Rich Rodriguez, You’re No Urban Meyer

“Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.  Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”  Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle, Vice-Presidential Candidate Debate, 1988.

Dan Quayle compared himself to Jack Kennedy in response to a question about his youth, pointing out that Jack Kennedy was also young when he ascended to the Presidency. …
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Obscure Northwestern game resonates for Meyer

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

A game that wasn’t even supposed to happen had a profound impact on Florida head coach Urban Meyer and holds sigificance in tonight’s FedEx BCS National Championship Game.

On Nov. 17, 2001, Meyer brought his Bowling Green squad to face Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston. Northwestern’s schedule originally didn’t include the Falcons, but after a game against Navy was postponed becaues of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Wildcats needed a game and landed one with Bowling Green. 

As Pete Thamel writes in The New York Times, the 43-42 shootout won by Bowling Green on a two-point conversion in the final minute left a mark with Meyer. It also introduced him to the offense Florida will face in tonight’s game. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson held the same position at Northwestern in 2001 and employed a no-huddle spread that piled up points. 

“‘It was the most damnedest thing you’ve ever seen,’ Meyer recalled with a smile. ‘I don’t know if I’ve been part of a better game.’ … 

“As quickly as Meyer can recall the wild final sequence that allowed Bowling Green to erase a 14-point deficit in the final 80 seconds, he can also break down his defense’s ineptitude. Bowling Green allowed 624 yards on 97 offensive plays. Northwestern never punted.”

Bowling Green’s offense wasn’t bad, either. As a student reporter covering the game, I remember how impressive Meyer’s team looked as it moved the ball down the field. His decision to go for the win and make a gutsy call — a reverse to wide receiver Cole Manger — showed a lot about the rising star in the coaching ranks.

The game eliminated Northwestern, the 2001 preseason favorite, from bowl contention. Bowling Green finished 8-3 but missed a bowl. 

So the game didn’t really mean much at the time, but Meyer and his assistants didn’t forget their first brush with Wilson’s offense.

“[Offensive coordinator Dan] Mullen said that while boarding a plane to Starkville, Miss., to be introduced as the head coach at Mississippi State, he called Meyer and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong to remind them again.

“It was the fastest thing that I’ve ever seen,” Mullen said. “I don’t mean the fastest players, I mean the fastest offense, how fast they snap the ball. I wanted those guys to remember how fast that it actually goes, that’s what’s important to remember.”

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Future Buckeyes take the field in San Antonio, Orlando

If bowl games are too boring, or the performance of the Big Ten representatives too painful to watch, curious Buckeyes can always change the knob on their moving pictures box to another FCC-authorized television transmission carrier¹ to watch future Buckeyes take the field in the 2009 Army All-American and Under Armour games.

Traditionally, the United State…

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It starts. Plus, the reality behind the Big Ten’s perceived weakness

…the Big Ten bashing, that is.

ESPN (who else?) leads off the bowl season with another anti-Big Ten article, this time by Michael Weinreb, who says the Big Ten is “a legacy of linebackers missing front teeth and running backs built like, well, Plymouth Valiants.”

And, once again, we’ve got another formulaic attack on the Big Ten. Weinreb clearly only has a rudimentary knowledge of college football, but is a clever-enough writer to mask his tenuous point behind a way-too-thick metaphor and a ton of superficial analysis. Presto! His entire point may be wrong, but who cares? He’s witty.

Worse yet, he’s stated his company line: The Big Ten had better do fantastic this bowl season, or it will confirm to the world that the conference is irrelevant.

That’s ridiculous. OF COURSE the Big Ten is going to fail miserably this bowl season. But it has nothing to do with the conference’s weakness — it’s a simple, reasonable outcome of the fact that all of the conference’s bowl representatives have unfavorable matchups. This occurred because Ohio State was selected for a BCS at-large slot. Once OSU was pulled away from the Big Ten affiliated bowls, the four other bowl-eligible teams “slid up” one slot to fill the vacancy.

Consider the following 2008/09 bowl matchups:

• Penn State vs. USC (#8 vs. #5)
• OSU vs. Texas (#10 vs. #3)
• Michigan State vs. Georgia (#18 vs. #15)
• Northwestern vs. Missouri (#23 vs. #21)
• Iowa vs. South Carolina (B10 5th vs. SEC 5th)
• Wisconsin vs. Florida State (B10 7th vs. ACC 4th)
• Minnesota vs. Kansas (B10 6th vs. Big 12N 3rd)

Of the above Big Ten teams, all are playing against higher ranked (or rated) opponents, with the exception of Iowa/SC, the lone relatively even matchup. In other words: seven teams, six underdogs and one even matchup. No favorites.

However… if Ohio State had not been selected to the Fiesta, the bowls would have likely looked this way:

• Penn State vs. USC (#8 vs. #5)
• OSU vs. Georgia (#10 vs. #15)
• Michigan State vs. Missouri (#18 vs. #21)
• Northwestern vs. South Carolina (#23 vs. SEC 5th)
• Iowa vs. Florida State (B10 5th vs. ACC 4th)
• Wisconsin vs. Kansas (B10 7th vs. Big 12N3rd)
• (Sorry, Minnesota.)

Now THAT is a more reasonable set of matchups. Big Ten fans are jealous, because this is the type of schedule that SEC, Pac 10, and Big 12 fans enjoy year after year. Meanwhile, Big 10 teams are just good enough and attractive enough to merit selections they probably don’t deserve.

For instance, because OSU got pulled into the BCS again – where it probably doesn’t belong this year – to play #3 Texas, Northwestern has to play Big 12 North champ Missouri.

The fact that the Big 10 is such a popular conference, and has so many good teams year to year, is probably why the conference gets such unfavorable matchups during each bowl season. Bowls are about money, not matchups, and therefore lesser-qualified Big 10 teams are consistently pulled into bowls against better opponents simply because they’re a higher $$ draw.

No other major conference has this issue. Mid-major teams like Utah and Boise St. are always underdogs, and deservedly so. But no other BCS conference has this perennial underdog matchup problem like the Big 10 does.

Put simply, the conference is too popular for its own good. It’s too good for its own good. Had OSU not finished in the top ten yet again, none of this would have happened.

So what’s left? Superficial articles like Weinreb’s that ignore matchups and instead base conference strength on bowl win-loss records.

Honestly, if the Big 10 even goes .500, that should be an indicator of the conference’s strength, not weakness.

So where did this false idea of Big 10 weakness come from, anyway?

Contrary to common opinion, the Big 10’s perceived weakness can be traced back to three events. Not a collection of data points, across years or decades, mind you – but three singular events that started this current fad of conference bashing. The talking heads took it from there.

1. OSU – Florida, BCS Championship, January 2007. One of the best Ohio State offenses in history shows up uninspired, poorly motivated, and gets spanked on national TV by a Florida team that felt disrespected by the media. Media overcompensates for their error by slobbering all over Urban Meyer.
2. OSU – Florida, NCAA Basketball Final, March 2007. Just 11 weeks after the BCS championship game, the Buckeyes play the Gators again, but this time on a basketball court. The Oden-led freshmen make a great effort, but are unable to topple the senior-filled Florida dynasty. At this point, it became fashionable for fans to chant “SEC! SEC!” while eating corn dogs and wearing jorts. Media REALLY likes the easy story angle the two championship games gave them, and moves from slobbering over Urban Meyer to slobbering over all things SEC.
3. Michigan – Appalachian State, Sept. 2007. Michigan craps its pants on national TV to Joe Bob’s University and Lube and Tire Clinic. Awesome for the schadenfreude, not awesome in that it literally caused the Mark Mays of the world to pee in their pants a little. Media moves from slobbering over SEC to full-blown writing it love letters, sending out radio dedications, and mild stalking.

Those three events in 2007 are the lens through which every Big 10 team’s failure of the past two seasons has been viewed. Yes, I know that the OSU losses to LSU and USC were bad for the Big 10, but in all reality, had either of those games happened “in the void,” that is to say, without the three events mentioned above, nobody would have read anything else into it other than the fact that LSU was a much better team last year than Ohio State was, or that it wasn’t surprising when a banged up OSU team without a running back didn’t beat a USC juggernaut.

It was only the events of the previous year that turned OSU’s losses into an example of the Big 10’s weakness by those who were looking for a superficial thing to analyze, rather than anything significant or substantial.

So, heading into another tough bowl season, nobody is likely to care that each Big 10 team is playing a higher-ranked or rated team, and that even being competitive on a consistent basis in that situation is admirable. Like I wrote above, if the Big 10 even wins half of these games, that would be a major feather in the conference’s cap.

And it’s an absolute shame that nobody else will see it that way.

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Tim Tebow: One of a Kind, but What Kind?

Even the most avid Florida Gator hater will agree that Tim Tebow has had an outstanding college football career.  His 55-touchdown campaign in 2007 was historic and the possibility of a national championship in this, his second Heisman-nominated season, will only cement his legacy.

 

Whether that legacy will make the leap to the NFL is still up for debate. 

 

Those who see Tebow as an overrated “system” quarterback and the product of an over-hyped media machine have him penciled in as a guaranteed bust in the pros. 

 

Those who are swimming in the Tebow Kool-Aid see him as the future superstar gunslinger of the NFL.   

 

Moderate wisdom might have him fall somewhere between the two. 

 

The question of Tebow’s perceived potential in the NFL is not just on the minds of college football fans but the Gator quarterback himself. 

 

Tebow told the Orlando Sentinel this week that he plans to petition the NFL draft advisory committee on his projected draft status should he decide to forego his senior season and enter professional football. 

 

Critics of Tebow say he lacks the footwork to excel in the pocket on an NFL field.  His release is too slow and deliberate, and although he’s had some success with the deep ball, he has profited more from his receivers than his own talent.

 

Proponents for Tebow say he has too many intangibles to think he won’t make it in the NFL.  His work ethic, leadership, and personal character can’t be overlooked and his ability to win football games consistently can’t be underestimated. 

 

Tebow’s 21 wins as a starter are on par with Scott Frost, who won 24 games from 1996 to 1997 with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Like Tebow, Frost was exceptionally accurate with the ball, completing a school-record 155 passes without an interception. 

 

Unlike Frost, however, Tebow threw for 60 touchdowns in that two year span; Frost, just 18. 

 

Like Tebow, Troy Smith has a national championship ring and a Heisman Trophy. While Smith’s passing numbers in his final year with Ohio State are very similar to Tebow’s this past season, Tebow’s rushing stats are nearly double that of Smith. 

 

Tebow is also significantly larger than Smith: three inches in height, and 25 pounds in weight.

 

Comparisons to Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger begin and end with their size.  Roethlisberger and Tebow each weigh roughly 240 pounds, with Tebow giving about two inches of height to Roethlisberger.

 

Roethlisberger’s arm, however, is much stronger than Tebow’s while Tebow has proven to be more successful running the ball than the relatively mobile Roethlisberger. 

 

His ability on both the ground and in the air is reminiscent of Michael Robinson, Penn State’s 2005 quarterback.  Tebow was more efficient than Robinson, however, throwing nearly twice as many touchdowns, half the interceptions, and completing fifteen percent more of his passes. 

 

Robinson was converted into a running back in the NFL, something that has been suggested of Tebow.  NFL Draft pundits Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both have predicted that Tebow might end up a tight end/halfback hi-breed in the NFL. 

 

Following a serious knee injury, Blue Chip quarterback Dan Kendra made the switch to fullback midway through his time at Florida State.  Kendra’s arm, running ability and size (6’2”, 255 pounds) are very similar to Tebow.  Kendra, however, was a second-string fullback at best, and never made it to the NFL.

 

The aforementioned Scott Frost, drafted in the third round by the New York Jets, was converted into a defensive back and had an unimpressive six-year career in the NFL.

 

Previous college quarterbacks to successfully make a position switch in the NFL include Antwaan Randle El, Drew Bennett, Matt Jones, and Brad Smith; none of whom would be confused for Tim Tebow in a police lineup.   

 

Some scouts see Tebow filling a role as a Mike Alstott-type goal line back or a Chris Cooley-type tight end.  Alstott and Cooley, however, played the same positions in the pros as they did in college and never had to endure a switch.  Tebow would need to significantly improve his run blocking abilities if he were to make it at either position.

 

Even Urban Meyer’s previous quarterbacks can’t provide a hint to the future.  Tebow is nothing like Josh Harris, who played under Meyer at Bowling Green, Alex Smith, who excelled under Meyer at Utah, or Chris Leak, who Tebow succeeded at Florida. 

 

Love him or hate him, Tim Tebow has proven he’s one of a kind.  Only time will tell what kind that is.

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Urban Meyer: ND Still "My Dream Job"

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article for FOXSports.com about possible replacements for Charlie Weis if he resigned or was terminated from Notre Dame. Urban Meyer was at the top of my list- he had the best odds.

Gators fans ripped me and called me “clueless”- Urban would not leave Gainesville for South Bend. Florida is his dream job, and why would he ever leave sunshine for snow? Blah blah blah.

Flash forward to this week. On Wednesday, Meyer told a Florida radio show that Notre Dame is “still my dream job; that hasn’t changed.”

Uh huh. I thought so. Some things are so obvious, they will never change. Here comes the proverbial I-told-you-so. Gators fans are in complete denial about their coach.

When everything is said and done in fifty years, Meyer will not be remembered for what he has accomplished at Gainesville.

Like it or not, this is fact- Florida has only recently become a football force after a long hibernation from gridiron greatness. Quick, tell me who was a Notre Dame coach in the 70’s? Or Ohio State in the 60’s? Easy, huh? Now tell me Florida’s coach.

You cannot deny the obvious- some football programs have such a storied past, that their coaches are remembered fifty years later- they are immortalized. Notre Dame has that power. Michigan has that power. Oklahoma, USC, Nebraska and Alabama have that power. Florida, does not. Yet.

Eight conference championships and two National Championships- the first being in 1996, the second in 2006 – do not a dynasty in college football make. It’s trendy. The Gators are new to all of this. Ten years do not compare to ninety years. It’s not even close folks.

Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade, except for in the 50’s and 90’s- 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988.

Winning a national championship at Notre Dame guarantees that coach eternal greatness and a probable throne behind the Pearly Gates. Notre Dame, whether you admit it or not, whether you’re in denial or not, is the most powerful football program in the country.

Urban knows that. NBC knows that. The bowls know that. God knows that.

So will he leave?

“Meyer is working on a second national title with a quarterback who is running a second Heisman Trophy campaign,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. “Meyer said he was already ‘in the 11th hour’ with Florida when Notre Dame called.”

Wait a minute- “when Notre Dame called”?

Did Notre Dame put out some “feelers” to Urban Meyer after the Fighting Irish’s loss to USC? (note- this author believes they did) It reads that way. And it makes sense. That one week period after the USC loss was quiet. Too quiet.

When Fighting Irish AD Jack Swarbrick finally confirmed that Weis would be the coach, everyone assumed it was over. “He, I and the others involved in leading our football program are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure a successful 2009 season,” Swarbrick said. “We are examining every aspect of the program and will make changes wherever we think they are needed.”

OK…that’s a little muddled. But here’s the thing- what if Meyer, after the January 8th BCS Championship Game, decides he is done? If he wins the title, and Tebow bails, Meyer is going to have to start from scratch.

Notre Dame, however, is a different story. A roster filled with juniors and seniors, and a perfect quarterback to run his beloved spread- Dayne Crist. Buh-bye Jimmy Clausen, hello Dayne Crist. Would this not be the perfect time for Meyer to take over the reins?

Wouldn’t the timing be perfect? Weis is running around recruiting while Meyer is getting ready for the Oklahoma Sooners. If no one says anything, then everything is status quo and no player goes mental with the prospect of losing their coach.

After the bowl games, Weis is let go, and Meyer takes over. It’s perfect.

Meyer will have accomplished everything he could have ever wished for at Florida, and Notre Dame, his dream job, would be there plump full of recruits who are just dying to be coached up.

Do you think Jack Swarbrick would say ‘no” to Meyer if he called up and said, “I’m yours”?

Do you think he’ll say “no” to a coach who is 2-0 in BCS Bowls (and has possibly two NCs by next month)?

Could it be that Meyer is dropping hints about where is deep love is? Drooping hints that this is it- after this BCS Bowl, don’t hate me if I bail because ND is my dream job?

Set-up? Laying down the foundation? Avoiding “a Saban” by letting folks know that he will eventually want to coach at Notre Dame, so get used to the idea, Gator fans?

Count on it.

 

*special thanks to Orlando Sentinel’s 12/12/08 article by Jeremy Fowler.

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Paterno a finalist for Eddie Robinson Award

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno has been named one of nine finalists for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. 

Paterno, the 2008 Big Ten Coach of the Year, has been named National Coach of the Year three times (1978, 1982, 1986) by the Football Writers Association of America. He also was a finalist for the award in 1997 and 2005. 

Florida’s Urban Meyer, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops are the other previous winners nominated for this year’s award. 

The 2008 nominees are: 

• Mack Brown, Texas
• Pete Carroll, USC
• Mike Leach, Texas Tech
• Urban Meyer, Florida
• Joe Paterno, Penn State
• Chris Petersen, Boise State
• Nick Saban, Alabama
• Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• Kyle Whittingham, Utah

I’m not sure what Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly did to tick off the national voters for these awards, but how he’s repeatedly left off these lists baffles me. Few coaches in America could have handled a very difficult quarterback situation better than Kelly did this fall.

Paterno doesn’t have a great shot to win the award — my vote will go to Saban — but the nomination is still nice. 

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The Final Coaches Poll: Wheel Of Politics!

Ah, yes. The final coaches poll has been made public, and as usual, there are some truly noteworthy voting practices amongst our fair and balanced coaches. Some take this seriously, some cast their votes with reckless abandon, and some prove they just need a lobotomy.

It’s time to play “Who’s the biggest Homer?”

Here is the actual final poll, so you can see how the teams ended up, and then compare how some esteemed and knowledgeable coaches voted versus their brethren.

1. Oklahoma

2. Florida

3. Texas

4. Alabama/USC (tie)

6. Penn State

7. Utah

8. Texas tech

9. Boise State

10. Ohio State

11. TCU

12. Cincy

13. Oregon

14. Oklahoma State

15. Georgia Tech

16. BYU

17. Georgia

18. Michigan State

19. Va Tech

20. Northwestern

21. Pitt

22. Ball State

23. Mizzou

24. Ole Miss

25. Oregon State

 

First up is Urban Meyer, coach of the Florida Gators. Just how unbiased was he?

He voted Florida No. 1, Alabama No. 3, Utah (his former team) No. 4, USC No. 6, BYU No. 20, Georgia No. 21, and the biggie, Ole Miss No. 12.

Let’s see now, Ole Miss beat Florida. Bada bing. They must be great, right? BYU is his former team’s nemesis while Georgia is his current nemesis, so there’s no bias whatsoever in giving them the shaft, now is there? 

Our second coach needs no introduction when it comes to hating other conferences. Howard Schnellenberger, coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls, hates the Pac-10. Don’t believe me? Check out his votes: USC No. 8, Oregon No. 19, and he didn’t place Oregon State in the top 25. Yes, Howard, you deserve the booby price for the second straight year (Last year his venom was directed at the Florida Gators).

Our third coach is Bobby Bowden, who truly has shown how sharp his brain is this year. Dadgummit Bobby, either retire or shape up. Oklahoma State got a No. 18 from him, and Michigan State got a No. 13. Did he actually confuse these two teams? It looks like it.

Todd Dodge, coach at North Texas, voted Ball State, the loser to Buffalo in the MAC Championship, No. 15. Let that one sink in.

Dan Hawkins, Colorado’s coach, voted Mizzou at No. 16, Oklahoma No. 1  and Texas No. 2. He just loves the Big 12, doesn’t he?

Mike Leach voted Texas Tech at No. 2. Surprised, anyone?

Pat Hill, Fresno State’s coach, must not have had his coffee when he casted his votes: Boise State No. 6, Ball State No. 17, and Va. Tech No. 12.

Then there’s our lovable Les Miles, who has preached about the tough path of the SEC and its opponents. How did he vote? Like a good ‘ol Southern boy. Florida No. 1, Alabama No. 4, Oregon No. 17 (hate the Pac-10, Les?), Georgia Tech (ACC) No. 12, Georgia No. 13, and Ole Miss No. 14. Surprised Vandy and South Carolina aren’t in there? They may be- there is one team he voted for that didn’t make the top 25. Could it be LSU?

Mark Richt, Georgia’s coach, has also expressed his fondness for the SEC, just like Coach Miles. He ranked Florida No. 1, Alabama No. 2, and Ole Miss No. 20. How does a second place SEC team get ranked ahead of a Big 12 conference champ?

Funny, there are some teams he voted for that didn’t make the top 25- can we guess who they are? (I’ll put ten bucks on South Carolina, LSU and Auburn) If you want to know how five SEC teams were ranked in the top ten at one point, now you know.

Then there are coaches like UCF’s George O’Leary, whose hatred towards one particular conference is pretty evident. O’ Leary’s wrath this year is aimed at the Big Ten- he voted Michigan State No. 25, Northwestern No. 24, and Penn State No. 9.

But he’s not the only one who hates the Big Ten. Chris Petersen (Boise State) voted Penn State at No. 10, Boise State No. 7, and Michigan State No. 23. Ouch.

Gary Pinkel of Missouri placed Oklahoma No. 1, Texas No. 2, Texas Tech No. 6,  Oklahoma State No. 11, and Mizzou No. 18.

Tyrone Willingham voted Mizzou No. 11. How does a four-loss team that got smoked by Texas and Oklahoma get a No. 11 ranking? The other questionable vote by a Pac-10 coach was Rick Neuheisel’s ranking of Oregon State at No. 17, and Texas No. 1.

So which coaches were the most biased? Who gets the Homer Awards this year?

You have to give it to Gary Pinkel (Missouri) for his blatant bias towards the Big 12, Les Miles, Urban Meyer and Mark Richt for their SEC bias, and George O’ Leary for his hate on the Big Ten. Their motto should be, “Individually, we are strong. Together we are stronger.”

The polls are pretty disheartening, and sometimes we don’t understand why they are so skewed. By making the polls public, a fan can now see that polls don’t work. Some coaches were very fair in ranking the teams, while others used it as a platform to give their conference a boost. Disgusted yet?

Ready to scream for playoffs? Can we ditch the coaches poll?

coaches poll: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2008-12-08-final-coaches-ballots_N.htm

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Three Big Ten coaches named finalists for award

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Penn State’s Joe Paterno, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel are among the 10 finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

Voting for the award will take place Dec. 12-22, with the winner being announced Dec. 31 during halftime of the Music City Bowl. Fans can cast their votes here, and votes from College Football Hall of Fame members and national media also will be included in the selection process.

The 10 finalists are:

• Mack Brown, Texas
• Brady Hoke, Ball State
• Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
• Urban Meyer, Florida
• Joe Paterno, Penn State
• Chris Petersen, Boise State
• Nick Saban, Alabama
• Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• Jim Tressel, Ohio State
• Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Paterno, named Big Ten Coach of the Year last month, guided Penn State to an 11-1 record, a share of the league title and a Rose Bowl appearance. Fitzgerald led an underrated Northwestern team to a 9-3 mark and an Alamo Bowl appearance. Tressel helped Ohio State to a share of the Big Ten title and a BCS bowl appearance for the fourth consecutive season.

My vote goes to Saban, though there are strong arguments for Brown and the three non-BCS coaches (Whittingham, Petersen and Hoke). Paterno and Fitzgerald certainly deserve to be on the list, but I’m a little surprised about Tressel. Though he did a good job transitioning Terrelle Pryor and helping Ohio State bounce back from the USC disaster, the Buckeyes were a preseason national title contender and finished 10-2. Most Ohio State fans were somewhat disappointed with this season.

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Three Big Ten coaches named finalists for national award

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Penn State’s Joe Paterno, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel are among the 10 finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. 

Voting for the award will take place Dec. 12-22, with the winner being announced Dec. 31 during halftime of the Music City Bowl. Fans can cast their votes here, and votes from College Football Hall of Fame members and national media also will be included in the selection process. 

The 10 finalists are:

• Mack Brown, Texas
• Brady Hoke, Ball State
• Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
• Urban Meyer, Florida,
• Joe Paterno, Penn State
• Chris Petersen, Boise State
• Nick Saban, Alabama
• Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• Jim Tressel, Ohio State
• Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Paterno, named Big Ten Coach of the Year last month, guided Penn State to an 11-1 record, a share of the league title and a Rose Bowl appearance. Fitzgerald led an underrated Northwestern team to a 9-3 mark and an Alamo Bowl appearance. Tressel helped Ohio State to a share of the Big Ten title and a BCS bowl appearance for the fourth consecutive season. 

My vote goes to Saban, though there are strong arguments for Brown and the three non-BCS coaches (Whittingham, Petersen and Hoke). Paterno and Fitzgerald certainly deserve to be on the list, but I’m a little surprised about Tressel. Though he did a good job transitioning Terrelle Pryor and helping Ohio State bounce back from the USC disaster, the Buckeyes were a preseason national title contender and finished 10-2. Most Ohio State fans were somewhat disappointed with this season. 

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