Fulmer's agent has been contacted by TDP for the Clemson job. Jimmy Sexton does represent many other coaches, notably Butch Davis and Nick Saban. He has commented on the Clemson job in the past here.
Gary Patterson has taken the job at Kansas State, as I predicted earlier. (source)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Coaching Candidates: Mike Leach
Career record: 74–37, 5-3 in bowl games, including one we all remember. He has never had a losing season at Texas Tech, but has never had more than 9 wins (4 times). They have never finished better than 2nd in the Big XII South.
He has a current salary of $1.75 Million with a $500,000 buyout. The AD at Texas Tech has said that he will renegotiate the contract after the season.
Just read this awesome profile..here.
Leach never played college football at BYU. He has a degree in Law from Pepperdine. Notable stops in his career as OC were at Kentucky (97-98, under Hal Mumme, with Tim Couch), and the OC at Oklahoma for Bob Stoops in '99 (Josh Heupel) before taking the job at TT.
The offense he runs is technically a Run-n-Shoot spread, with 4 and 5 receiver sets and large splits on the OL (and a 2pt stance), that has produced NCAA records nearly every year since he's been there (470ypg passing in 2007). I should point out that it is not the classic R&S, since it tends to run more motion, features alot of 2-back sets, has some different reads, and has many elements of the West Coast added in, however it is close. It is better to call it a "space" offense, since the objective is to use the entire field and create space. They've led the NCAA 4 years straight in passing yardage and likely will again in 2008. Though the running game is only there for effect in past years, Leach has rushed more this season. The man absolutely despises running the football though, and has discussed in the past the possibility of going through an entire season without running it. It seems that every year a new QB gets plugged into his system and flourishes better than the last. Throughout NCAA history, six players have passed for more than 5,000 yards. Three are Texas Tech Red Raiders (Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Cody Hodges).
For the last eight years Tech has been recognized as one of the nation's top institutions for consistently being above a 70 percent gradation rate, according to the American Football Coaches Association. In 2007, 16 players were named to the Big 12 Conference Academic Football Team, the second-most of the league institutions.
Other than Nick Saban, this man will have the most fantastic press conferences in the entire country. He's just as likely to tell you how to fix the stock market as tell you how to catch a football. He's been fined for calling out referees numerous times, and then remarked that he didnt regret saying any of it. If he came to Clemson, you should expect a verbal war with Spurrier unlike any other you've ever seen.
Here's his tips on dating:
Quoting Winston Churchill...
The Weather Report...
You can either call him crazy or eccentric...
I can imagine similar comments as this about Clemson...
Today he was named a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award (coach of the year) (source).
An article on how he's changed the Big XII, here.
Leach was raised a member of the Mormon church, though he is completely unlike any other Mormon I have ever met. They are in fact Christians, however they have extra books included in their Bible that other denominations call heretic, and so Catholics and most Protestants will not label them as Christian. They tend to be very family-oriented people, and his daughter is a freshman at TT, a big reason for him to stay there.
Recruiting? TT has made the most out of 3-star QBs. Pretty much anyone he gets just gets plugged into the system and does well. WRs are the same story. In Texas there are alot of 4 star players to go around, so its harder to gauge. They also compete with Texas, OU, and all of the Big XII for in-state players. They didnt recruit as well as you might think though, as their classes have not been rated very high until this season. Only 2006 was ranked in the Top 25, this year is ranked 22. None of the rest of his classes since 2002 have been ranked by Rivals.
Defense? This is the achilles' heel historically. This year's TT defense manhandled the Texas' front in their recent game and has played well all year. His offense scores so quickly (2-4 minutes) that the D stays on the field more, and his distaste for running the football means they get very little respite, even when TT is ahead. I would expect him to bring in another DC, but any coordinator will know that he's in for a tough road when his D cant get rest.
Leach has been mentioned for the Washington opening, just like every other western coach. Thats no big surprise as all the major openings are going to interview the same people. I personally think Leach would fit with my own personality, but I can see alot of Clemson fans being rubbed the wrong way by this guy.
My biggest problem is that he hates to run the ball. Thats why I would not want him as my #1 choice. I dont like 42-35 scores every week.
He has a current salary of $1.75 Million with a $500,000 buyout. The AD at Texas Tech has said that he will renegotiate the contract after the season.
Just read this awesome profile..here.
Leach never played college football at BYU. He has a degree in Law from Pepperdine. Notable stops in his career as OC were at Kentucky (97-98, under Hal Mumme, with Tim Couch), and the OC at Oklahoma for Bob Stoops in '99 (Josh Heupel) before taking the job at TT.
The offense he runs is technically a Run-n-Shoot spread, with 4 and 5 receiver sets and large splits on the OL (and a 2pt stance), that has produced NCAA records nearly every year since he's been there (470ypg passing in 2007). I should point out that it is not the classic R&S, since it tends to run more motion, features alot of 2-back sets, has some different reads, and has many elements of the West Coast added in, however it is close. It is better to call it a "space" offense, since the objective is to use the entire field and create space. They've led the NCAA 4 years straight in passing yardage and likely will again in 2008. Though the running game is only there for effect in past years, Leach has rushed more this season. The man absolutely despises running the football though, and has discussed in the past the possibility of going through an entire season without running it. It seems that every year a new QB gets plugged into his system and flourishes better than the last. Throughout NCAA history, six players have passed for more than 5,000 yards. Three are Texas Tech Red Raiders (Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Cody Hodges).
For the last eight years Tech has been recognized as one of the nation's top institutions for consistently being above a 70 percent gradation rate, according to the American Football Coaches Association. In 2007, 16 players were named to the Big 12 Conference Academic Football Team, the second-most of the league institutions.
Other than Nick Saban, this man will have the most fantastic press conferences in the entire country. He's just as likely to tell you how to fix the stock market as tell you how to catch a football. He's been fined for calling out referees numerous times, and then remarked that he didnt regret saying any of it. If he came to Clemson, you should expect a verbal war with Spurrier unlike any other you've ever seen.
Here's his tips on dating:
On his team’s defensive improvement after last September and how he intends for it to continue this season: “We were the youngest team in college football last year, so I think as our players gain confidence and rally together as players, and the coaches over there, I think we steadily improved and some of them, you know, maturity, which is really kind of a word I don’t like, besides the fact that I’m immature. I mean, where is this benchmark?”
Quoting Winston Churchill...
The Weather Report...
You can either call him crazy or eccentric...
I can imagine similar comments as this about Clemson...
Today he was named a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award (coach of the year) (source).
An article on how he's changed the Big XII, here.
Leach was raised a member of the Mormon church, though he is completely unlike any other Mormon I have ever met. They are in fact Christians, however they have extra books included in their Bible that other denominations call heretic, and so Catholics and most Protestants will not label them as Christian. They tend to be very family-oriented people, and his daughter is a freshman at TT, a big reason for him to stay there.
Recruiting? TT has made the most out of 3-star QBs. Pretty much anyone he gets just gets plugged into the system and does well. WRs are the same story. In Texas there are alot of 4 star players to go around, so its harder to gauge. They also compete with Texas, OU, and all of the Big XII for in-state players. They didnt recruit as well as you might think though, as their classes have not been rated very high until this season. Only 2006 was ranked in the Top 25, this year is ranked 22. None of the rest of his classes since 2002 have been ranked by Rivals.
Defense? This is the achilles' heel historically. This year's TT defense manhandled the Texas' front in their recent game and has played well all year. His offense scores so quickly (2-4 minutes) that the D stays on the field more, and his distaste for running the football means they get very little respite, even when TT is ahead. I would expect him to bring in another DC, but any coordinator will know that he's in for a tough road when his D cant get rest.
Leach has been mentioned for the Washington opening, just like every other western coach. Thats no big surprise as all the major openings are going to interview the same people. I personally think Leach would fit with my own personality, but I can see alot of Clemson fans being rubbed the wrong way by this guy.
My biggest problem is that he hates to run the ball. Thats why I would not want him as my #1 choice. I dont like 42-35 scores every week.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Q&A with Tomahawk Nation
The guys over at Tomahawk Nation suggested a little Q&A from our perspectives on this weeks almost-Bowden Bowl X. I declined to tell them we'd beat them by at least 5 TDs, but I hope readers enjoy. My answers are here.
I've watched LSU over the last 5 years nearly every week, so I'm familiar with Jimbo Fisher's offense. But tell us what you see fundamentally different between
his offense and Jeff Bowden's?
It starts with being able to realize what you have. Self scouting has been a major improvement. There are definite improvements in assessing player attributes, and as a result, Jimbo has put them in a better position to succeed. Accountability has changed as well. I'll go back to the self-scouting for a moment here, and by knowing how much a player can handle, Jimbo is able to figure out when to get mad at a kid, and when to realize that he couldn't handle a responsibility. An example of this is the Wake Forest game, in which FSU has 7 turnovers. Fisher put too much on his young QB's, and as a result, took the blame. At other times when players make mistakes that they shouldn't make based on their current ability level, he does get mad. Players know what is expected of them at all times. He puts a lot on the players, but usually not more than they can handle, and he demands that they take care of business.
The change have also been philosophical. While Jeff paid lip service to running the football, Jimbo actually runs the football on Saturday. Want proof? In 2006, the last year of the Jeffy era, FSU ran 28 times per game. In 2008, Jimbo's 2nd year, FSU is running the ball 38 times per game. That's a 36% increase in rushing attempts, even more remarkable when you factor in the decrease in plays per game as a result of the new clock rules.
From a play calling perspective, things make sense. We run a play a few times early in a game, and then run a different play off of a fake. One play compliments another. His route combinations and passing concepts compliment each other as well. It is great to see our team come into the game with defined plan. I can basically classify each game in 1 word. Miami was "QB run-checks", NC State was bubble screens, Vtech was max protect bombs, and Gtech was slant routes. I'm not in the room with these guys, but I have to believe that he is much better at studying opposing defenses, formatting a plan, relaying that plan to his players, and using his players in the best way possible than Jeff was.
Do you think they made the right choice in naming Jimbo the heir-apparent?
He's an excellent recruiter (one top 10 recruiting class and a top 5 class on the way), relates with young people, is growing his relationship with the NFL, and has put players into the NFL. I like the guy a lot. If there is a complaint, it is that he sometimes talks too fast during press conferences and doesn't necessarily dumb down the X & O talk enough for the average fan to understand. I love that, but many might not understand. He's also only 45 years old, and should be here a long time.
What would you say is the biggest cause for FSU's slide over the last 8 seasons? Do you believe FSU has fallen off, or that the ACC caught up? Did you think, after FSU fell off the mountain, that it was time for Bobby to hang it up?
Allow me to point you to this: http://www.tomahawknation.com/2008/9/24/620924/hey-bobby-don-t-forget-the . It's much better than any answer I could offer here. Now, the ACC has caught up, largely due to improved facilities and increased TV exposure, both of which raw recruits.
Are FSU fans worried about Mickey Andrews coming retirement? Does he get the blame for your losses this year?
I have a hard time gauging the entire fan base. There are some who think Mickey is God, some who think he has been bad for a long time and just lived off athletes, and then some who think he was once very good, is now decent, and is probably past his prime. I'm in the last group. Mickey's had a difficult time adjusting to the different offenses in college football, but he's still a good coordinator. The drop-off we experience when he leaves probably will be non-existent.
I can't blame him at all for the 12-3 loss to Wake, but I do put the blame for the Gtech loss on his shoulders. The defensive play on Saturday was disgusting. 31 points, 321 yards on 39 plays, for 8.2 yards per play before their QB went out. That's not acceptable.
When Mickey hangs it up (most think he won't stay past Bobby), I will wish him well and thank him for being a really classy, hard working Seminole and for a great career of service.
What about ST coach Jody Allen? Is the Special teams play the most disappointing thing about this season?
Breaks things… breaks more things…
When you have the athletes that FSU has up and down the roster, you need to be good in kick coverage. Our kick coverage has been atrocious. He's also done a poor job developing defensive ends, and the production from that Unit (his position group) has steadily fallen each year under Allen. It's slightly up this year, but that's mostly beause of super freak South Carolina native Everette Brown. Allen is the member of the staff that most have an immediate issue with and many want him gone.
Why has no FSU QB stepped up since the long 90's line of good QBs ended with Weinke?
I'd like you to meet my friend, Jeff Bowden. Jeff's ability to bring down this program was amazing. A quick rundown of FSU QB's since weinke:
Joe Mauer… damn you American league all star team, damn you.
Jared Jones, 5* QB from washington State… allegedly… naked cooking… weed… shrooms… wrong apartment…
Chris Rix: stud recruit from California… poorly coached, ego, business cards, knucklehead.
Adrian McPherson 4 or 5* QB, won Mr. Florida in basketball and football… throwing games, discipline problems, stealing checks, poorly coached. Allegedly.
Wyatt Sexton 4* QB… coaches son, questionable commitment to game, drugs, bonaroo, more um "substances", and mysteriously… lime disease. Poorly coached.
Xavier Lee 5* QB… poorly coached, questionable commitment, substances, amazing talent, inopportune injuries, DUMB as all hell, overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Drew Weatherford 4* QB… poorly coached, great kid, good leader according to most. I argued against Weatherford when I penned The Weatherford Report (http://fsuncensored.blogspot.com/2008/07/weatherford-report.html) in the offseason. He didn't fit what we're trying to do now, and I do not think that this current staff would not have recruited him after his Senior Season (50% completions, tons of picks). Bad situation for a good guy who might be decent in the right system, but not the right fit.
Christian Ponder… 3* QB. Good arm, fastest pro shuttle time on the team, 6'2 215ish. Strong kid. Hard worker. GENIUS. Graduated college in only 2 years. Now getting his MBA. He seems to understand Jimbo's offense. He's a very good runner, and a pretty good thrower at this point, yet only a sophomore. Some aren't really impressed by him so far, but at this point, I am sold. His arm and legs have opened up our offense and Jimbo trusts him with a LOT of responsibility. For instance, we now call multiple plays going into the line and depend on Christian to check us into the proper one. Not all college QB's can handle that.
How well has Trickett repaired the OL problems you faced over the last few years?
Rick Trickett deserved 10 billion dollars. Not only is he a complete badass visionary, but he does all that while being like 5'8 and yelling at guys who are roughly 100lbs bigger than him.
How good is Trickett? This year, the Noles are 22nd in the Nation in rushing yards per game. Before Trickett?
2006 103rd (Jeff's last year)
2005 109th
Want more amazing? He is doing this with this cast of offensive linemen:
True FR LT Andrew Datko 270 LBS
True So LG Rodney Hudson 280 LBS
RS So C Ryan McMahon (with a bum foot) 275 LBS
True FR RG David Spurlock 280 LBS
True FR RT Zebrie Sanders 280 LBS
None of those guys were 5* stud recruits. They are by far the youngest, and possibly the lightest offensive line in the Nation. 120 of 120. Trickett has worked miracles here.
The Noles are a very good run blocking team, an excellent screen team, and a below average pass blocking team (not entirely shocking at this point).
The discussion of the best position coach in America begins and ends with Coach Rick Trickett, in my eyes at least. This line could be scary good in the coming years.
Florida State always has one or two great athletes, a la Peter Warrick, who seem
to kill Clemson, who do we need to be worried about this year? Carr? Antone Smith?
I want to answer this in a way that says "we have a lot of guys who can beat you", without saying "we don't have one guy we always go to." Jimbo really incorporates everyone. Let's take a look at who you might see. Greg Carr, Preston Parker, Tawain Easterling, Corey Surrency, and Bert Reed are all serious gamebreakers at WR. At RB, Antone Smith has had a great year, and true freshman Jermaine Thomas put up 130 on Gtech with only 9 touches. Jimbo really does get the ball to everyone: 18 different players have caught a pass this year. Those aren't just charity touches either; 10 players have caught 5 or more balls. 13 players have rushed at least one time.
Do FSU fans believe they will win the Division this year, what with the
persistent inconsistency from the other teams in the Atlantic?
I think they do think we will win it. Wake has 3 very difficult games left, and Maryland has a very rocky road as well. Still, with the tiebreaker situation, it could be extremely tough.
Compare, in your eyes, the level of Clemson's talent to FSU's over the last 4
years.
While the star rankings don't show it, Clemson recruited better than FSU from 2005-2006, and possibly 2004 as well. Why? The previous staff was lazy and didn't do their job in evaluating players. Because of this, Clemson has a lot more Veteran talent, specifically on offense. I think FSU did a better job last year, and the Noles really have this thing rolling, as they are ACTUALLY WATCHING FILM and evaluating players themselves, not relying on the website rankings.
In my eyes, Clemson is a program who should strive to be in the top 25 every year. If they average 27 regular season wins (not bowl or ACCCG) over 3 years, I think they should be happy. If Clemson wins the Atlantic once every 5 years, I would consider that a success. I think Clemson should want better coaching, but shouldn't expect to contend for the National Championship but for maybe once every 10 years (contend, not win).
In my opinion, FSU should outrecruit Clemson each year, except in the rare circumstance when the state of South Carolina is just loaded (like the state of Alabama was last year). Clemson outrecruitng FSU is a combination of an excellent effort on Clemson's part, and outright laziness on the part of FSU. I do think it happened to an extent over the past few years though, and I have to give Clemson credit for that. They made some fairly impressive inroads with their Florida efforts.
Can I trade my last 3 girlfriends for Jenn Sterger?
Honestly, from what I've heard, you might not want to. On the other hand, I don't know your last 3 girlfriends, haha. I will say that there are many better looking talents than Sterger walking the FSU campus.
Well if thats the case, time to transfer to FSU. I'll be sure to double wrap it for Jenn.
I've watched LSU over the last 5 years nearly every week, so I'm familiar with Jimbo Fisher's offense. But tell us what you see fundamentally different between
his offense and Jeff Bowden's?
It starts with being able to realize what you have. Self scouting has been a major improvement. There are definite improvements in assessing player attributes, and as a result, Jimbo has put them in a better position to succeed. Accountability has changed as well. I'll go back to the self-scouting for a moment here, and by knowing how much a player can handle, Jimbo is able to figure out when to get mad at a kid, and when to realize that he couldn't handle a responsibility. An example of this is the Wake Forest game, in which FSU has 7 turnovers. Fisher put too much on his young QB's, and as a result, took the blame. At other times when players make mistakes that they shouldn't make based on their current ability level, he does get mad. Players know what is expected of them at all times. He puts a lot on the players, but usually not more than they can handle, and he demands that they take care of business.
The change have also been philosophical. While Jeff paid lip service to running the football, Jimbo actually runs the football on Saturday. Want proof? In 2006, the last year of the Jeffy era, FSU ran 28 times per game. In 2008, Jimbo's 2nd year, FSU is running the ball 38 times per game. That's a 36% increase in rushing attempts, even more remarkable when you factor in the decrease in plays per game as a result of the new clock rules.
From a play calling perspective, things make sense. We run a play a few times early in a game, and then run a different play off of a fake. One play compliments another. His route combinations and passing concepts compliment each other as well. It is great to see our team come into the game with defined plan. I can basically classify each game in 1 word. Miami was "QB run-checks", NC State was bubble screens, Vtech was max protect bombs, and Gtech was slant routes. I'm not in the room with these guys, but I have to believe that he is much better at studying opposing defenses, formatting a plan, relaying that plan to his players, and using his players in the best way possible than Jeff was.
Do you think they made the right choice in naming Jimbo the heir-apparent?
He's an excellent recruiter (one top 10 recruiting class and a top 5 class on the way), relates with young people, is growing his relationship with the NFL, and has put players into the NFL. I like the guy a lot. If there is a complaint, it is that he sometimes talks too fast during press conferences and doesn't necessarily dumb down the X & O talk enough for the average fan to understand. I love that, but many might not understand. He's also only 45 years old, and should be here a long time.
What would you say is the biggest cause for FSU's slide over the last 8 seasons? Do you believe FSU has fallen off, or that the ACC caught up? Did you think, after FSU fell off the mountain, that it was time for Bobby to hang it up?
Allow me to point you to this: http://www.tomahawknation.com/2008/9/24/620924/hey-bobby-don-t-forget-the . It's much better than any answer I could offer here. Now, the ACC has caught up, largely due to improved facilities and increased TV exposure, both of which raw recruits.
Are FSU fans worried about Mickey Andrews coming retirement? Does he get the blame for your losses this year?
I have a hard time gauging the entire fan base. There are some who think Mickey is God, some who think he has been bad for a long time and just lived off athletes, and then some who think he was once very good, is now decent, and is probably past his prime. I'm in the last group. Mickey's had a difficult time adjusting to the different offenses in college football, but he's still a good coordinator. The drop-off we experience when he leaves probably will be non-existent.
I can't blame him at all for the 12-3 loss to Wake, but I do put the blame for the Gtech loss on his shoulders. The defensive play on Saturday was disgusting. 31 points, 321 yards on 39 plays, for 8.2 yards per play before their QB went out. That's not acceptable.
When Mickey hangs it up (most think he won't stay past Bobby), I will wish him well and thank him for being a really classy, hard working Seminole and for a great career of service.
What about ST coach Jody Allen? Is the Special teams play the most disappointing thing about this season?
Breaks things… breaks more things…
When you have the athletes that FSU has up and down the roster, you need to be good in kick coverage. Our kick coverage has been atrocious. He's also done a poor job developing defensive ends, and the production from that Unit (his position group) has steadily fallen each year under Allen. It's slightly up this year, but that's mostly beause of super freak South Carolina native Everette Brown. Allen is the member of the staff that most have an immediate issue with and many want him gone.
Why has no FSU QB stepped up since the long 90's line of good QBs ended with Weinke?
I'd like you to meet my friend, Jeff Bowden. Jeff's ability to bring down this program was amazing. A quick rundown of FSU QB's since weinke:
Joe Mauer… damn you American league all star team, damn you.
Jared Jones, 5* QB from washington State… allegedly… naked cooking… weed… shrooms… wrong apartment…
Chris Rix: stud recruit from California… poorly coached, ego, business cards, knucklehead.
Adrian McPherson 4 or 5* QB, won Mr. Florida in basketball and football… throwing games, discipline problems, stealing checks, poorly coached. Allegedly.
Wyatt Sexton 4* QB… coaches son, questionable commitment to game, drugs, bonaroo, more um "substances", and mysteriously… lime disease. Poorly coached.
Xavier Lee 5* QB… poorly coached, questionable commitment, substances, amazing talent, inopportune injuries, DUMB as all hell, overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Drew Weatherford 4* QB… poorly coached, great kid, good leader according to most. I argued against Weatherford when I penned The Weatherford Report (http://fsuncensored.blogspot.com/2008/07/weatherford-report.html) in the offseason. He didn't fit what we're trying to do now, and I do not think that this current staff would not have recruited him after his Senior Season (50% completions, tons of picks). Bad situation for a good guy who might be decent in the right system, but not the right fit.
Christian Ponder… 3* QB. Good arm, fastest pro shuttle time on the team, 6'2 215ish. Strong kid. Hard worker. GENIUS. Graduated college in only 2 years. Now getting his MBA. He seems to understand Jimbo's offense. He's a very good runner, and a pretty good thrower at this point, yet only a sophomore. Some aren't really impressed by him so far, but at this point, I am sold. His arm and legs have opened up our offense and Jimbo trusts him with a LOT of responsibility. For instance, we now call multiple plays going into the line and depend on Christian to check us into the proper one. Not all college QB's can handle that.
How well has Trickett repaired the OL problems you faced over the last few years?
Rick Trickett deserved 10 billion dollars. Not only is he a complete badass visionary, but he does all that while being like 5'8 and yelling at guys who are roughly 100lbs bigger than him.
How good is Trickett? This year, the Noles are 22nd in the Nation in rushing yards per game. Before Trickett?
2006 103rd (Jeff's last year)
2005 109th
Want more amazing? He is doing this with this cast of offensive linemen:
True FR LT Andrew Datko 270 LBS
True So LG Rodney Hudson 280 LBS
RS So C Ryan McMahon (with a bum foot) 275 LBS
True FR RG David Spurlock 280 LBS
True FR RT Zebrie Sanders 280 LBS
None of those guys were 5* stud recruits. They are by far the youngest, and possibly the lightest offensive line in the Nation. 120 of 120. Trickett has worked miracles here.
The Noles are a very good run blocking team, an excellent screen team, and a below average pass blocking team (not entirely shocking at this point).
The discussion of the best position coach in America begins and ends with Coach Rick Trickett, in my eyes at least. This line could be scary good in the coming years.
Florida State always has one or two great athletes, a la Peter Warrick, who seem
to kill Clemson, who do we need to be worried about this year? Carr? Antone Smith?
I want to answer this in a way that says "we have a lot of guys who can beat you", without saying "we don't have one guy we always go to." Jimbo really incorporates everyone. Let's take a look at who you might see. Greg Carr, Preston Parker, Tawain Easterling, Corey Surrency, and Bert Reed are all serious gamebreakers at WR. At RB, Antone Smith has had a great year, and true freshman Jermaine Thomas put up 130 on Gtech with only 9 touches. Jimbo really does get the ball to everyone: 18 different players have caught a pass this year. Those aren't just charity touches either; 10 players have caught 5 or more balls. 13 players have rushed at least one time.
Do FSU fans believe they will win the Division this year, what with the
persistent inconsistency from the other teams in the Atlantic?
I think they do think we will win it. Wake has 3 very difficult games left, and Maryland has a very rocky road as well. Still, with the tiebreaker situation, it could be extremely tough.
Compare, in your eyes, the level of Clemson's talent to FSU's over the last 4
years.
While the star rankings don't show it, Clemson recruited better than FSU from 2005-2006, and possibly 2004 as well. Why? The previous staff was lazy and didn't do their job in evaluating players. Because of this, Clemson has a lot more Veteran talent, specifically on offense. I think FSU did a better job last year, and the Noles really have this thing rolling, as they are ACTUALLY WATCHING FILM and evaluating players themselves, not relying on the website rankings.
In my eyes, Clemson is a program who should strive to be in the top 25 every year. If they average 27 regular season wins (not bowl or ACCCG) over 3 years, I think they should be happy. If Clemson wins the Atlantic once every 5 years, I would consider that a success. I think Clemson should want better coaching, but shouldn't expect to contend for the National Championship but for maybe once every 10 years (contend, not win).
In my opinion, FSU should outrecruit Clemson each year, except in the rare circumstance when the state of South Carolina is just loaded (like the state of Alabama was last year). Clemson outrecruitng FSU is a combination of an excellent effort on Clemson's part, and outright laziness on the part of FSU. I do think it happened to an extent over the past few years though, and I have to give Clemson credit for that. They made some fairly impressive inroads with their Florida efforts.
Can I trade my last 3 girlfriends for Jenn Sterger?
Honestly, from what I've heard, you might not want to. On the other hand, I don't know your last 3 girlfriends, haha. I will say that there are many better looking talents than Sterger walking the FSU campus.
Well if thats the case, time to transfer to FSU. I'll be sure to double wrap it for Jenn.
Coaching News
Today it appears that Ron Prince at Kansas State will be let go. Here is the article. I said before that Gary Patterson is a Kansas State grad, and passed up a $2 million/yr offer at Minnesota. Put money on him taking the job at KSU if offered.
Texas Tech's AD has mentioned that he will attempt to renegotiate Leach's contract. (Source) Big surprise there, at $1.75 million and a possible NC contender, he would get plenty of offers this offseason. Look for him to renew his deal for more money in December if they win the Big XII and play for the title. No head coach would leave if he had a shot for a national championship, and it wouldn't matter how much Clemson offered him. Of course if they lose this week to OK State and the next in Norman, that could all change.
Rumors are that the Great Pumpkin has sent feelers out to Clemson. Clemson might be stupid enough to fire the greatest coach ever, but not dumb enough to hire Fulmer after all his negative recruiting tactics against Clemson....and that he's a big whiney baby who also cant pick an offensive coordinator.
Texas Tech's AD has mentioned that he will attempt to renegotiate Leach's contract. (Source) Big surprise there, at $1.75 million and a possible NC contender, he would get plenty of offers this offseason. Look for him to renew his deal for more money in December if they win the Big XII and play for the title. No head coach would leave if he had a shot for a national championship, and it wouldn't matter how much Clemson offered him. Of course if they lose this week to OK State and the next in Norman, that could all change.
Rumors are that the Great Pumpkin has sent feelers out to Clemson. Clemson might be stupid enough to fire the greatest coach ever, but not dumb enough to hire Fulmer after all his negative recruiting tactics against Clemson....and that he's a big whiney baby who also cant pick an offensive coordinator.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A little news
A Q&A with Tomahawk Nation will be coming.
Thomas Austin and CJ named offensive players of the week for the ACC. OMG, dont tell me I was right in saying Austin should be moved away from Center, that just couldnt be so. CJ is a no brainer, as Napier and Powell have said this week that their jaws dropped from watching the BC film.
Something we havent heard in a while came from Dabo's teleconference Sunday, when asked whether we played physical up front.
Dabo mentioned that Terry Bowden left him a message of support from the Bowden family when we face FSU this week.
LW reports that Swinney continues to say that Korn only played one snap at BC because of confidence in his throwing ability. Williams' opinion is that Korn looked so bad in warmups that he buys what Dabo is selling.
I'm thinking that Korn's shoulder is hurting more than we are led to believe. We need him for FSU given Harpers inconsistency making decisions, but if he's hurt you have to hold him out against that defense. I dont care what Napier says about it, if Korn is hurting he's not playing. I don't want Clemson to run Korn in for option plays only and never throw, even though the triple option ate FSU alive last week.
Strelow has a pretty good article on the end of the Bowden Bowl here.
GNews says some of the same things as the others, but talks more about our own Special teams play. I praised Powell before and then we had a blocked punt, so I won't praise him again. A ST gaffe is the very last thing we need against FSU.
Then tonight there were rumors about Tubbs to Clemson. All of this was sparked by a Tim Brando radio show (CBS) interview with ATL-Constitution writer Tony Barnhardt. This guy has always been pretty spot-on in the 10 years or so I've followed his articles. He's not a nut and is pretty fair-minded, except when it comes to UGA....who he always puts on a bit of a pedestal. He was worse about it when he worked for ESPN. LW talks about it in Tiger Tracks.
But Tubbs aint coming here, and nor should Clemson fans really want him. I've watched a good bit of Auburn football over the last 5 years, and some of their battles with LSU have been classics. Tubbs is a gutsy defensive-minded coach who will go out on a limb sometimes with greatly-timed trick plays and fakes. Contrast him to Les Miles, who just does crazy shit that makes no sense and yet gets lucky every time.
Tubbs has had some great years at Auburn, and they have mistreated him in my opinion. He shouldve won a piece of the national title in 2004; I dont care what you say, if a team can go unbeaten they can claim a piece of the title. He's won 6 straight over Bama, which they never do. However, he is not the best person, as he jilted Ole Piss for more money in '98, and cant pick a good Offensive Coordinator. We've been through that problem, and I don't want it again. Al Borgess' offense was good in his first couple years, but last year he was fired before the Peach Bowl and Tony Franklin, his replacement, didnt even make it halfway through this season.
Auburn fans, I think, see that Saban is going to clean house in recruiting for Alabama until somebody offers him more money elsewhere, and they are scared. Combine that with their inability to win a few games they shouldve (Miss State last year, Wisconsin and GT in 05, and a myriad of games this year) and you have a recipe for a pissed off fanbase. I dont think he'll be kicked out, yet, but a losing season next year and he's tossed out the door like Fulmer.
Speaking of the Great Pumpkin, Spurrier made some comments about his fatness this week.
He did go on to say that 5 years ago, he'd have considered it. Spurrier is from Tennessee. This pretty clearly indicates to me that Spurlid doesnt plan to be at Sakerlina for more than 5-7 years from now. If he was winning I bet he'd accept that the UGA fans on the board at Augusta National wont let him become a member, and decide to go somewhere else.
Thomas Austin and CJ named offensive players of the week for the ACC. OMG, dont tell me I was right in saying Austin should be moved away from Center, that just couldnt be so. CJ is a no brainer, as Napier and Powell have said this week that their jaws dropped from watching the BC film.
Something we havent heard in a while came from Dabo's teleconference Sunday, when asked whether we played physical up front.
"I thought that last night, but I saw it on film," Swinney said. "The guys played physical."
Dabo mentioned that Terry Bowden left him a message of support from the Bowden family when we face FSU this week.
LW reports that Swinney continues to say that Korn only played one snap at BC because of confidence in his throwing ability. Williams' opinion is that Korn looked so bad in warmups that he buys what Dabo is selling.
I'm thinking that Korn's shoulder is hurting more than we are led to believe. We need him for FSU given Harpers inconsistency making decisions, but if he's hurt you have to hold him out against that defense. I dont care what Napier says about it, if Korn is hurting he's not playing. I don't want Clemson to run Korn in for option plays only and never throw, even though the triple option ate FSU alive last week.
Strelow has a pretty good article on the end of the Bowden Bowl here.
“It was getting where Ann ... she got so tired of (it),” Bobby told reporters Sunday. “She can’t win. She’s got a lot of pride. She wants me to win, and she wants Tommy to win. She wants Terry and Jeffrey and all of them to win. With Tommy and I playing, she can’t win. One of us is going to have to get beat.
“Of course, I didn’t like it either. I didn’t like it when he beat me. And when I beat him, I feel for him. So I am so happy. This is the first time in 10 years I don’t have to worry about Tommy being on the other side whipping me or me whipping him.”
Bobby said there was no chance Tommy would offer a scouting report and that he would not request one.
“Tommy wouldn’t dare,” Bobby Bowden said. “Those are his kids. You know he recruited those kids, and he’ll pull for those kids.
“Will he pull for them against me? Probably. Just to show he’s a good recruiter. He wouldn’t dare come by here. I wouldn’t even ask him to sit down with me to say: ‘Oh man, this guy’s got this weakness, this guy’s got that weakness.’
“He left there on a good note as far as he was concerned. He wished he could have made them happy. So I have no animosity toward them.”
Swinney said he expects to talk with Tommy several times this week, but he figures the situation might be more awkward for himself.
“One thing about coach Bowden, he has great perspective and has been in football all his life,” Swinney said. “He’s a hard guy to get down. He bounces back quick.
“Hopefully, he’ll be pulling for us and not his daddy. I don’t know if we’ll ever know the answer to that one. I know I’d be pulling for my daddy.”
GNews says some of the same things as the others, but talks more about our own Special teams play. I praised Powell before and then we had a blocked punt, so I won't praise him again. A ST gaffe is the very last thing we need against FSU.
Then tonight there were rumors about Tubbs to Clemson. All of this was sparked by a Tim Brando radio show (CBS) interview with ATL-Constitution writer Tony Barnhardt. This guy has always been pretty spot-on in the 10 years or so I've followed his articles. He's not a nut and is pretty fair-minded, except when it comes to UGA....who he always puts on a bit of a pedestal. He was worse about it when he worked for ESPN. LW talks about it in Tiger Tracks.
But Tubbs aint coming here, and nor should Clemson fans really want him. I've watched a good bit of Auburn football over the last 5 years, and some of their battles with LSU have been classics. Tubbs is a gutsy defensive-minded coach who will go out on a limb sometimes with greatly-timed trick plays and fakes. Contrast him to Les Miles, who just does crazy shit that makes no sense and yet gets lucky every time.
Tubbs has had some great years at Auburn, and they have mistreated him in my opinion. He shouldve won a piece of the national title in 2004; I dont care what you say, if a team can go unbeaten they can claim a piece of the title. He's won 6 straight over Bama, which they never do. However, he is not the best person, as he jilted Ole Piss for more money in '98, and cant pick a good Offensive Coordinator. We've been through that problem, and I don't want it again. Al Borgess' offense was good in his first couple years, but last year he was fired before the Peach Bowl and Tony Franklin, his replacement, didnt even make it halfway through this season.
Auburn fans, I think, see that Saban is going to clean house in recruiting for Alabama until somebody offers him more money elsewhere, and they are scared. Combine that with their inability to win a few games they shouldve (Miss State last year, Wisconsin and GT in 05, and a myriad of games this year) and you have a recipe for a pissed off fanbase. I dont think he'll be kicked out, yet, but a losing season next year and he's tossed out the door like Fulmer.
Speaking of the Great Pumpkin, Spurrier made some comments about his fatness this week.
“He’s probably, 16, 17 years there, probably long enough,” Spurrier said. “Wasn’t working very well. I think everybody understands, when it starts going bad, they got to make changes. We all know that.(source)
“Congratulate him on hitting that lottery ticket, that’s a big ticket he got, a big one,” Spurrier said, smiling.
Spurrier shot down the chance of him switching SEC Eastern Division clubs.
"No, no, no. They'll hire a guy that wants to stay 10, 15 years, which is probably what they should do, really," Spurrier said.
He did go on to say that 5 years ago, he'd have considered it. Spurrier is from Tennessee. This pretty clearly indicates to me that Spurlid doesnt plan to be at Sakerlina for more than 5-7 years from now. If he was winning I bet he'd accept that the UGA fans on the board at Augusta National wont let him become a member, and decide to go somewhere else.
Monday, November 3, 2008
With Fat Phil gone from UT
With Fulmer gone. We might now be in a bidding war over a coach. I've said before that UT will try to go after Muschamp, and he may be one of TDPs top choices for our job. Pretty much anyone who is a candidate at Clemson will be a candidate at Tennessee. Tennessee will surely win a bidding war with us, as their resources are far larger, but we can make it more difficult for them. We can only hope that we choose different people to go after.
EDSBS' take, along with the presser.
Fulmer's situation lately has been like Bowden's, he was unable to win big games and was mediocre against the SEC. I think I would've given him a pass after losing Cutcliffe (again) and playing for the SEC Championship last year against LSU. I can see why they would be tired of him though.
I do hope they get Michigan'd now, just because I hate Tennessee. He deserves worse for shitting on Alabama though.
Now, since I'm at LSU, the big game is Alabama. LSU has looked terrible on Defense since the Missississississississippi State game, when a bad QB was able to light up the secondary. Auburn, we thought at the time, was going to be alright, but apparently not so.
The other major problem is Jarrett Lee. He pretty much sucks. Early in the season I thought that moving the Troy game (hurricane) would hurt him because he needed more PT before Florida, and it did. He hasnt played a 4-quarter game yet, and he makes decisions almost as poorly as Cullen Harper. Turnovers cost LSU the Peach/Cotton Bowl play-in game, and the Tulane game wasn't much better. Lee was in too long, and freshman Jordan Jefferson really only got a few series.
Miles has made it a point to throw Lee under the bus, instead of saying how many problems the young secondary has. They are young and in many situations they are in position to make the play, but dont. The tackling is subpar for LSU, and they look like they are just trying TOO hard to make a big play. All of this was evident to me during the spring game...and it has not been corrected. Doug Mallory should be taking more blame for what has happened than Lee. Now, LSU's defense has lost their swagger, and I dont believe they'll do well at all for the rest of this season if they get lit up by JP Wilson.
But they can beat Bama, only because Bama is a run-oriented offense. LSU can still stop the running game, and this will be an emotional and over-hyped game at Tiger Stadium with Saban's return. They'll score, probably in similar fashion to last year, but they should not put up 40-50 points on LSU. The question is whether LSU can run on them. If they can, it could snowball for Alabama.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Boston College Review
-WTF was Harper looking at on the first INT? he looked left, looked back right, and the WR was just stopped. At least the D held to a FG. I'm sure they are tired of being thrown right back out after Harpers fuckups.
-The 2nd CU drive, we came right out and ran the ball and the OL made the blocks to seal off the defenders on both big plays, encouraging.
-Fumbles on Punt Returns are inexcusable, that guy just slapped it out of Spiller's hand. The D pulled us out by forcing a fumble on the reception, again, holding us in games. I'm so glad they did something about Austin's inability to snap a football...and moved his ass to G.
-Why the hell is the replay system not working? You have refs in the booth who can watch the TV dont you? They get the same angles we get. Clemson's playcalling on this 2nd TD drive was very good, and they made the catches and throws on the deeper balls.
-VK's 'bend-but-dont-win' defense is definitely giving up the yardage, and getting away with a few mistakes from aggressiveness. Crane is finding all the holes in VK's zones, and it looks like Cover 0 today instead of Cover 2.
-CJ Spiller becomes the only Clemson player with 2000 rush, 1000 Kick return and 4000 all-purpose....and just think what he would've done had Bowden learned how to stick to running the football when it worked. I'm ecstatic that they set up passing plays for him, but today he has really come to play and is making people miss.
2nd Q-1st and Goal at the fucking 1 yard line and cant score the TD. The play call on the fake with Harper that resulted in a sack was stupid, run that with Korn, Harper will just fall down when someone touches him now.
For the most part in the first half I'm happy with the playcalling, only a couple screens, but we should be able to run the football better than this. The defense is playing well.
2nd Half
-Spiller's big gain is negated by a holding call by one of the linemen trying to protect Harper, not those blocking for Spiller. Ford was standing around instead of blocking downfield. He slams his head on the turf and looks like he has a concussion. This is of course followed by another fuck-up by Harper. Jesus can this guy not see the players in opposing colors standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GUY HE'S THROWING TO? WHAT THE FUCK IS HE LOOKING AT? Then the Defense gives up another TD on a short field following a Harper turnover.
-Jacoby Ford on a end-around....can we please throw him the ball downfield? The the first time they run him on a deep-in route, a hold calls it back. Buchholz misses his first FG. We should really have 28 points in this game.
-I suppose I should stop praising Powell, though it looks to me like they were offsides on the punt block - TD. At any rate, 82 came right up the middle untouched because the C and the G stayed side-by-side instead of the G looking to his left....immediately followed by another shitty underthrown ball by Harper for yet another INT on the first play of the next CU drive.
-BC's next TD was a pushoff, no question to me. #2 just threw his coverman to the middle of the endzone before he broke to the back corner. We just blew a 17-0 lead. The defense gets saddled with yet another short field after a Harper INT and can't hold it.
-CJ deserves the game ball, he's the only guy on offense that came to play today. Harper makes a good throw to get 1st and Goal.
-HUTCH FUCKED UP THE SNAP TOO. FUCKING CHRIST!
-Both fade routes in the endzone were done well, both good throws. I cant believe Aaron Kelly is 1st in Clemson history in receptions and receiving TDs, he has dropped so many passes that he would own that record forever if he could catch a football.
-McDaniel laid that WR out! Broke his tibia. Thats what you do on a crossing route. Bowers recovers the fumble at midfield. Why cant the OL smack somebody like that? Bucholz hits a long FG, 27-21.
While the OL started well, they failed to move BC's DL around after the 2nd Quarter. Harper is the reason this game was close. I can see why Harper would be in with it 21-17, and needing the score, but I expected Korn to play more today. The defense only gives up 7 on a short field, however they did miss two medium range FGs.
Since I'm in a good mood, I'll post this find. They are already telling me they are going to get through the Orange Crush 2-1 for a change...
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