> is anyone surprised like I am that the ACC has developed into a pretty formidable conference? Just thinking how Clemson pasted Ohio State and then managed to get a W over what looked like a very powerful Bama squad. Then there is FSU, NC, Miami and a few others that play competitively. > Speaking of Bama.... we all know Saban isn't a lifer there and will leave when the time is right. I think the time will be right when another progran such as LSU, Fla, Ga or Auburn finally catches up to Bama in quality and become really tough outs for the Tide.... causing Bama to slip a bit.... and Saban is not sticking around for another rise to the top if that happens. > Speaking of is the time right..... I can't believe the patience the Notre Dame admin is showing for Brian Kelly. Could his time be short in South Bend? > I think in three years time Lane Kiffin will be back coaching in a major conference....possibly at a school like Texas A&M if Sumlin makes it that long or maybe Auburn or Ga of those schools don't win their division any time soon. I also predict you will NOT see him at Tenn. if Jones is fired....LOL.. which could happen this season if things go rough for the Vols.... and their schedule is set up for a rough season... at Fla. and playing an unusual game vs. LSU in November. > How good is Michigan? They lost a ton of starters and yet I fear the Wolverines may beat UF in Dallas.... I think in part due to their coach. If UM though continues to falter against Ohio State and can't make the CFB for any of the next 3 or 4 years I think Harbaugh will leave. > Watch Will Grier at West Va. this season. He is cleared to start and I do think he is uber talented. Uf won the SEC East twice without him but would have been much much better with him. > Malik Zaire? I dunno..... what do you think?
> is anyone surprised like I am that the ACC has developed into a pretty formidable conference? Just thinking how Clemson pasted Ohio State and then managed to get a W over what looked like a very powerful Bama squad. Then there is FSU, NC, Miami and a few others that play competitively. Maybe a little since the ACC has made it's reputation on basketball. But certainly Clemson, FSU, and Miami are legit football powers. But the rest of the conference is good but not great. UNC, Ga.Tech, have had some good teams, but not consistently good. The rest are very average but like all teams can have some good years. Still probably a notch below the SEC, B1G, and Pac12. > Speaking of Bama.... we all know Saban isn't a lifer there and will leave when the time is right. I think the time will be right when another progran such as LSU, Fla, Ga or Auburn finally catches up to Bama in quality and become really tough outs for the Tide.... causing Bama to slip a bit.... and Saban is not sticking around for another rise to the top if that happens. Well Saban is 65 now and looks in good health. I imagine right now he's focused on achieving lifetime type goals, he has 5 NC's and 1 more would tie him with the Bear. He's never going to catch Bobby Bowden or Paterno in terms of total wins, so probably not something he's thinking about. I'm going to guess when it stops being fun and rewarding he'll quit. I could see him absolutely coaching till he's 70. Texas fans thought he'd like to come to Austin so he could 1) make 10M/year and 2) be the only coach to win a NC at 3 different schools. I doubt now if that is even on his mind. I also seriously doubt if Alabama will slip much under him going forward. I doubt if he'll lose as many as 3 games like he did in 2010. So life will be pretty good for him. > Speaking of is the time right..... I can't believe the patience the Notre Dame admin is showing for Brian Kelly. Could his time be short in South Bend? You aren't the only one. > I think in three years time Lane Kiffin will be back coaching in a major conference....possibly at a school like Texas A&M if Sumlin makes it that long or maybe Auburn or Ga of those schools don't win their division any time soon. I also predict you will NOT see him at Tenn. if Jones is fired....LOL.. which could happen this season if things go rough for the Vols.... and their schedule is set up for a rough season... at Fla. and playing an unusual game vs. LSU in November. He's one of those coaches I'll be very interested in seeing how they do over the next couple of years. I doubt if a major Power 5 team would pull the trigger on him, like a Texas A&M. He'll need to do his time at FAU and then maybe some place else like a Ga. Tech, or Utah, or Houston and prove himself again, before somebody like LSU goes after him. He's still got a rep as a flake with a good offensive football mind. Other guys I'm watching are PJ Fleck at Minn and Jeff Brohm at Purdue. > How good is Michigan? They lost a ton of starters and yet I fear the Wolverines may beat UF in Dallas.... I think in part due to their coach. If UM though continues to falter against Ohio State and can't make the CFB for any of the next 3 or 4 years I think Harbaugh will leave. I think Mich won't really miss much of a beat, sure they lost talent, but Harbaugh has recruited well, he has a terrific staff and he himself is right up there with Saban and Meyer. I think they'll win 10 games this year. I don't know who will win the UF vs UM game in Dallas, but if it's a coaching matchup then I'll go with Harbaugh. > Watch Will Grier at West Va. this season. He is cleared to start and I do think he is uber talented. Uf won the SEC East twice without him but would have been much much better with him. A lot of talk in B12 circles that WVA will be very good this year due to the presence of Will Grier. > Malik Zaire? I dunno..... what do you think? Malik is a big unknown, he's really only played in 3 college football games, he shared the QB duties in the bowl game vs LSU and looked great, he absolutely manhandled a bad Texas team and was on the ropes vs a mediocre UVA team when he broke his leg. That's it, he didn't look good at all when he was on the field last year at ND, but I don't know what that means, we weren't very good as a team. I'm glad he's got his ND degree and has moved on to UF, I really didn't want him back on the Irish this fall, I was ready to move on to our new guy (Wimbush) and didn't really want the whole QB controversy with the "Sr" vs the new guy. Good luck to him and the Gators. It would be sweet for a former ND QB to lead the Gators over Michigan though!
Terry, I always respect your insights, but I have a minor disagreement with your assessment of Zaire, albeit it's only my opinion, which usually isn't worth much. He was on the field only for a blink of an eye last year, so IMO that isn't a sufficient factor on which to judge his ability. I believe in the guy's talent and football intellect. I can't declare unequivocally that he'll be a success at FL, but I do believe he has the potential to make a difference. He first has to earn the starting position, then we'll see if I'm right or wrong.
The ACC does look good. Clemson and FSU are the standard bearers with GT and Miami also in the running. The SEC was down last year and ACC and the Big 10 were up. Saban has been at Alabama for 10 years and is not showing any signs of leaving. I'm not sure what the definition of lifer is. Kiffin may make it back to the big time IF he doesn't shoot himself in the foot in the interim. Michigan...the dreaded POTENTIAL, but they did conquer Rome and the Vatican!
I would consider Saban to be a lifer if he did in fact stay at Bama until he was 70. He will do that if excellence and college footbal playoff berths can be maintained.... and they might. But two years in a row say of not winning the SEC or not making the CFB playoff would cause him to pack it in in my opinion because he isn't sticking around to hear.... or tolerate anyone connected to Alabama grumbling about his team's results. And two years running of that would never send him on his way by the administration.... it would take 4 losing seasons in a row for that.... but it could cause unwarranted grumbling that he shouldn't have to hear.
I don't think we disagree Sid. I said he was a big unknown, and I agree you can't take much away from what he did or didn't do in 2016. He did look lost in the Texas game and the few appearances he made after that were so few and in situations hardly ideal.
MCG, wow, that's a pretty specific timeline. Saban says he has no desire to go elsewhere. He is 66. If he decides to retire from coaching it would be understandable, but right now he seems to be happy (as happy as he ever is) right where he is but then I obviously do not know him as well as you do. 8)
Kp, I'm not trying to say I predict he only goes to age 70... hell he may go all Paterno or Bowden on us and keep coaching Bama into his eighties. I'm just saying that if he goes to at least 70 then that's a pretty good run at Bama and I don't expect him to try much of anything else other than Bama.
MCG, I really thought you were saying a little bit more than that? It's ok, it's always fun to hear from the number one fan of Alabama's number 1 rival! :lol:
Well as you might also agree the Alabama fan base... or at least some of the more vocal ones might get a little restless if Saban's team went two years in a row without winning the West. And I do think that is bound to happen sooner or later. And I don't think Saban would stick around after that.... he will have zero to prove. Except that the money could be the devil that makes him do it. I really think the money is the only reason Bowden hung around so long at FSU even when the fans were grumbling, the recruits were hesitant and the results were mixed.
For what it's worth: Saban may leave one day but he will nver come close anywhere else to have the setup he has at Bama. He has facilities, the best players, a rabid fan base and ton of money. This is Kelly's moment of truth. he wa just awful last year; indecisive and at times indifferent. On a good day he is a second tier coach. I would think he needs nine wins to have any chance at 2018. Michigan is playing for second place. And probably will as long as Meyer is in Columbus. I may be wrong but I don't think Harbaugh has a long shelf life; he is too Type A and prone to doing crazy things. nd I still predict that meyer ends his career in South Bend. Zaire could be better than anything UF has to offer at QB at present. Terry is right though; we base his record on three games. And in high school he played small division ball, albeit very successfully. I do not blame him for leaving ND. I think Kiffin is a clown. Some big school may give him a chance but I tthink he is "all hat, no cattle" at HC.
Spurrier was on Finebaum's show and talked about Zaire, he was pretty upbeat about him coming to UF. Said that he thought the Gators really didn't have anybody beyond Franks who was ready to play this season and really needed somebody so they could have an actual backup QB.
George.... I have to agree with that. And watch the effort of the Irish to land him if Kelly is out after this season. And it would be now or never for Meyer's chance at ressurecting the Irish at that point. Interesting to watch what happens there. On Zaire.... I was thinking back on the UF 2006 championship season when the Gators had a pocket guy ( Chris Leak ) and a very capable young change of pace guy ( Tim Tebow ). I could see Franks and Zaire complementing each in other in a similar fashion.... ( I hope )
Krebs said about Urban Meyer: I still predict that meyer ends his career in South Bend. I struggle with that for so many reasons, while it's true he was on Lou's staff and on Davie's staff and when he left I think he hoped someday he might be able to return as the head coach. But a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then and I have to wonder if sitting at a great job in Columbus where it's a little easier to recruit top players for many reasons and where the financial support for the football program isn't exceeded by many schools if any. So I ask myself why he would want to return to South Bend? I guess maybe he still has a fondness for the school, is that enough? Would he be willing to try and have the same level of success as he's had at Ohio State and Florida with less support and less access to top level recruits? If he did come and did better than Kelly, but never reached that level he had at Ohio State would he be ok with that? It's the same thing with Stoops, he was so successful at OU with few restrictions, and more support and he never pulled the trigger to come to ND if he was ever interested which he said he never was of course.
I wonder that as well. He would have to really be jonesing for South Bend...believing he could go down in Irish lore. Is he up to that task? I doubt it really.
Good stuff here, guys! Thanks for getting us through a few days of the boring summer with well though discussions. I can only add that it will be a cold day in hell when Lane Kiffin walks the Aggie sideline as coach. Everyone in the program echoes George's thoughts - he's a clown, and we won't take a chance on that.