Tag: Matt Campbell

20 potential candidates to replace Mel Tucker as Michigan State football’s coach

Who could potentially replace Mel Tucker? We came up with 20 coaches to consider.

Following an in-depth investigation by USA TODAY into the allegations made by Brenda Tracy against Mel Tucker, the university placed Mel Tucker on an unpaid suspension.

Operating under the assumption that Tucker has coached his last game as the head man of the Michigan State football program, as Lansing State Journal reporter Graham Couch speculated, the Spartans will be in the market for a new leader of their football program.

Check out some of the potential candidates Michigan State could look to bring in:

Iowa St QB Hunter Dekkers’ attorney releases statement on betting investigation

It appears that Hunter Dekkers will not report to fall camp until the investigation is completed.

An investigation into Iowa wagering has opened the floodgates for both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones. Most recently, it was ISU QB Hunter Dekkers that has become the center of the investigation per reports.

In recent years we have seen this hit the NFL side with betting on games, most notably with former Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley. He was suspended for the entire 2022 season.

The NCAA prohibits sports betting or providing information to individuals to use in sports betting. If an athlete is found to have partaken in these activities it would result in loss of any remaining eligibility. Any wagers made on May 2 and beyond are subject to the following punishment per the NCAA:

  • Student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.
  • If a student-athlete wagers on their own sport at another school, education on sports wagering rules and prevention will be required as a condition of reinstatement, and the loss of 50% of one season of eligibility will be considered.

The NCAA laid out the following punishments for the amount of bets placed.

$200 or less: sports wagering rules and prevention education.

$201-$500: loss of 10% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.

$501-$800: loss of 20% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.

Greater than $800: loss of 30% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.

With all eyes turning to Hunter Dekkers at this point, his legal team released the following statement via social media channels.

“This prosecution interferes with and politicizes what is the business of Iowa State University and the NCAA. The investigation at the Iowa universities is the tip of an iceberg. Thousands and thousands of college athletes place bets—usually very small ones—with shared accounts. That is for the schools and the NCAA to police.

The statement goes on to announce that Dekkers will not participate in fall camp.

“So he can focus on his studies and on the defense of this criminal charge, Hunter has informed the University and the coaching staff that he cannot participate in fall football camp.”

It remains to be seen how this will impact the Cyclones and head coach Matt Campbell, who are coming off their first losing season since 2016. That was the first year under Campbell and Iowa State finished 3-9.

CBS Sports Big 12 Hot Seat Ratings: ‘Pressure is mounting’ for Brent Venables

In their updated hot seat rating for the 2023 season, CBS Sports believes “pressure is mounting” for Oklahoma’s Brent Venables.

Coming out of a 2022 season where the Oklahoma Sooners had their first losing season since 1998 with one of the worst defenses in the team’s history, it’s not unreasonable to have questions about the direction of the program.

At the same time, it’s only been one year, and we haven’t seen Venables’ recruiting classes take the field and play significant snaps yet. The team may not have much success to speak about on the field yet, but the coaching staff has done a tremendous job off of it on the recruiting trail.

They’ve put together two top 10 classes, and with the way things are shaping up, the Sooners are looking at a third straight top 10 class in the 2024 cycle.

Ahead of the 2023 season, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd took a look at every head coach in the FBS and determined where they stood on his “hot seat rating system.”

It’s a system that rates coaches from 0-5. “Zero” represents coaches that are untouchable, like Nick Saban or Kirby Smart. “Five” represents coaches that are in must-win mode heading into 2023.

Here’s a look at where the 14 Big 12 coaches stand heading into 2023. We also included where each coach ranked in CBS Sports’ head coach rankings in the Big 12 and overall and their career winning percentages.

2023 Season Preview: Iowa State brings pesky defense to Norman 

Iowa State has been a team who has given Oklahoma fits just about every year since beating the Sooners in Norman in 2017.

For the first Sooner conference home game, Oklahoma will take on the Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa State has been a team who has given Oklahoma fits just about every year since beating the Sooners in Norman in 2017.

They play a gritty, hard-nosed defense led by Jon Heacock. They also return a decent amount of their production.

According to ESPN (ESPN+), the Cyclones rank 67th in returning production. They bring back 76 percent of their offense, which ranks 28th, and 51 percent of their defense, which ranks 95th.

Offensively they have a big task of replacing Xavier Hutchinson. Hutchinson was their go-to guy at wide receiver. He had over 1,100 yards last season.

Other than that, they return just about everyone else. Cyclones quarterback, Hunter Dekkers, returns. Their leading rusher in, Jirehl Brock, returns as well.

The key for the Cyclones is whether Dekkers can stay away from turning it over. Last season he threw 19 touchdowns but also threw 14 interceptions.

But head coach Matt Campbell has to figure out the offense. They ranked 83rd in the nation in total offense just a season ago. That was good for last in the conference.

Defensively they ranked fourth in total defense. They bring back four of their top six tacklers from a year ago.

But they lose their top three in tackles for loss and sacks. One of those was Will McDonald IV, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Jets in April.

They have to figure out how to generate pressure and develop that defensive line. But with Heacock at the helm, there shouldn’t be too much to worry about.

Ultimately, this game falls into a weird spot. Oklahoma should be riding a four-game winning streak, and the following week, they’ll play their Red River Rival in the Cotton Bowl.

This game will be talked about as a potential trap game for the Sooners.

We’ve seen far too often if you look ahead, Iowa State will beat you. We also have seen Heacock give Lincoln Riley and Jeff Lebby fits.

I think their defense keeps it close but can their offense take advantage? I’m just not sure about that.

Score Prediction: 20-17 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 5-0

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Longhorns Big 12 team to beat, Sooners third in preseason media poll

The Oklahoma Sooners were picked to finish third in the Big 12 preseason media poll while their Red River Rivals look like the team to beat.

Next week, all 14 teams in the Big 12 will descend upon Arlington, Texas, for Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium.

It marks a landmark season for the conference in what will be the last year featuring the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns before they depart for the SEC next summer.

The Big 12 is as wide open as it has been recently. If one team leads the pack in the public eye, it is the Texas Longhorns.

Their combination of incoming talent and returning star power them as the favorite to win the conference early on.

Ahead of next week’s media days, here’s how those that cover the Big 12 voted in the preseason poll.

CBS Sports ranked every coach in the Power Five, how did the Big 12 fair?

How did Brent Venables and the Big 12 fare in CBS Sports ranking of each Power Five coach?

The expansion to 14 teams for the 2023-2024 academic year provides a unique environment for the Big 12 in its final year with Oklahoma and Texas. New teams mean new faces in the coaching ranks.

Over at CBS Sports, they ranked each coach in the Power Five, so we’ve collated where the Big 12 head coaches stack up ahead of the 2023 season.

CBS Sports coach rankings No. 26-69.

CBS Sports coach rankings No. 25-1.

Four Big 12 coaches landed in the top 25, but none made it into the top 10. It’s a pivotal season for several guys. Here’s a look at how the Big 12 coaches faired in CBS Sports Power Five head coach rankings.

Big 12 Power Rankings: TCU vs. Kansas State set for Big 12 championship

TCU vs. Kansas State set for Big 12 championship game, and West Virginia gets another win over preseason contenders. Big 12 Power Rankings. From @john9williams

The TCU Horned Frogs are one win away from securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. All that stands in the way are the Kansas State Wildcats.

At best, these two were considered Big 12 title dark horses. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Baylor, the three teams that most people considered Big 12 contenders, struggled throughout the season and finished well outside of contention.

Depth was on display in the conference this season, as six teams were within two games of third place in the conference. TCU was the only team to finish with fewer than two conference losses. And Iowa State was the only team not to have three wins in Big 12 play.

Kansas State had TCU on the ropes when they played back in October. The Horned Frogs overcame a 28-10 deficit to outscore the Wildcats 28-0 to pick up the win.

With the regular season now over, we turn to the Big 12 title game and bowl season. Here’s our last set of Big 12 power rankings until after bowl season.

Coaching search: How to watch Auburn Football head coaching candidates this weekend

Is scouting the future in your weekend plans? Here is a guide for how to watch games involving potential Auburn head coaching candidates this Saturday.

This week has been a whirlwind for Auburn Football.

The news of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s firing broke Monday morning, and interim head coach [autotag]Carnell Williams[/autotag] worked long hours this week in order to put a perfect gameplan together for the Tigers’ game at Mississippi State on Saturday night.

There is no doubt that Williams will get his chance to audition for the vacant position, but there are plenty of potential candidates to watch out for as well.

Auburn fans have read reports all week that profile each possible candidate. Some names make sense, while some seem farfetched. No matter how popular or how obscure a possible target can be, it does not hurt to take a deeper look at what each candidate brings to the table.

For Auburn fans that are looking for a chance to thoroughly examine each possible candidate, you have come to the right place.

Auburn Wire has made a list of every coach that has been mentioned in some sort of fashion as a target for the Auburn opening and has created a guide of their week ten schedule in an effort to allow you the opportunity to watch them coach with your own eyes.

Are you wanting more information on a lesser-known name? Do you need to prove your point to a fellow college football fan? Check out the list below to make sure that you do not miss an opportunity to watch your favorite candidate coach live on Saturday:

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 27-13 win over the Iowa State Cyclones

Oklahoma produced in all three phases on Saturday vs. Iowa State in their 27-13 win. Here are 5 takeaways from the pivotal road victory. from @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma may have found its defensive swagger once again. After the bye week, Oklahoma made the trip to Ames, Iowa to take on Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones. The Cyclones entered the game 10th nationally in yards per rush allowed and were sixth in the nation in points allowed per game at 15.5. They also feature Will McDonald, one of Iowa State’s all-time best at rushing the passer.

Oklahoma beat the Cyclones 27-13 behind a fairly complementary performance in all three phases.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] contributed 101 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The defense tallied three interceptions of Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers. Lastly, [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Turk[/autotag] provided the impact on special teams to put the Sooners over the top. Schmit scored on a fake field goal pass and nailed two field goal attempts, while Michael Turk chipped in two 60-yard punts to flip the field in the fourth quarter, including one that pinned the Cyclones at the one on the drive following a score that made it 20-13.

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The game was sloppy at times, and there are some things to take issue with. However, a conference win on the road considering the season Oklahoma has had, is nothing to scoff at. With such a complementary and tough win, we want to share our five takeaways from the Oklahoma win before Oklahoma starts to prepare for a home game against Baylor.

Matt Campbell, once USC’s leading head coaching candidate, loses to Lincoln Riley’s OU replacement

11 months ago, Matt Campbell was viewed as a leading candidate for the #USC job. Saturday, he lost to Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley’s successor. How quickly things change.

It’s quite a turn of events, is it not?

We are about to enter the month of November. In November of 2021, Matt Campbell was — in the eyes of many analysts and journalists who were following the situation closely — a leading candidate to take the open head coaching job at USC. Lincoln Riley was not part of the conversation until hours before he was actually hired (and in actual time, after Mike Bohn had already made his move and had started the process of bringing Riley aboard).

Now, here we are, 11 months later. Campbell just lost to Brent Venables, Lincoln Riley’s successor at Oklahoma. Lots of people are realizing that while USC didn’t necessarily dodge a bullet with this hire, Campbell’s stock is down and his career is in a very uncertain place.

Let’s talk about this, shall we?