Will Muschamp To Replace Urban Meyer As Head Coach At Florida

Mack Brown won't have to worry about Will Muschamp's shadow any longer. The longtime defensive assistant is returning to the SEC.

The former Georgia Bulldog alumnus will step into the big shoes of Urban Meyer to coach at his alma mater's most hated division rival—the Florida Gators.

The hire is a great 'get' for Florida athletic director, Jeremy Foley, as Muschamp's name has been on the short list of many big jobs over the last several years and his ability to develop great defenses is well-known—particularly in the south where he worked at both Auburn and LSU.

That said, his arrival in Gainesville will come as a surprise to the many who believed that Bob Stoops was already signed, sealed, and about to be delivered. As early as this morning, Stoops was the man whom many felt was AD, Jeremy Foley's first choice—not Dan Mullen (Mississippi St) or Bobby Petrino (Arkansas).

Stoops would later deny the story as rumor, and it wasn't long before Muschamp's name was replacing Stoops' as the newest possibility.

The one sticking point appeared to be his desire to leave the Texas Longhorns. Many felt he was the heir apparent to Mack Brown's position—whenever the popular coach decided to hang up his headset—if he were patient. Muschamp was named head-coach-in-waiting in 2008 and was being paid handsomely for his defensive services ($900,000/year).

However, after the Longhorns finished the 2010 season with a 5-7 and without a bowl bid, being in Austin might have become a lot more heated than in recent years—especially given the heavy backslide the defense took this year.

Whatever the reason for Muschamp's decision to leave, if you're a Florida fan, you have to feel very good about the success he's had in the SEC—particularly in molding defenses.

Urban Meyer pulled in the top ranked defensive unit in the country last season and now Muschamp will have the opportunity to mold those players into the top-tier talent they are destined to become. He's a guy who will be fierce on the recruiting trail, phenomenal on the sidelines, and has just enough SEC experience to make something happen almost as soon as he touches ground.

That said, what's Texas to do next? They've lost both their defensive coordinator and their, assumed, next head coach. Is Muschamp's exit the beginning of some major changes in Austin or is this just a great assistant making his move sooner, rather than later?

In either case, it will be interesting to see what happens next in Austin. As for Florida, it's simply business as usual.

Related articles

• AP Source: Muschamp to Be Head Coach at Florida (nytimes.com)
• Florida Gators hires Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp (sports.espn.go.com)

BCS Bowl Game Head-Scratchers: What Games Are Likely To Bore You The Most?

The first thing that might have struck many of you when the bowl selections were made on Sunday night is this: is Connecticut really getting a shot to play in the Fiesta Bowl?...Seriously?

While it's through no fault of their own, the Huskies have become the poster team for just another thing that's wrong with the BCS.

The Huskies, by default, are the Big East Champions. They beat West Virginia—a team that has a slightly more Fiesta-friendly record (9-3)—and won the tie-breaker. It happens and, as Randy Edsall (Connecticut's head coach) stated, "We played by the rules. Those are the rules, that the Big East champion gets an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game and we’re the conference champions and we’re going to accept that invitation".

He's absolutely right. The BCS made those rules, not him, and thanks to that his team will appear in the Fiesta Bowl to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

While it's safe to assume the Huskies will be the underdogs in this contest, it is also safe to assume that the Sooners will surprise no one if they lose. After all, Bob Stoops has seen his team get beat on multiple occasions—in a BCS contest—during the last decade. So, as disinterested as many a football fan (outside of Stoors, CT) will be in seeing this game played, Sooner fans better hope that the Oklahoma of old doesn't put in an appearance this season.

But enough people are picking on the Huskies and, to be honest, there are quite a few uncompelling match-ups to be had. Below are the Top 5 candidates for the most boring bowl game the 2010 season will have to offer:

1. BYU vs. UTEP, New Mexico Bowl: December 18th at 2pm

BYU started the season losing 5 of 7, but closed out the year 4-1—including a near defeat of Utah—to become bowl eligible. That said, not many are likely to care about their match-up with the Miners. The former WAC foes don't have much to offer in name or excitement this season and the 2pm start (on a Friday no less) isn't likely to have many people rushing home.

2. Kansas St. vs. Syracuse, New Era Pinstripe Bowl: December 30th at 3:20pm

Perhaps the fact that this game will be in Yankee Stadium will give it some appeal—to Yankee and Syracuse fans—but to those of us who could give a flip about new Yankee Stadium, and are still wondering how on earth Syracuse got bowl eligible in the first place, there is little appeal.


3. Nevada vs. Boston College, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: January 9th at 9pm

By the time these two play, the Auburn/Oregon talk will be in full-swing and few people are likely to notice this final bowl game—played a mere 24 hours before the biggest game of the college football season. Oh, and the fact that Boston College, on offense, has been about as exciting as watching paint dry doesn't help much either.

Seriously, this is the best opponent they could find for the Wolfpack?

4. Notre Dame vs Miami, Hyundai Sun Bowl: December 31st at 2pm

Explain this: how do two teams from Indiana and Florida, respectively, end up playing in Texas...on CBS? Not only does the match-up not make any sense, the chances of anyone outside of Indiana or Florida stumbling across it on CBS (after the other 68 games have been played on ESPN or an ESPN affiliate) seems unlikely.

Even more, both Notre Dame and Miami were supposed to be great this year—both fell far short of expectations—this game seems more like consolation than reward.

5. Florida Interational vs. Toledo, Little Caesars Bowl: December 26th at 2:30pm

Many forget just how many teams the state of Florida fields...this one is no different. This game might  look good to some, but most will probably take a giant pass and return this college football gift to sender—just saying.

Related articles

• No. 9 Oklahoma To Face UConn In Fiesta Bowl (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• BCS breakdown: Looking at the biggest of bowl season (cbssports.com)

Will The Oklahoma Sooners Be Better Than The Texas Longhorns in 2010?

Don't look now, but the Boomer Sooner Bandwagon has reemerged!


Last season, the Sooner train took a long pit stop in the land of "what the heck just happened?!"  They not only lost their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, to injury but they also lost their playmaking tight end as well—Jermaine Gresham.


2009 was looking like a bonafide disaster but, when you consider how bad it could have been, the Sooners actually did pretty well for themselves—considering. They ended the season 8-5 and gave Sooner fans hope that 2010 could be a whole lot better.

2010 is looking bright for Bob Stoops so far and at least one national expert feels they are already the No. 1 team in the nation—Phil Steele. Now, that may seem a lofty leap to make for a team that still has some holes to fill, but I am sure the Sooner fans will be happy just to see them back near the top of the heap in the country.


For a more in-depth preview, see the video below:




...Well, at least the locals have some perspective, right?

However, you can't blame Steele for thinking the way he does as the Sooners do have plenty of talent returning in a conference that is more than winnable for them this year.  The only teams that can feasibly challenge them for the Big 12 this season are Texas and Nebraska. Texas has question marks after the departure of both Jordan Shipley and Colt McCoy and Nebraska won't play Oklahoma this year.


The folks at ESPN seem to think Gilbert will be good for Texas but give the slight edge to Oklahoma in the QB department because of their receiving personnel and the experience Landry Jones acquired last season as the full-time starter:




One thing is for certain, the "Red River Rivalry", scheduled for October 2nd, should be a lot more interesting this season and, for the first time in a long while, I can't say for sure that the Longhorns are going to come out on top. 

AP Preseason Top 25: Pick by Pick—Did The AP Writers Get It Right?

Did the AP writers get it right?


What follows is a pick-by-pick analysis of the AP Preseason Top 25 in its entirety and whether or not, in my personal opinion, each team was placed at the right spot—it's that simple.

That said, let's get to it:


1. Alabama

The Tide are the reigning BCS Champions and should be given their proper respect as such. They have questions on defense but the talent and coaching on that side of ball leads many to believe they will be just fine. As for the offense, they are set and should have little trouble scoring this season.


2. Ohio State

I'm not as sold on Ohio State as everyone else seems to be at the moment. Terrelle Pryor could be the quarterback that we saw play so well at the Rose Bowl but, then again, he could also be the guy we saw play so poorly against Michigan the week prior. The Buckeyes will live or die with him this season, and I don't know that he's ready—the Buckeyes should be lower.


3. Boise State

If I have to go simply by the numbers and not my personal opinion of Boise, then they should be No. 2. They finished the year undefeated, beat an Oregon team that ended up playing in a BCS game, and won their BCS match-up against TCU—a Top 10 opponent. They return 22 starters, including Kellen Moore at QB, and have a favorable schedule. All signs point to success this season.


4. Florida

Too high. No way a team loses the best quarterback in college football, their two top receivers, and the heart of their secondary—not to mention their defensive coordinator—and are actually made better for it. I'm not buying Florida at four—they will have some growing pains this year.


5. Texas

Again, too high. Texas lost some key elements on both offense (Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley) and defense (Earl Thomas and Sergio Kindle) and will be breaking in a new quarterback in Garrett Gilbert. Some may feel that Gilbert earned his wings in the BCS Championship game, stepping in for the injured McCoy, but that's not enough to make Texas a contender in 2010. He will have to prove he can be consistent for more than three full quarters of one game.


6. TCU

They might be exactly where they should be—for now. I am not sure how well the Frogs will deal with the defensive losses of Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes. Those two were a major part of the smothering defense that wreaked havoc on the MWC in 2009. Now that they are in the NFL, can they find able-bodied replacements?

7. Oklahoma

Too high. I think the AP voters are still in love with Bob Stoops and all of the wonderfully dominant teams he coached at the start of the decade. His teams routinely find favor in the Top 10 of most polls—despite how poorly they finish the season. That said, an 8-5 record does not deserve this much respect, and neither does Bob Stoops at this point.


8. Nebraska

Too low. Hello, Nebraska beat Oklahoma...see what I mean about the respect that Bob Stoops teams receive? The Cornhuskers came within 60 seconds of possibly finding their way into the title game and they return 17 starters—eight of whom are on defense. Suh might be gone and perhaps that's what gave voters pause, but this is still a good team.


9. Iowa

About right. I really like Iowa in the Big Ten this year and I think they could have something special brewing at the tail spot this season—despite the logjam. They just need a little more consistency out of their quarterback to really get things moving in 2010.


10. Virginia Tech

Too high. It might help the No. 3 team to know that the program they will play in September will already have a reason to gripe if they actually get their backside handed to them in RFK. The Hokies defense is suspect and their special teams is inexperienced—they should not be ranked ahead of Miami, Georgia Tech, or North Carolina based on what they have coming back in 2010.


11. Oregon

Too low. Masoli is gone but so what? Chip Kelly has never had any trouble breaking in a new guy at quarterback and the Ducks still have plenty of firepower on offense to go along with a better than average defense.


12. Wisconsin

The coaches' poll seems to be spot-on about Wisconsin—they aren't sure what to make of them just yet. Here's the thing, the Badgers need some quality conference wins this season to offset that joke of an OOC schedule. If they can do that, there is little reason they shouldn't be BCS bound this year.


13. Miami

Too low. The offensive line is a question mark—absolutely. The defense has talent but needs more fire—no doubt about it. That said this is still one of the best teams that Randy Shannon has fielded since he took the reigns at "The U" and there is no excuse for them not to do well this season.


14. USC

I don't know what to think of this pick. While I can understand the need to include the Trojans in the poll, there is little reason for them to be ranked higher than a team that actually has a chance at a BCS bowl appearance in 2010. It just seems like a wasted spot. So, in my opinion, they are ranked too high because they probably shouldn't be ranked at all. 


15.  Pittsburgh


If Bill Stull were still spreading the ball around, I could understand placing the Panthers here, but a repeat of last season seems unlikely—even with Dion Lewis running the ball. I don't think they should be ranked significantly lower than 15, but I do think they should be slotted a bit lower than both Georgia Tech and North Carolina.

16. Georgia Tech


Too low. I know that they can be beaten if there is time to prepare but, seriously, how often will a team have time to get ready for the triple-option? The loss of Demaryius Thomas cannot be taken lightly (he was their leading receiver) but the Jackets still have Josh Nesbitt and a wealth of talent at running back. If the defense can find even a small trace of competency under new DC, Al Groh, they will be even more dangerous this year.

17. Arkansas


Ryan Mallett is the main reason why this team is getting so much love. Honestly, he's the best quarterback in the SEC—no question. However, he does not play defense and the Hogs have a little trouble keeping good offenses honest. The Razorbacks have a great quarterback but everything else is average. I can think of a half dozen other teams who would be more worthy of this spot—they are too high.

18. North Carolina


Too low. The offense is anemic but the defense is the reason this team will be good in 2010. If the NCAA doesn't yank too many of their key players and the offense can find any amount of consistency in the passing game, this team could win the ACC.


19. Penn State

Does it seem like too much of an insult to say that this is too high for the Nittany Lions? I realize that Evan Royster is back, but the defense is a major concern with all three starting linebackers gone. Even more, Daryll Clark may have made some fans want to set his jersey on fire after the way he played against Iowa last year, but he did lead the conference in touchdown passes last season. He won't be easy to replace.


20. Florida State


I'm going to say they are a little too low. I think they should be swapping places with Arkansas but that's just me. The 'Noles are bringing in a new coach this season after more than four decades with Bobby Bowden at the wheel. Expectations for QB Christian Ponder remain high and the defense, particularly the secondary, is expected to improve. They won't play in a BCS game, but they should have a better record than the 7-6 one they ended with in 2009.

21. LSU


I tend to believe that Les Miles has finally begun to wear on the Baton Rouge faithful a bit after the coaching miscues of last season.  This is going to be his year to prove that he hasn't lost his touch and can still field a winner in the SEC West. I don't know if No. 21 is too high for them, but they are definitely a team that could go either way.


22. Auburn

I like the Tigers and I feel that they are too low here—perhaps No. 19 would have suited them better. Then again, how would I justify placing them above an LSU team that they got pummeled by last year?


23. Georgia

Mark Richt's squad isn't getting much love this season and, perhaps, that is exactly what he wants to see. If his team can fly a bit under the radar in 2010, maybe he can sneak up on a few of his overly confident foes. They may be just right at No. 23.

24.  Oregon State


Too high. The Beavers have a lot of excitement on their roster in the Rodgers brothers, but they aren't worthy of a Top 25 ranking—not right now. I think that Navy or Connecticut would have been a much better choice here.

25. West Virginia


Again, too high. The Mountaineers weren't that impressive last season and didn't close out well in their bowl game against Florida State—losing 33-21. I don't know that they should be ranked at all and I could have easily seen Missouri or South Carolina resting comfortably in this spot. Even better, where's the love for Rutgers? They are a potential Big East sleeper with QB Tom Savage at the helm—do not overlook them. 

The Lady's Bulldogs/Football Links for Friday (5/28)

Damon Evans was not happy with UGA team sports this past season and didn't mind saying so at a recent meeting hosted by the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island. Evans didn't point the finger but it was clear that the targets of his ire included both the Georgia Gym Dogs and the Diamond Dawgs—both of which had off years based on past seasons. Evans message rang loud and clear—get your act together. I'm personally still hoping to see Suzanne Yoculan come out of retirement.

Phil Steele is obviously sipping the same brand of crazy Cognac as Lou Holtz  because when he releases his Top 25 rankings in the 2010 issue of his trusty college football preview guide, he has Oklahoma No. 1. It's further proof of just how weak the Big 12 truly is because the only other team in that conference worth having a conversation about in 2010 is Texas. Could Oklahoma be the team to beat in 2010? Yes, but as long as Bob Stoops is the coach, I like Texas' chances to spoil their comeback train.

ESPN, the Georgia Bulldog hating network that it is, has another poll out right now ranking college football's most prestigious jobs. Well, less than 4,000 votes were in at the time of this posting and Georgia ranks dead last according to John Q. Public. I guess ESPN isn't the only Bulldog Hatin' posse. For the record, I think Georgia is worthy of a Top 10 nod.

Pat Tillman, the former Sun Devil who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004, has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

This guy ranks SEC coaches who he feels are the biggest jerks (or as he actually put it, a--holes) in the SEC. He's apparently got an axe to grind with the UGA faithful to honestly place coach Richt at No. 9 because "dancing in the endzone, running a pretty loose ship, and living in Athens all cause him to at least come of as a bit of an a--hole"...really? Although, on another note, I absolutely agree with his No. 1 pick.