The Sporting News ranks the BCS coaches

Tom Dienhart of The Sporting News ranks the BCS coaches #1-66 in a recent article. We at the Zook Awards have a few gripes about his list (see below):
1. Pete Carroll, USC.
2. Jim Tressel, Ohio State.
3. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan.
4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma.
5. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest.
6. Mark Richt, Georgia.
7. Mack Brown, Texas.
8. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech.
9. Mark Mangino, Kansas.
10. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State.
11. Mike Leach, Texas Tech.
12. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina.
13. Randy Edsall, UConn.
14. Urban Meyer, Florida.
15. Mike Bellotti, Oregon.
...
41. Tommy Bowden, Clemson
42. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford
43. Ron Zook, Illinois
...
56. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame.
57. Bo Pelini, Nebraska.
58. Greg Robinson, Syracuse.
59. Gene Chizik, Iowa State.
60. Ron Prince, Kansas State.
61. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern.
62. Tim Brewster, Minnesota.
63. Mike Stoops, Arizona.
64. Bill Stewart, West Virginia.
65. Bill Lynch, Indiana.
66. Randy Shannon, Miami

First of all, how do you put Urban Meyer, who just won a national championship in 2006, behind the likes of Mike Leach, Randy Edsall, Dennis Erickson, and Mark Richt (who Meyer is 2-1 against)? There is no excuse for Meyer to be ranked outside of the top 7 at least. Same goes with the Ol' Ball Coach.

Second, I think Rich Rodriguez, Mark Mangino, and Dennis Erickson were bumped up a little to high because of recent success. All deserve to be highly rated, but Rodriguez #3 and the other two in the top 10 seems too high.

Third, some of these coaches haven't even coached a game yet! Bo Pelini is in the bottom 10 without having ever coached a game. How do you put him below the likes of the Zooker and the Cheeseburgler before he even starts his career?

Fourth, while we certainly agree with several of the names in the bottom 11: Cheeseburgler Weis, Greg Robinson, and Tim Brewster in particular, Randy Shannon has not had a long enough track record to justify a dead last placement. Put him somewhere in the 40s or 50s for now.

Fifth, didn't Jim Harbaugh just upset USC last year as a 40 point underdog? Doesn't that deserve placement ahead of a coach who constantly loses games he is favored in by contrast like Tommy Bowden?

Sixth, how can you possibly have Mike Gundy at #50? Inexcusable! HE'S A MAN! HE'S #40!

Seventh, #43? Need I say more? I have a hard time believing there are 23 people on the face of the earth who would be worse coaches than the Zooker, much less 23 that are currently coaching. Perhaps Dienhart is factoring recruiting into these rankings, but you could bring in a native Ethiopian who didn't know a word of English and he'd still do a better job of coaching than the Zooker!

Here is my top and bottom 10:
1. Pete Carroll, USC
2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
3. Steve Spurrier, S. Carolina
4. Urban Meyer, Florida
5. Jim Tressell, Ohio State
6. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
7. Mack Brown, Texas
8. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan (Clemson should have kept him and fired Bowden)
9. Frank Beamer, VT
10. Mike Belotti, Oregon
...
40. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
...
57. Les Miles, LSU (Yes, he just won a national championship -- with 2 losses -- but it was definitely not due to good coaching)
58. Dave Wannstedt, Pitt
59. Al Groh, Virginia
60. Dan Hawkins, Colorado
61. Tim Brewster, Minnesota
62. Steve Zookthorpe, Louisville
63. Tommy Bowden, Clemson
64. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame
65. Greg Robinson, Syracuse
66. Ron Zook (who else?), Illinois

The Zook Bowl Game Award Presented by Larry Coker

I nominate the namesake and June Jones of Hawaii for giving us two of the biggest blowouts in BCS history. Any other nominations?

All-time Zook Award Standings

Top 10 total points from 2005-2007 (individual years in parenthesis)
1. Tommy Bowden, Clemson, 22 (5, 11, 6)
2. Ron Zook, Illinois, 19 (11, 8, 0)
3. Bill Callahan, Nebraska, 13 (1, 0, 12) fired in 2007
Charlie Weis, Notre Dame, 13 (0, 4, 9)
5. John L. Smith, Michigan St., 12 (3, 9, 0) fired in 2006
6. Karl Dorrell, UCLA, 10 (4, 0, 6) fired in 2007
Tommy Tuberville, Auburn, 10 (0, 6, 4)
8. Frank Beamer, VA Tech, 9 (4, 1, 4)
Larry Coker, Miami, 9 (4, 5, 0) fired in 2006
10. Lloyd Carr, Michigan, 8 (0, 0, 8) retired in 2007
Phil Fulmer, Tennessee, 8 (8, 0, 0)

Week 14 winners

Winners (3 points):
Rich Rodriguez, WVU
Karl Dorrell (under the Miss St. clause), UCLA

Runner-up (1 point): Ty Willingham, Washington

Congratulations Tim Tebow!

The Zook Awards would like to congratulate Tim Tebow on becoming the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman trophy and for representing UF with the utmost class on and off the field. He has put together one of the most amazing statistical seasons in history, amassing 51 TDs (shattering Wuerffel's former SEC record by 10) and becoming the first person in history to run for 20+ and throw for 20+ TDs, all while compiling this highest passer efficiency rating ever for a Heisman winner! Congratulations Tim, you earned it!

Let us channel Jim Mora (playoffs?)

So I'm reading USA Today, because I'm in a New Orleans hotel, and there's an article that warmed my heart:

"Incoming Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford says he will pick up where his predecessor Mike Slive left off by directing further discussion of the "plus-one" model in the spring."

In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share my playoff plan with everyone, and then comment on the Pac-10's detraction from the plus-one. I posted it on EDSBS, but it was largely ignored, as my posts usually are, b/c I'm not in the clique.



The next step is the “plus one” game. The top 4 BCS teams (maybe the top 4 conference champions) will play semifinal games on New Year’s Day at the championship site. Fox can telecast the first game at 2:00PM EST/11:00AM PST, the Cotton Bowl at 4:30PM CST, and the second game at 9PM EDT/6PM PST.

A week later (this is a BIG plus for the BCS bowls — the fans spend a WEEK in Phoenix, New Orleans, Miami, or LA, if the Rose signs on, perhaps with the games on the 2nd so not to conflict with the Tournament of Roses Parade), the National Championship is held in prime time.

That’s the next evolution. The subsequent evolution will be for campuses to host play-in games to the BCS National Championship at the (Fiesta/Sugar/Orange/Rose) Bowl. The teams that don’t win and advance to the championship are guaranteed a BCS bowl berth.

It preserves the bowls in both existence and stature, keep the season about the same length, makes TONS more money for the bowls, cities, and the schools, gives FOX a bonanza of football programming opportunity (”The BCS KICKS OFF New Year’s Day at NOON! with a two hour pregame show sponsored by Arby’s…), and best of all (but least importantly) doesn’t run fans all over the country at short notice and gives us our playoff and true national champion.


Alas, the Pac-10 doesn't want anything to do it. Their logic is suspect. Let me show you.

"We're strongly opposed to the plus-one format," Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen says. "We don't want to be forced by seeding to play outside the Rose Bowl."

Were you commissioner in 2004? You WERE forced out of the Rose Bowl by seeding. I have video to prove it.



Texas played Michigan in the Rose, and #1 USC played in the Orange Bowl. Won a MNC, too. Also, in 2005, if it weren't for the rotation, #1 USC would have been sent to the MNC game, not the Rose Bowl. It just so happened the Rose Bowl was the MNC that year.

"And if you don't seed, you don't find out anything more (than the current model)."

But the BCS does seed. This year, Ohio State is the #1 seed, LSU is the #2 seed. They playoff for the MNC a month from now down the street from where I am.

"Seeding breaks up the traditional bowl games, which is antithetical to the BCS concept."

My plan up there doesn't break anything more than they already are.

But you know what? If you don't want the playoff bid, don't accept it. Pass on it, go to your Rose Bowl, and hope for a split national title.

Black Tuesday

Today is a sad day in Clemson history. We can officially bury the football program as Tommy Bowden has gotten a raise and an extension.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3140991

The funeral service will be held immediately following the Peach Bowl loss to Auburn on December 31, 2007. RIP Tigers.

BCS

Thoughts?