This year's surprises in College Football

What good coach avoids something because it might be a challenge?

 

Personally, I think it's one of the toughest places to coach. Here's why:

1. Small, private school with limited resources for sports.
2. Very small alumni group in South Florida.
3. No "athletic" dorms similar to what they have at the large schools -- basically hotels where the players live.
4. No on-campus stadium and none in sight due to the neighborhood. (Note -- UM is in Coral Gables and is surrounded by very expensive homes.)
5. Few sellouts every year due to the seating capacity at the Orange Bowl combined with the small number of students and alumni.
6. Expectations are very, very high. It's not a good season unless you are playing for the national championship (or in a BCS bowl at a minimum). Mark Richt can stay at UGA & be a hero with 9-3 and 10-2 records. That will get you fired at UM.
7. Cost of living issues.

 

I'd say Rutgers is the biggest surprise, followed by FSU's collapse, with Kentucky's bowl eligibility next.

 

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If you deal with the bright lights (and keep players out of jail) then there probably isn't a better job in college football.
Big "ifs"

I think that's a big IF at any school, not just Miami. BTW, I can't think of any Miami player in recent history that has been in jail -- e.g., Maurice Claret.


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Small, private school with limited resources for sports.
Really? 15,000 students is a small school? I don't see them being strapped for cash, either.

UM has less than 10,000 undergrads, the rest are in medical school or law school. Compare this with Florida with 35,000 undergrads and FSU with 31,000.

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Few sellouts every year due to the seating capacity at the Orange Bowl combined with the small number of students and alumni.
I don't think that's it. Sports just aren't big in Miami. Too much else to do I guess

Sports are indeed big in Miami (hence one of the few cities to have four pro teams). But Miami is not a big college town -- like Gainesville, Athens, etc.

You're right, there's plenty to do rather than go to a game. For example, I turned down free tickets on the 40 yard line to the Va Tech game.

Also, the numbers do have something to do with it. The OB seats close to 90,000. Let's see, 9,500 undergrads and about 2,000 graduates each year ...


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1. Expectations are very, very high. It's not a good season unless you are playing for the national championship (or in a BCS bowl at a minimum). Mark Richt can stay at UGA & be a hero with 9-3 and 10-2 records. That will get you fired at UM.

Ask Jim Donnan & Ray Goff if those records make you a hero in Athens


They wouldn't know. The best that either had was a 10-2 record (this happened only once to each). Donnan's record at UGA was 40-19 and Goff's was worse at 46-34-1 -- barely above .500.

People were calling for Coker's resignation before the season even started (can you imagine the comments now??). His worst season in five years was 9-3. Over a 5 year period, he went to five bowl games (three of which were BCS bowls), played for two national championships, won one of them and came within a pass interference call of another.

 

Here are a few points. All of these go back to why I think the UM coaching job is less desirable than others may think.

I do think it's tougher for the smaller schools to compete year in and year out -- to have a sustainable program. UM is by no means small, but they are compared to the big state schools. Does UM have some big donors? Sure they do. But I think it pales in comparison to the larger schools with the much larger almuni.

Also, UM is a private university - which (of course) means no state tax dollars. In addition, it means that each scholarship costs the university much more than a state school (tuition, room & board at UM is close to $40k/year -- way past my budget).

Lastly, yes Donovan left because of a 40-19 record. My point is that Coker was on the hot seat for a 53-9 record over five years. In other words, averaging 11 wins and 2 losses with a major bowl game every year is just not good enough. As a result, I think the expectations are just a tad too high at the U.

I'm sure UM will find someone to replace Coker (though personally, I think he's a great guy; he's a Christian and has worked hard to get rid of the problems). I just think it's less of a rosy job than others may think due to the reasons above and the others I listed.

A couple more points ...

The offense seems to the big problem. They haven't been able to do anything for the past year or so. (I think UM's defense is still ranked in the top ten.) Last year, UM was up to #3 in the rankings before the GT game. After that game, they have been in a tail spin.

Also, the team seems to be snakebitten this year -- dropping the winning TD pass in the end zone, one player killed in a car crash last month, and another murdered outside his apartment last week. It's been a tough year for the U -- I fully expect Coker and perhaps the AD to take the fall.

 

I think the days of Miami being one of the perennial top programs in college football are over, especially with Meyer at Florida, and the upgrading of the programs at both Central Florida and South Florida, which are large regional schools with big alumni bases. Miami can pack the Orange Bowl for big games, because of the draw of population in the area, but doesn't have the loyal following or contribution base that is nearly as large as any of the other Florida schools. Their fortunes have risen and fallen on the recruiting of the stronger coaches they've had there and I don't think they have the pull to keep that going consistently.

Big surprises up to this week:

Rutgers, and the wonderfully awkward position the BCS will be in once again if they beat West Virginia and finish out unbeaten in a major BCS conference. They will either have to be in the national championship game, or the BCS is proven a fraud once again.

Arizona knocking off two top 25 teams in a row, including Cal last week.

LSU fading.

Arkansas.

The Pac-10 as a whole being as strong as they have turned out to be.

Kansas State knocking off Texas. Go Aggies!

 

Arkansas is on a huge roll. Hogs will win, IMO, 34-10.

 

A close game, but I'll take it. 28-14 Hogs.

 

Good call.

 

Arkansas or Florida from the SEC?

I'll go with the Razorbacks. Meyer will get outcoached, and that Arkansas offense will score at will against the Gators.

42-28, Arkansas.