Final Grades: A look back at the preseason AP poll

It’s time to pay the piper. Here’s a look back at the 2008 pre-season AP poll contrasted against the final 2008-2009 AP poll.

2008 AP College Football Poll Comparison – Preseason vs Final Poll

TEAM	FINAL RANKING	PRESEASON
Florida	1	5
Utah	2	NR
USC	3	3
Texas	4	11
Oklahoma	6	4
Alabama	6	NR
TCU	NR	NR
Penn State	8	22
Ohio State	9	2
Oregon	10	21
Boise State	11	NR
Texas Tech	12	12
Georgia	13	1
Ole Miss	14	NR
Virginia Tech	15	17
Oklahoma State	16	NR
Cincinnati	17	NR
Oregon State	18	22
Missouri	19	6
Iowa	20	NR
Florida State	21	NR
Georgia Tech	22	NR
West Virginia	23	8
Michigan State	24	NR
BYU	25	16

The big standout poll flops are Georgia (P-1 F-13), Ohio State (P-2 F-10), Missouri (P-6 F-19) and West Virgina (P-8 F-23). And — of course — the teams that never even made it to the final poll, including LSU, Clemson, Auburn and Wisconsin.

The Cinderella stories of Utah, TCU, Boise State, and Alabama surprised pollsters and fans alike. (Outside of Alabama, of course, who always expects the Tide to be #1… and they’re not afraid to tell you about it, as well. Still, I suspect there were more than a couple of surprised Bama fans out there this season when the Crimson Tide rose to the top of the polls.)

The biggest surprise for me was how many of the teams were actually ranked consistently from pre-season to final poll. That shocked me, actually. I have long advocated not doing any polls at all until the fourth week of the season, but there’s enough balance between the good & bad of the pre-season poll to suggest that *some* of the pollsters might actually put some thought into this whole thing.

What stands out to you and where do you stand on pre-season polls — sacrosanct or sacrelidge?

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Recapping the Big Ten coaching changes

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Purdue's hiring of defensive coordinator Donn Landholm on Monday likely marks the end to the major coaching moves in the Big Ten this year. 

There have been no head-coaching changes — Danny Hope was named Purdue's head coach-in-waiting last year — and unless Iowa's Kirk Ferentz bolts for the Kansas City Chiefs, which isn't likely, all 11 teams will have continuity on top. But there were several key changes among coordinators and key position coaches. 

Here's a summary. 

ILLINOIS

Offensive coordinator: Mike Locksley left to become New Mexico's head coach. Illinois hired TCU offensive coordinator Mike Schultz as his replacement. 

Defensive line: Ron Zook fired Tom Sims and hired Cincinnati's Keith Gilmore. 

Offensive line: Eric Wolford left for the same post at South Carolina, and Zook hired Houston's Joe Gilbert as his replacement. 

Notes: Arguably Illinois' biggest coaching move was one that didn't happen. Zook offered Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson the chance to be Illinois' defensive coordinator, but the ace recruiter opted to stay in State College. 

INDIANA

No changes.

Notes: Despite a 3-9 season that saw regression on both sides of the ball, head coach Bill Lynch said he didn't expect to make any staff changes for 2009. 

IOWA

No changes.

Notes: Ferentz is being mentioned as a candidate for the Chiefs' head-coaching vacancy because of his ties to new general manager Scott Pioli, but it appears likely he will remain at Iowa for an 11th season. He will hold a signing day news conference scheduled for Feb. 4 and has talked with athletic director Gary Barta about a contract extension.

MICHIGAN

Defensive coordinator: Scott Shafer resigned and later took the same job at Syracuse. Michigan hired former Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson as Shafer's replacement.

Notes: Head coach Rich Rodriguez took his time with the search, and Robinson actually reached out to him about the defensive coordinator vacancy.

MICHIGAN STATE

No changes.

Notes: Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell was in the mix for several head-coaching spots (Miami University, Boston College) but will stay put for 2009.

MINNESOTA

Offensive coordinator: Mike Dunbar resigned Jan. 6 to pursue other professional opportunities. Minnesota hired former Denver Broncos wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch as Dunbar's replacement.

Defensive coordinator: Ted Roof resigned Jan. 6 to take the same post at Auburn. Gophers head coach Tim Brewster hired former Nebraska and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove, who will share coordinator duties with defensive backs coach Ron Lee.

Notes: Fisch will call the offensive plays, but he must collaborate with Tim Davis, the team's new offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Davis, who replaces Phil Meyer, was hired in late November to transform Minnesota's run game and return the team to its roots as a dominant rushing attack.

NORTHWESTERN

Offensive line: Bret Ingalls left for the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald told me he's not concerned about naming a replacement until after signing day, but indications are Adam Cushing, the H-backs coach and recruiting coordinator, will be promoted to line coach. 

Notes: Athletic director Jim Phillips wants to work out a contract extension for Fitzgerald and likely will announce one in the coming weeks or months.

OHIO STATE

No changes.

Notes: Some expected offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jim Bollman to get the axe, and while it still could happen, head coach Jim Tressel is the primary play-caller and responsible for the unit's success. Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell was mentioned as a candidate for the head-coaching vacancy at Bowling Green.

PENN STATE

No changes.

Notes: Penn State retained Larry Johnson despite Illinois offering more money and a coordinator position. Longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley also remains despite some rumors that he was a candidate for the top job at Syracuse.

PURDUE

Offensive coordinator: Ed Zaunbrecher was fired and replaced by Florida Atlantic offensive coordinator Gary Nord. 

Defensive coordinator: Longtime Boilers defensive coordinator Brock Spack left to become Illinois State's head coach. Hope hired his former Eastern Kentucky staffer Landholm as Spack's replacement. 

Running backs coach: Joel Thomas left for the same job at Washington, and Hope hired former Kansas State assistant Cornell Jackson as his replacement. 

Offensive line coach: Hope handled the line in 2008 and hired his former Eastern Kentucky staffer Shawn Clark to replace him. 

Special teams coordinator: Hope moved Mark Hagen from special teams to linebackers and promoted graduate assistant J.B. Gibboney to this post. 

Notes: Tight ends coach John McDonnell was not retained for 2009, and a replacement hasn't been named. Terrell Williams will once again coach the entire defensive line this fall after working strictly with the ends in 2008. 

WISCONSIN

No changes.

Notes: After firing veteran defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz and seeing offensive line coach Bob Palcic leave for UCLA last year, head coach Bret Bielema is keeping his staff in place despite a very disappointing 2008 season.  

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Who will be the 2009-2010 BCS National Champion?

While memories of Tebow hoisting the trophy may still be dancing through your head, the pundits can’t help but look ahead to the 2009-2010 BCS National Championship.

With more returning starters than USC or Oklahoma, the early favorites of the talking heads are the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns.

Here’s a breakdown of the pundit pre-pre-preseason projections, with click-through links to their full lists.

Rivals.com
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
Highest Projected non-BCS: #9 – Boise State

Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
Highest Projected non-BCS: #8 – Boise State

Dennis Dodd (CBS Sportsline)
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech
Highest Projected non-BCS: #15 – Utah

Mr. College Football Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Constitution-Journal)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
Highest Projected non-BCS: #17 – TCU

Bruce Feldman (ESPN)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Virginia Tech
Highest Projected non-BCS: None in Top 10

Matt Hayes (Sporting News)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
Highest Projected non-BCS: #18 – BYU

So… if you believe the pundits… go ahead and book your reservations now, Gator & Longhorn fans. But… then again, that didn’t work out too well for Georgia fans last year, so… maybe just watch the games, first.

PS – On a side note, let me just say that I am glad to be back in the saddle. It’s nice to see the community has grown to the point where our contributors have taken over with amazing, self-generated content. Keep these great posts coming because… there is no off-season, boys.

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Illinois hires O-line coach, MSU moves game

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Two quick items for you before the weekend. 

• Illinois head coach Ron Zook further strengthened the team's new pipeline to Texas by hiring University of Houston offensive line coach Joe Gilbert to take on the same position with the Illini. Gilbert, who oversaw a line that helped Houston rank second nationally in passing and 10th in scoring this season, joins an offensive staff now led by former TCU coordinator Mike Schultz. Both men have extensive experience recruiting in Texas. 

In a statement Gilbert said he felt "fortunate to be coming in at the same time as coach Schultz so we can carry on the successful offense that has already been created. I was able to watch film on my visit and I am excited about the young players coming back and the chance I have to help them grow as players and people."

Gilbert replaces Eric Wolford, who left Illinois for South Carolina. 

• Michigan State has moved a Nov. 7 game against Western Michigan to Spartan Stadium from Ford Field in Detroit.

"The economic climate has changed dramatically in the last seven months, and considering the financial risks, it was in the best interest of all parties for this game to be played on campus," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said in a statement.

The relocation gives Michigan State seven home games next fall. Western Michigan's game against Illinois on Nov. 8 at Ford Field drew an announced crowd of 12,865.  

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2008 Blogpoll Ballot, Final

Rank
Team
Delta

1
Utah
25

2
Florida
24

3
Southern Cal
23

4
Texas
22

5
Oklahoma
21

6
Penn State
20

7
Ohio State
19

8
TCU
18

9
Alabama
[...]
Story By Men of the Scarlet and Gray

Michigan’s struggles hurt Utah’s bid for No. 1

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Utah Utes finished the season with the strongest résumé for a non-BCS program in recent times.

• Utah (13-0) was the only undefeated FBS team.
• The Utes swept through the Mountain West Conference, which reached a new level for a non-BCS league.
• They beat TCU and BYU.
• They beat an Oregon State team that knocked off No. 1 USC the week before.
• And they topped it off with quite possibly the most impressive win of the bowl season, a 31-17 triumph against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Sure, USC looked impressive against Penn State, but the Rose Bowl is a virtual home game for the Trojans. Utah essentially beat Alabama in the Crimson Tide's backyard.

And the amazing thing is, Utah's profile could have been a lot better.

Remember who the Utes beat in the season opener Aug. 30? Michigan. Utah outlasted the Wolverines 25-23 to kick off a very special season. 

Now imagine Michigan was Michigan, not the rudderless 3-9 product we saw this fall.

What if this was a standard Michigan team, one that finished the season ranked in the top 20? How much better would Utah look with a win in the Big House against a solid Wolverines squad from a solid Big Ten?

I'm not saying it would have put Utah ahead of Florida in the final polls. But as someone who voted the Utes at No. 2 in the ESPN.com final Power Rankings, I would have given a lot of thought to putting Utah on the top line. 

As it turned out, Michigan was one of Utah's least impressive victories. Only San Diego State (2-10) had a worse record. The Wolverines are barely mentioned when Utah's résumé is discussed. 

Many teams saw this as a good season to play Michigan. But for Utah, the game in Ann Arbor didn't really help.

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Schultz could help Illinois tap Texas pipeline

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

It won’t take long for quarterback Juice Williams and his Illinois teammates to understand one thing about their new offensive coordinator, Mike Schultz.

He’s not a local.

If the Texas twang doesn’t give it away, he’ll drop a “dadgummit” every now and then.

And that’s not a bad thing.

The man Schultz is replacing at Illinois, new New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley, wasn’t from the area, either. Locksley hailed from Washington, D.C., and created an incredible recruiting pipeline from his hometown to Illinois, one that brought players like Vontae Davis, Arrelious Benn and Will Davis to the heartland.

Illinois’ 2008 squad boasted seven players from D.C. and several more from the surrounding area.

Head coach Ron Zook hopes Schultz can create a similar channel between Champaign and the Lone Star State.

“I’ve been involved in recruiting this state for about the last 20 years,” said Schultz, a Houston native who spent the last 11 at TCU. “Realistically, coming in from Illinois, we’ll have to make some decisions on where we’ll have to anchor in on. … Listen, I’ve been in this state a long time. There’s a lot of football players in this state. From my understanding, Wisconsin has come in here and got football players out of this state. So has Purdue and things like that.

“I’m fairly confident we’ll be able to come in and get into the Texas recruiting and get some good kids.”

Schultz’s recruiting prowess will be critical as Illinois tries to continue to lure top talent despite a very disappointing 2008 season. The Illini currently have no Texans on the roster.

Though Locksley’s schemes spurred the Illinois offense, his greater value was on the recruiting trail. Arguably no single Big Ten assistant made a greater impact on a program that Locksley did at Illinois in recent years. It’s a tough act to follow, but Schultz enjoys challenges.

He left a very comfortable situation at TCU and comes to a conference in which he’s never coached and an area in which he’s never lived. Being able to work for Zook, a “high-energy guy” and an “aggressive recruiter,” drew Schultz to the position.

“Change can be very healthy, but it can be scary at times,” Schultz said. “I’m treading into some new waters.”

Schultz, who spent Tuesday packing up his old office at TCU, admitted his scouting of Williams is limited to “what I’ve seen on ESPN.” But he sees similarities between the Illinois offense, a spread system with some read option, and the one he ran with the Horned Frogs.

“One of the things we were talking about with coach Zook is trying to keep things as consistent as we can keep them for the seniors coming back, Juice and those guys,” Schultz said. “I like to spread the ball, there’s no doubt, but there’s times you’ve to bunch it up and try to run the ball.

“We’ve used a tremendous amount of formations to try to create mismatches through movement and motion to give us angles or numbers one way or another.”

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13-0 Utah + Barack Obama = playoffs???

Earlier this year, President-elect Barack Obama stepped into the college football controversy known as the BCS, when he publicly called for the college football championship system to include playoffs.  A mere 11 days after being elected as the most powerful man in the world, Obama made the call that millions of football fans are begging for.

“If you’ve got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there’s no clear decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system.”

I don’t know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this. So, I’m going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it’s the right thing to do.

I think it’s about time we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this that and the other. Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion.”

Once sworn into office, Obama could sway the BCS to abandon the current system in favor of a more accurate determination of a champion.  If any one man can do it, it would have to be the President of the United States.

But add to that the fact that Utah has just completed its’ second unbeaten season in four years, and you have more reason to change the system.  Utah’s biggest detraction was a softer schedule and the fact that very few people outside of the Mormon state got to see them play football.  Personally, the only time I saw them play was when they nearly lost to Michigan in the final seconds…..and after the season UM had, I would never have wanted a national championship shot given to a team that barely beat the Wolverines.

But looking back, you can see a better strength of schedule for the Utes, including wins against Oregon State, #12 TCU, and a blowout of then-#14 BYU.  Now counter in the destruction of #4 Alabama, and you’ve got a worthy team.

Also, don’t forget that Utah beat Alabama by MORE than Florida did, and the Gators ARE playing for the national championship.

Did unbeaten Boise State deserve a shot?  Hell, no.  But we didn’t find that out until the bowls.  So give 8-12 teams a chance and let’s find out who deserves it and who doesn’t.

So let’s see some action on this Mr. President.  It’ll be for the good of the sport, and for the good of the country.

Plus, when you get that playoff system in place, think of the landslide re-election you’ll have when the solidly-Republican state of Utah gives you their vote for President in 2012.

Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry

Northwestern’s loss bucks trend of clutch play

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern had to like its chances with a 3-point lead entering the fourth quarter of the Valero Alamo Bowl against Missouri. And when the game went into overtime, the Wildcats’ upset hopes surged.

Winning close games has been Northwestern’s forte since the 2000 season. The Wildcats entered the Alamodome with a 17-4 record in their last 21 games decided by seven points or fewer. They also had an 8-1 mark in overtime, capturing their last five games that warranted an extra session. Senior quarterback C.J. Bacher owned an 8-3 record in games decided by eight points or fewer.

So why didn’t the Wildcats come through in Tuesday’s 30-23 overtime loss to Missouri?

Tigers stars Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman played key roles, but there are two primary reasons.

1. Special teams gaffes — It’s no coincidence that special teams played a role in Northwestern’s only other overtime loss, a 48-45 double-overtime setback against TCU in 2004. In that game, the Wildcats missed five — five! — field goal attempts, including two in overtime. The kicking game also doomed Northwestern in its most recent postseason appearance, the 2005 Sun Bowl, as the Wildcats botched two extra-point attempts and had two onside kicks returned for touchdowns against UCLA. Monday night, Northwestern gave away 11 points on special teams, including a missed extra-point attempt that would have forced Missouri to score a touchdown in the clutch. Pat Fitzgerald has the program on track, but these special-teams errors are totally inexcusable.

2. Conservative play calling – Northwestern built its record in close games through bold play calling, in part because its defense was so poor. Bacher has led game-winning drives before, particularly last season against Michigan State, Nevada and Indiana. But the Wildcats went conservative Monday after taking possession with the game tied at 23-23 and 2:49 left in regulation. Instead of attacking Missouri’s woeful secondary with a hurry-up passing game, Northwestern played not to lose and tried to force overtime. A more assertive strategy could have set up a game-winning score in the closing seconds.

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Really, ESPN? Really?

During the commercials of the Cavaliers/Rockets game, I decided to check out the Boise State/TCU game.  I’m interested to see this game (on a secondary level….Cavs come first, then reruns of The Office on TBS) so I’ll keep flipping back and forth.

But I really really believe that ESPN may have jumped the shark with this game.

At the top of the TV screen are a streaming series of instant messages from people watching the game at home.  No, I’m not kidding.  Every once in a while, the messages start up again.  It got ridiculous in a hurry.  For example;

“So much for a close game” – It was 10-0 in the second quarter, by the way….

“The REAL National Championship should be Oklahoma and Boise State”

“Broncos should boycott the whole season next year until they let us play for the championship”

These are comments and opinions that should be read on the internet, NOT on national TV.  It’s laughable watching this and ESPN should be ashamed of broadcasting it.

In other words, ESPN just let people from Idaho say whatever they want on TV.  Yeah, that scares me too.

I wanted my opinion and my love of college football broadcast for the world to see too….so I STARTED A FRIGGING BLOG!  These morons are on ESPN with the most inane and insane statements this side of Belleview.

ESPN really needs to pull down the instant messages and never put them back up again.  then, we can work on the other things on that network which are full of doo-doo (that’s right Mark May, we’re coming for you).

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