white.  It was acknowledged as a big problem.)  With NIL, visibility matters, and...Fort Collins is buzzkill, not buzz-making.

 

Mind, I don't think it's as bad as NMSU or UTEP.  Even more remote, even less publicized for football.  MUCH more likely to get a kid to leave the area...we do have some good HS football down here...than draw a kid in to play.  AND we don't pay for squat.  But hey, I'd rather deal with 105 and dry than 25 and windy.

 

As for why he was hired...here's the real problem:

 

Quote

Parker, along with CSU president Joyce McConnell, relied heavily on the input of Urban Meyer (a former CSU assistant) in the search. Addazio was formerly an assistant under Meyer.

 

Anyone who takes Meyer's word on anything is delusional.  Meyer's got 2 pretty darn major charges on his record...creating toxic culture at Florida, where he skipped before he got fired (according to the accusations) and then the Zack Smith spousal abuse incident, and Meyer's complicity there, that got him axed from OSU.

[Pariah]

...to say nothing of the train wreck that is the Jacksonville Jaguars this year.