Tag: College Football News

Attendance Rankings, Averages For Every School: 2020 CFN Five-Year Program Analysis

How many people show up? As a part of the CFN 5-Year Program Analysis, the attendance is a factor. Here are the rankings of all 130 schools.

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How many people show up? As a part of the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis, the attendance is a factor. Here are the rankings of all 130 schools.

Contact @PeteFiutak

2020 Five-Year Program Analysis
Attendance Rankings
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | Top 25 | Top 10

Beyond wins and losses, attendance might be the most important factor in a program’s success. Put butts in the seats, support the non-revenue sports. When the stands have empty sections, athletic directors get fired – especially at the power program schools.

Below are the rankings of all 130 college football programs based on their five-year attendance averages, including how full the stadiums are.

Basically, for the teams at the top of the list, there are no excuses when it comes to revenue and infrastructure. Attendance – and the revenue that comes from it – is why these schools usually have the major football programs.

With the 2020 college football season a question mark in so many ways, this is a massive factor for athletic directors to deal with. Not finishing up the spring and winter sports hurt, but don’t have fans in the football stands – or if games get cancelled or postponed – and there’s a huge problem.

130 Ball State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 130
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 127
5-Year Average: 9174.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 40.78%

129 Northern Illinois

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 128
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 114
5-Year Average: 11034.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 46.77%

128 UMass

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 127
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 122
5-Year Average: 11244.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 66.15%

127 Coastal Carolina

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 129
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 130
5-Year Average: 11564.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 57.82%

126 Kent State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 126
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 119
5-Year Average: 12516.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 49.44%

125 Charlotte

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 125
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 126
5-Year Average: 12948.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 84.55%

124 ULM

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 124
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 111
5-Year Average: 13201.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 43.39%

123 Eastern Michigan

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 123
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 129
5-Year Average: 14053.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 46.54%

122 Central Michigan

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 117
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 116
5-Year Average: 14597.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 48.25%

121 San Jose State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 118
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 118
5-Year Average: 14917.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 69.29%

120 Georgia State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 120
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 123
5-Year Average: 15016.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 60.07%

119 UAB

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 121
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 128
5-Year Average: 15078.40
Filled Stadium Capacity 20.94%

118 FIU

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 119
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 117
5-Year Average: 15203.00
Filled Stadium Capacity 76.02%

117 New Mexico State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 122
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 121
5-Year Average: 15376.20
Filled Stadium Capacity 50.67%

116 Middle Tennessee

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 112
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 108
5-Year Average: 15980.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 51.91%

115 Bowling Green

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 114
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 113
5-Year Average: 16193.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 67.47%

114 WKU

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 113
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 109
5-Year Average: 16158.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 73.07%

113 Florida Atlantic

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 116
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 120
5-Year Average: 16257.20
Filled Stadium Capacity 55.12%

112 Miami Univ.

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 115
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 115
5-Year Average: 16261.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 66.96%

111 South Alabama

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 111
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 112
5-Year Average: 16404.00
Filled Stadium Capacity 49.01%

110 Buffalo

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 106
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 105
5-Year Average: 16819.40
Filled Stadium Capacity 57.97%

109 Texas State

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 108
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 103
5-Year Average: 16797.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 55.99%

108 Liberty

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 110
2018 Ranking (2017 season): NR
5-Year Average: 17298.40
Filled Stadium Capacity 69.19%

107 Georgia Southern

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 105
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 107
5-Year Average: 17524.60
Filled Stadium Capacity 70.10%

106 Nevada

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 100
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 90
5-Year Average: 18150.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 60.50%

105 UNLV

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 107
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 110
5-Year Average: 18379.20
Filled Stadium Capacity 49.94%

104 Tulsa

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 103
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 101
5-Year Average: 18630.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 62.10%

103 Louisiana

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 94
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 89
5-Year Average: 18865.00
Filled Stadium Capacity 45.54%

102 Ohio

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 98
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 95
5-Year Average: 18939.20
Filled Stadium Capacity 78.91%

101 Akron

2019 Ranking (2018 season): 109
2018 Ranking (2017 season): 124
5-Year Average: 18981.80
Filled Stadium Capacity 63.27%

2020 Five-Year Program Analysis
Attendance Rankings
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | Top 25 | Top 10

NEXT: Attendance Rankings, 5 Year Program Analysis Top 100

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Power Five Upset Alerts vs. Group of Five Teams: 20 For 2020 College Football Topics, No. 12

20 for 2020: 20 key offseason topics: No. 12. 35 most dangerous upset alert games for Power Five teams vs. Group of Five programs.

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20 for 2020: 20 key offseason topics: No. 12. 35 most dangerous upset alert games for Power Five teams vs. Group of Five programs.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

If you’re a Power Five – ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC – college football program, it’s just never okay to lose to a Group of Five team.

The American Athletic, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt teams all might have the potential to come up with a win over the Power Fiver on the slate, but it’s not always that easy.

But the Group of Five is equal to the Power Five, right?

Including bowl games – and including Army, BYU, Liberty, UMass and New Mexico State – the Group of Five was a lousy 24-85 last year against the Power Five programs, but there are wins out there to be had.

In last year’s version, we missed big on one of the top five upset alerts, two of them were close battles, and two were on the Group of Five side.

Here are 35 dangerous ones to watch out for.

35. Utah at Wyoming, Sept. 19

It wasn’t all that terribly long ago that this would’ve been a Mountain West league battle. Utah has come a long way since 2010, but Wyoming is dangerous at home – just at Missouri, who lost last year’s opener in Laramie 37-31.

34. Buffalo at Kansas State, Sept. 5

It’s the first ever meeting between the two, and it’s going to be a dangerous one for Kansas State. It shouldn’t be too bad – it’s better than Buffalo – but it’s going to be a dangerous opener against a potentially the potentially high-powered Bulls.

33. Appalachian State at Wisconsin, Sept. 19

Wisconsin is a killer at home against Group of Five programs – it destroyed Central Michigan an Kent State last year by a combined 109-0. Appalachian State, though, beat North Carolina and South Carolina last year, and it’ll be fantastic again.

32. NC State at Troy, Sept. 19

Is NC State past all of the problems of last year’s 4-8 clunker? It’ll be coming off the ACC opener against Louisville and a battle with Mississippi State before going on the road to deal with Troy. It was a few years ago, but the Trojans shocked Nebraska 24-19.

31. Arizona State at UNLV, Sept. 12

As bad as UNLV was last season, it was able to tag Vanderbilt on the road in a 34-10 shocker. This is just the second time is has ever faced Arizona State, but it won the other meeting back in 2008.

30. Eastern Michigan at Missouri, Sept. 26

How long will it take to get everything up and going at Mizzou under Eli Drinkwitz? Last year’s team started out losing at Wyoming, but this year’s sandwich game comes between SEC East road games at South Carolina and Tennessee. EMU managed to stun Illinois on the road last season.

29. Temple at Miami, Sept. 5

Manny Diaz had the Temple head coaching job for about 30 seconds before the Miami gig opened up. Coming off a rough year, his Canes have to rock in the opener against a program that beat Maryland and Georgia Tech last season. The Owls are 1-13 all-time in the series, only winning the first game 34-0 back in 1930.

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28. Washington State at Utah State, Sept. 3

Just how good will Wazzu be out of the gate under new head coach Nick Rolovich? There’s no Jordan Love around anymore for Utah State, but it gets the Pac-12er home. The last time the two met, the Aggies won 34-14. Okay, it was in 1961, but …

27. Louisiana Tech at Baylor, Sept. 26

New Baylor head coach Dave Aranda can’t let his team look ahead to the road game at Oklahoma the following week. Louisiana Tech is good enough to be the biggest star in Conference USA, welcoming back a slew of parts that helped beat Miami to end last year.

26. Houston at Washington State, Sept. 12

There’s no D’Eriq King at quarterback this time around for Houston, but it should be a better all-around team in Year Two under Dana Holgorsen. It was a 31-24 Wazzu win last year, and this time – even though it’s at home – it’ll be coming off a road trip to Utah State.

NEXT: Top 25 College Football Group of Five vs. Power Five Upset Alerts

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Mark Richt congratulates David Pollack on making CFB Hall of Fame

Former Georgia Bulldog defensive end David Pollack has made the College Football Hall of Fame. Pollack, a three time first-team All American and a two time SEC Player of the Year, was simply a monster at Georgia. From 2001-04, Pollack terrorized SEC …

Former Georgia Bulldog defensive end David Pollack has made the College Football Hall of Fame.

Pollack, a three time first-team All American and a two time SEC Player of the Year, was simply a monster at Georgia.

From 2001-04, Pollack terrorized SEC opposition playing for coach Mark Richt. At Georgia, Pollack tallied 36 career sacks, the most in school history.

Unfortunately, a bad back injury prevented Pollack from going on to have a legendary NFL career, but he’s made a nice name for himself as a college football analyst with ESPN.

Pollack has remained close with Richt since departing Athens. Working as a college football analyst, Pollack’s made a number of work-related visits to Athens for an inside look at the program, plus visits just to see his alma mater.

After hearing the news of Pollack’s Hall of Fame induction, his former head coach had only great things to say about #47.

“Congratulations David Pollack,” Richt wrote in a tweet. “There was never a doubt you would end up in the collegiate Hall of Fame! Thank you for blessing me and my family and the Dawg Nation!!
Pollack is only the second Dawg to ever earn first-team All-American honors in three seasons, with the other being Herschel Walker.

In addition to his All-American accolades, Pollack received the following:

  • SEC Player of the Year Award (2004)
  • SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award (2004)
  • Chuck Bednarik Award (2004)
  • Ted Hendricks Award (2003, 2004)
  • Lombardi Award (2004)
  • Lott Trophy (2004)

The Athletic ranks CFB’s best coaches – Is Kirby Smart too low?

The Athletic ranked the best coaches in college football, but did they rank Georgia football’s Kirby Smart too low?

This week, Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked college football’s top coaches.

Kirby Smart checked in relatively high on both lists, but is he high enough?

Here are the two lists.

Stewart Mandel:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

6. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

7. James Franklin, Penn State

8. Dan Mullen, Florida

9. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

10. Bill Clark, UAB

Bruce Feldman:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. James Franklin, Penn State

4. Ed Orgeron, LSU

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

6. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

7. Kirby Smart, Georgia

8. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

10. Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Let’s discuss:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Hot Seat Coach Rankings For Every Power Five Team: 20 For 2020 College Football Topics, No. 14

20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 14: the coaching hot seat rankings for all of the Power Five teams. 

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20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 14: the coaching hot seat rankings for all of the Power Five teams. 

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Being on a hot seat shouldn’t just be about whether or not a guy needs to win a football game or five to keep his job. That’s obviously the biggest part of the staying hired equation, but it’s about pressure, too.

Sometimes, a relatively safe made man has all the pressure in the world on his shoulders to beat the arch-rival, and sometimes a college football head coach just has to win big, or else.

The rankings go from who’s on the coolest of seats in each Power Five conference to who had better come up with a big season to survive.

ACC Spring Coach Hot Seat Rankings

14. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Yeah, the pressure is on to win the national title or the season is a disappointment, but Swinney has coached in four national championship games in five years. He’s at Clemson for life if it’ll have him.
Record With Team: 130-31
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 14
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 14
– Full Schedule Analysis

13. Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia

The guy just beat Virginia Tech and took the Cavaliers to the ACC Championship and the Orange Bowl. It’s Virginia, the pressure isn’t that intense – he can have a few rough seasons and still be more than comfortable.
Record With Team: 25-27
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 12
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 8
– Full Schedule Analysis

12. Jeff Hafley, Boston College

A total disaster of a year would cause a little grumbling, but get to six wins and everything will be okay in Year One. Even if the record is awful, it’ll be seen as a step back to possibly take a big leap forward.
Record With Team: 0-0
– Full Schedule Analysis

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11. Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Everyone likes him, the overall attitude has changed around the program, and the talent is starting to come in. There’s still a rebuilding process to be done, but he showed last season what he can do with the Cardinals.
Record With Team: 8-5
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 13
– Full Schedule Analysis

10. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest

It’s Wake freaking Forest, and Clawson has managed to take it to four straight bowl games and four straight winning seasons. There might be ebbs and flows to the record throughout the years, but he has already proven what he can do.
Record With Team: 36-40
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 8
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 10
– Full Schedule Analysis

9. Mack Brown, North Carolina

It was a positive first season to pull the Tar Heels out of the nosedive, but it has to be a beginning and not a culmination. The recruiting class was great, everything appears to be pointing up, but … win more.
Record With Team: 7-6
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 3
– Full Schedule Analysis

8. Mike Norvell, Florida State

He’ll get a very, very, very short leash. He got Memphis over the hump, and the early returns are all positive, but he has yet to win a bowl game and he’s not the A-list of A-list possible hires. Brand name doesn’t always matter – ask UCLA how the Chip Kelly era is going – but it’s Florida State. A losing season will set off panic sirens.
Record With Team: 0-0
– Full Schedule Analysis

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7. David Cutcliffe, Duke

A third losing season in five years wouldn’t be a plus, but it’s Duke, and it’s Cutcliffe, so it would take something awful for this to be over in a bad way. However, after 12 years, the “go another direction” thing could come out if the campaign is a total disaster.
Record With Team: 72-79
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 10
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 7
– Full Schedule Analysis

6. Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech

It’s still going to take a little while to completely turn this whole thing around – a brutal schedule won’t help – but grade him a bit on a curve. That’s fine, but there had better be signs that something big is coming in 2021 no matter what happens record-wise in 2020.
Record With Team: 3-9
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 11
– Full Schedule Analysis

5. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech

Last season was stronger after a losing 2018 season, but he has lost three straight bowl games and there can’t be another loss to Virginia. At the very least, it would be a big plus if the Hokies were in the mix for the Coastal title until the end.
Record With Team: 33-20
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 4
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 13
– Full Schedule Analysis

4. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt

The pressure always seems to be on Narduzzi to do more, and then he goes out and wins 7-to-8 games. However, after five years, one total clunker – and a second losing season in three years – would be a big problem
Record With Team: 36-29
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 2
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 1
– Full Schedule Analysis

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3. Dino Babers, Syracuse

The ten-win season of two years ago seems way back in the rearview mirror. With three losing seasons in his four years, last season has to be more of the aberration than 2018.
Record With Team: 23-26
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 9
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 2
– Full Schedule Analysis

2. Dave Doeren, NC State

The opening line of last year’s blurb on Doeren: “There’s a problem if the Wolfpack come up with a 4-8 run.” State went 4-8. That was okay once, but it can’t happen again. The team wasn’t even competitive over the second half of the season.
Record With Team: 48-41
2019 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 7
2018 ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 5
– Full Schedule Analysis

1. Manny Diaz, Miami

Miami fans are already a fickle lot as they expect greatness – and are right to do so – but losing to FIU, losing to a bad Duke team, and getting shutout by a Group of Five team in a lower-tier bowl on the way to a losing season is never going to be okay in Coral Gables.
Record With Team: 6-7
Last Season ACC Spring Hot Seat Ranking: 6
– Full Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Sexual Abuse Investigations At Michigan. What’s Happening, What Questions Need To Be Asked

By Crowley Sullivan Tad Deluca wants to be heard, and he wants to help. “I’m here today to speak up again to let the University of Michigan know that I will not be ignored again.” Tad Deluca, former @UMich wrestler with allegations of Dr. Robert …

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By Crowley Sullivan

Tad Deluca wants to be heard, and he wants to help.

A wrestler at the University of Michigan in the 1970s, Deluca alleged back in 1975 that he was improperly touched and abused by then-University of Michigan physician Dr. Robert E. Anderson during an examination for an injured elbow.

At the time, Deluca sent a letter to then-wrestling coach Bill Johannesen to describe the allegations, his letter was later read by then-Athletic Director Don Canham, and soon was no longer on the wrestling team and had his scholarship taken away.

 

Deluca sent another letter to Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel in 2018 describing his allegations. His claims were investigated, and others had come forward to make similar claims, but the case stalled mostly because Anderson was no longer alive.

Last week, Deluca and his attorneys came forward with a press conference to speak out on the situation at a news conference to not only try to bring the allegations back to light, but to try to prevent further abuses.

Since then, more than 100 allegations and complaints have been filed against Anderson, and now Michigan is having a press conference for some of the alleged victims to speak out.

A story spanning well over four decades, who are the people involved in the story, and what questions will the University of Michigan need to answer?

Dr. Robert Anderson

  • Dr. Robert Anderson served as a physician at the University of Michigan from 1968-2003.
  • In 1979, Anderson moved from his job as the school’s Director of Health Services to the University of Michigan athletic department where he, among other duties, served as the physician for the football program until 2003. He passed away in 2008.

University of Michigan

  • Following Deluca’s most recent statement, Manuel stated, “I want to urge any former student athlete with information they are willing to share confidentially to come forward,” and the school created a hotline for former athletes to file complaints. Since then over 100 complaints have been registered from former wrestlers, football players, and other athletes.
  • From UM President Mark Schlissel, “On behalf of the university, to anyone who was harmed by Dr. Anderson, I apologize.”

Don Canham

  • Don Canham served as athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968-1988. He passed away in 2005.
  • From 1947 to 1968, he served as the school’s head track coach. His teams won 11 Big Ten Conference championships, seven indoor and four outdoor.
  • Michigan’s swimming, diving, and water polo teams compete in the Donald B. Canham Natatorium, named for Canham upon his retirement in 1988.

Bo Schembechler

  • Bo Schembechler served as the head football coach under Don Canham from 1969-1989.
  • Upon Canham’s retirement from the University of Michigan in 1988, Schembechler took over as the university’s athletic director, serving one year as both the head football coach and athletic director.

Gary Moeller

  • Gary Moeller, one of Schembechler’s longtime assistants, took over as head football coach at the University of Michigan upon Schembechler’s 1989 retirement from coaching. Moeller was the athletic director for one year.
  • Moeller ran the football program until he resigned in 1995 following an incident at a restaurant.

Lloyd Carr

  • Lloyd Carr, a longtime assistant to both Schembechler and Moeller, took over as head coach prior to the 1995 football season.

Jim Harbaugh

  • Current University of Michigan head football coach, Jim Harbaugh, played quarterback for Michigan from 1982-1986.

Allegations of clearing University of Michigan athletes from the Vietnam War Draft

Member of University of Michigan 1997 football team comes forward

  • A former football player, who was a member of the 1997 National Championship team, has alleged that the doctor sexually abused him during his time at the university.

Member of University of Michigan hockey team comes forward

  • A former University of Michigan hockey player who went on to play in the NHL has now alleged that the doctor sexually abused him during his time as a hockey player at Michigan.

University of Michigan Athletic Directors during the tenure of Dr. Robert E. Anderson

1988-1990 – Bo Schembechler (passed away in 2006)

1991-1993 – Jack Weidenbach (passed away in 2016)

1993-1997 – Joe Roberson (passed away in 2020)

1997-2000 – Thomas Goss (alive)

2000-2010 – Bill Martin (alive)

Press conference questions for the University of Michigan

  • Why did Canham transfer Anderson to the football program in 1979?
  • When was the first time a student athlete at the University of Michigan made allegations of sexual abuse and/or assault against Anderson?
  • Are there records of allegations against Anderson during the head coaching tenures of Schembechler, Moeller and Carr? Will Moeller and Carr be available for questions?
  • Are there records of allegations against Anderson during the athletic director tenures of Weidenbach, Roberson, Goss, Martin and Schembechler?
  • If there are, are there any records that indicate that any of athletic directors were aware of the allegations? Will Goss and Weidenbach be available for questions?
  • Does Harbaugh have any sort of an official statement?

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5 Coaches Who’ll Be Much Better In Year Two: 20 For 2020 College Football Topics, No. 15

20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 15: The five second year head coaches who should have a much stronger Year Two.

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20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 15: The five second year head coaches who should have a much stronger Year Two.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Well that didn’t go so well.

25 college football head coaches are going into their second seasons at the helm, and now is where the production is supposed to start to kick in.

There’s usually a reason as head coach is taking over a program, and most of the time it’s because the last guy got canned. So there’s a grace period because of all the work there is to do, but there’s usually not enough of one.

Even so, Year Two is when the turnarounds are supposed to come. Unfortunately, unlike our piece last season on the 5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches – which turned out to be close to the pin – the 5 Year Two Coaches Who’ll Be Much, Much Better really, really didn’t work.

And why?

Chad Morris at Arkansas … oops. Willie Taggart at Florida State … dropped too soon, but fired. And it goes on from there, so this time around these five have to be right.

Which five got through a slew of first year problems and are about to blow up?

The five coaches about to make the biggest instant impact in their second seasons are …

5. Tom Arth, Akron

There’s nowhere to go but up.

Win one game, and it’s already going to be an improved season. Win three, and it’ll be a huge step forward. Go bowling, and Tom Arth is your coach of the year.

Akron was easily the worst team in college football last season.

It was the only team that failed to win a game. It was dead last in the nation in total offense, couldn’t generate a lick of production on the defensive front, and it got worse as the year went on scoring six points or fewer in five of the last seven games.

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But to give Arth a little bit of credit, he had plenty of work to do after taking over a team team that closed out 2018 on a five-game losing streak.

The 38-year-old worked his way through D-III John Carroll – his alma mater, which he took to three D-III playoff appearances – before taking on the Chattanooga gig. He went 9-13 with the Mocs, but that was enough to get him the Akron job.

So what are things possibly going to be better in Year Two? Experience has to count for something.

With the season slipping away, Akron went young to get the time logged in. Now, if all goes according to plan, ten starters will be back on O, six should return on D, and there’s hope to get off to a hot start with Youngstown State, New Mexico State, Clemson …

Starting 2-0 is a possibility, with home games against UMass and Bowling Green to potentially crank up a few wins.

0-12 to 4-8?

NEXT: The adjustment continues …

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches: 20 For 2020 College Football Topics, No. 16

The five new head coaches who’ll rock right away this season. 20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 16

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20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 16: The five new head coaches who’ll rock right away this season.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

24 college football teams are starting the season with a new full-time head coach.

It’s an interesting group with 12 first time FBS head men, a few retreads getting another shot (Brady Hoke at San Diego State and Karl Dorrell at Colorado), and a few brand-name upgrades (Mike Leach at Mississippi State and Steve Addazio at Colorado State).

Which five might just turn around their respective programs right away?

Who doesn’t make this list? Coaches inheriting heaters (Shawn Clark at Appalachian State and Ryan Silverfield at Memphis) and coaches who aren’t likely to make the team better than it was last year (Dave Aranda at Baylor and Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic).

We did a decent job with last year’s 5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches, and these five have a whole lot to live up to in their new gigs.

The five new coaches about to make the biggest instant impact are …

5. Danny Gonzalez, New Mexico

It’s been a rough run for New Mexico football.

Rocky Long was able to make the program a regular on the bowl circuit with five post-season appearances in six years in the 2000s, and then came one bad year in 2008. That was it for Long, the program was stale, it couldn’t make that next step, and …

Long made San Diego State a Mountain West powerhouse.

Meanwhile, Mike Locksley had a miserable run, Bob Davie went to two bowls in eight years – going 8-28 in his final three seasons – and it’s up to new head man Danny Gonzalez to try reviving his alma mater.

Getting Long to help the cause is terrific, too.

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Long returns to Albuquerque as the Lobo’s defensive coordinator under the 44-year-old former defensive back/punter/jack-of-all-trades, but they both have a whole lot of work to do.

You’re not going to have New Mexico football to push around anymore … eventually.

The team will need the positive injury-luck on offense it hasn’t had over the last few seasons, it needs to improve on the nation’s worst pass defenses, and it has to be a whole lot better than the second-worst overall D in America.

He’s bringing a nastiness to the defense, a no-excuses attitude, and he’s bringing a whole lot of talent.

And he’s bringing back Rocky Long, too.

There might not be a Mountain West title right away, but with Idaho State, New Mexico State and UMass on the slate, beating last year’s win total shouldn’t be a problem.

With this coaching staff, New Mexico might just win more than five games, not just five weeks of off-season practices.

NEXT: Oh this will be fun …

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

20 For 2020 College Football Topics, No. 17: Letdown Game For Every Power Five Team

20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 17: The letdown or sandwich game for every Power Five team.

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20 for 2020 College Football Topics, No. 17: The letdown or sandwich game for every Power Five team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

They’re the games that all fans blow off, but all coaching staffs lose sleep over.

For the most part, they’re supposed to be sure-thing wins, but they’re the ones that don’t always get the full and undivided attention of the supposedly superior team.

They’re the letdown games, or they’re the sandwiches – the games in between the two supposedly more important, bigger battles.

On each Power Five team’s slate, there’s at least one game that will be a moment to mail it in, but it could also be time to worry a bit.

More often than not there’s not a problem – they’re the easier games for a reason. However …

You’ve been warned.

ACC ATLANTIC

Boston College Eagles

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Holy Cross, Oct. 31
Game Before: at Virginia Tech
Game After: at NC State

Of course Boston College is going to roll past the Crusaders – it had better. With Clemson, Louisville and at Virginia Tech before, and road games at NC State and Florida State after, this is the only relative breather.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Clemson Tigers

Letdown/Sandwich Game: The Citadel, Nov. 14
Game Before: at Notre Dame
Game After: at Wake Forest

Here’s the problem – there aren’t enough tough games on the slate for this loaded team to make anything a true letdown game, but dealing with the Citadel option offense will be annoying coming off the showdown in South Bend.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Florida State Seminoles

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Pitt, Oct. 31
Game Before: at Louisville
Game After: at Miami

This is when the Noles are in the dog days of the season. They’ll have to deal with the likely shootout against Louisville on the road, and the showdown against Miami – the pivotal moment in the 2019 season for the program – is coming up. They have to take care of home against the Panthers.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Louisville Cardinals

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Wake Forest, Nov. 14
Game Before: at Virginia
Game After: at Notre Dame

UofL can’t take anyone lightly quite yet, but this should be a stronger Year Two under Scott Satterfield. It’ll have a fun few weeks including a date at Virginia before hosting Wake Forest, but one eye will likely be on the late-season showdown on the trip to South Bend.
– Full Schedule Analysis

NC State Wolfpack

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Duke, Oct. 10
Game Before: Florida State
Game After: at Clemson

Considering the Wolfpack start the season at Louisville, the pressure could be on in October. The Florida State game is a must after getting rocked in last year’s showdown, and going to Clemson is a likely loss. There can’t be a misfire against Duke.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Syracuse Orange

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Liberty, Oct. 17
Game Before: Louisville
Game After: at Clemson

There weren’t too many problems in last year’s opener at Liberty with a 24-0 win, but this time around it’s coming off a key first half game against Louisville followed by a week off. The Orange might be looking past the Flames with the trip to Clemson to follow.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Villanova, Sept. 19
Game Before: Appalachian State
Game After: Notre Dame (in Charlotte)

Be very, very, very careful with this. A whole lot will be made out of the battle with a loaded Appalachian State team the week before, and the battle with Notre Dame in Charlotte is right after. This is a prime moment for what should be a strong Villanova team to come up with something big.
– Full Schedule Analysis

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ACC COASTAL

Duke Blue Devils

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Wake Forest, Oct. 3
Game Before: at Pitt
Game After: at NC State

The Blue Devils should be able to roll through the first part of the schedule, but the ACC season opens up at Pitt, and then comes the date against the Demon Deacons. There likely won’t be a lack of focus after losing 39-27 last year, but a trip to NC State is up next before dealing with North Carolina and Notre Dame.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Virginia, Oct. 17
Game Before: at Virginia Tech
Game After: at Pitt

It doesn’t get much more sandwichey than playing between Clemson and UCF – Georgia Tech gets Gardner-Webb – but the Virginia game is even more interesting. It’s a home date between two road games on the front end against North Carolina and Virginia Tech and two right after against Pitt and Syracuse.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Miami Hurricanes

Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Georgia Tech, Nov. 21
Game Before: at Virginia Tech
Game After: Duke

Throw this in the letdown category, even though the Canes lost 28-21 to Georgia Tech last year. It comes right after a run of at Virginia, Florida State and at Virginia Tech, and it’s late in the year before closing out with Duke. The Canes can’t lose focus.
– Full Schedule Analysis

North Carolina Tar Heels

Letdown/Sandwich Game: James Madison, Sept. 19
Game Before: Auburn (in Atlanta)
Game After: Georgia Tech

Oh sure, North Carolina types will say all of the right things about playing one of the stars of the FCS, but it’ll be too hard to take the lower-level team seriously after dealing with UCF and Auburn, and with the ACC season against Georgia Tech starting the week after.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Pitt Panthers

Letdown/Sandwich Game: Georgia Tech, Oct. 24
Game Before: Notre Dame
Game After: at Florida State

The Panthers struggled to get by Georgia Tech last year, but they did it. Now they have to get up for them right after dealing with Notre Dame the week before and with a trip to Florida State to follow. After this, the ACC season kicks in full force.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Virginia Cavaliers

Letdown/Sandwich Game: (tie) VMI Sept. 12, UConn Sept 19
Game Before: Georgia (in Atlanta)
Game After: at Clemson

A little creative license here – call this a double-decker sandwich. No, Virginia won’t lose to VMI or UConn, but it can be forgiven for not bringing the full intensity with the season opener in Atlanta to deal with Georgia and with the ACC opener at Clemson lurking.
– Full Schedule Analysis

Virginia Tech Hokies

Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Duke, Nov. 21
Game Before: Miami
Game After: Virginia

Okay, okay, Virginia Tech isn’t going to overlook Duke after getting obliterated 45-10 last year, but it’s a late-season battle in the final road game of the season. The Miami game the week before should be a big deal in the Coastal race, and then comes Virginia. After losing last year, the Hokies will be a wee bit focused on taking back the rivalry.
– Full Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Georgia football QB Jamie Newman keeps moving up in Heisman odds

Georgia football QB Jamie Newman moves up in 2020 Heisman odds.

Georgia was in need of a quarterback and the graduate transfer from Wake Forest was a hot commodity when he made his decision to depart the Demon Deacons and take his talents to Athens. As if replacing three-year starter Jake Fromm isn’t difficult enough, Jamie Newman will be challenged to implement a new, more RPO- oriented attack and add some swagger to the UGA offense.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers, who are more right than wrong, believe he made the right decision in choosing the Bulldogs.

According to William Hill Superbook, Newman’s odds for securing the Heisman have moved to 10/1, now third behind Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (7/2) and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (4/1).  In early February, Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook had Newman at 12/1 odds and just after his transfer announcement, Newman was listed at 16/1 odds.

Newman was one of the top graduate transfers on the market. Miami, Oregon, Maryland and Washington, among others were seeking the services of the North Carolina native.

According to Pro Football Focus, Newman is the nation’s third-highest graded returning quarterback, behind only Fields and Lawrence.  He started all 13 games last season and led Wake to an 8-5 record. He completed 220 of 361 passes (60.9 percent) for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He rushed for 574 yards and six touchdowns on 180 carries.

Being the starting quarterback at the University of Georgia always comes with high expectations and takes an extremely talented, confident and bright athlete to handle the pressure. Jamie Newman checks off all the boxes. Dawg fans will have their first opportunity to check out Newman and the 2020 Bulldogs during G-Day, scheduled for 2:00pm on Saturday, April 18. The game will be game carried live on the SEC Network.