As bad as that coaching staff has been recently and as much as the alumni are complaining I doubt they are a real possibility at this point. But I could be wrong.
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Initially, I was kind of stunned, but didn't Hoke say that he asked the seniors on the team and they unanimously wanted to go for it? To me, that's a positive - he trusts his players to make a decision. It didn't work out, but I like the gutsiness of going for it against your hated rival while simultaneously trying to ruin their season.
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Not sure. If you go for 2 and convert, it makes your sub-par season that much sweeter killing NCG hopes for your biggest blood rival. Losing in OT does nothing for you.
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I loved the call - your opponent is a better team (as evidenced by their records). They've got over 7 yards a carry against your defence. You're odds in OT have got to be less than 50/50 once you take those things into account. Why not try to win it here? And if you miss, you've still got the chance of getting the onside kick and trying again.
Play to win, not to avoid a loss.
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Honestly, though, that kid has a decent leg. If you think you've got a shot, take it...how could you possibly think "if he misses this kick, their guy is going to run it back for a TD"?
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I completely agree. It's not like he missed it by a mile, it was actually pretty close. I think I see fewer FG's returned for TD's than hail mary's completed for a TD. So it was a 1 in a million chance they lose there, just got really unlucky.
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I actually think I would've gone with an offensive play there. I mean you've got McCarron and that WR (Cooper?? I think his name's Cooper)... Call up something crazy. My guess is that has a better chance than a 57 yarder from a freshman.
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Again, though...the likelihood of a person returning a missed FG for a TD is lower than a possible pick-6 or fumble recovery for a TD.
Also, the likelihood that the 57yd FG goes through the uprights (from a kid that was kicking 60+ yard field goals in warm ups) is higher than a TD on an offensive play, without the risk of injury to RB, WR, or QB.
Would kneeling and going to OT have been better? Maybe. But it's history now.
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My roommate's a Michigan alum, and while she's disappointed it didn't work, she's not mad about the call. They QB was visibly hurting and probably wouldn't have made it through OT. Best to end it there, one way or another.
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The biggest thing I see from the replays is that it's not a bad call to go for it there, but it was a bad play call. Looked like two shallow routes right next to each other that basically one guy covered and the ball was thrown right at him. Surprised they didn't go back to the fade to Funchess considering it's worked the majority of the season.
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If I'm Hoke - I play for OT. I'm at home. Both of my endzones are going to be loud as hell when OSU has the ball, and they haven't been able to stop me all day. Just going into OT after thinking they had won the game would've took the wind out of the Buckeyes' sails.
I know, "you play to win". But with OT looming, you didn't need those 2 pts to win. You needed the 1 pt. to get into position for a much more higher percentage chance of winning. No need to chase after points that you don't need yet.
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I think it could be argued that the way that game was playing out, the opportunity to go for 2 might have presented a better odds of winning than going to OT.
I mean, Michigan COULD NOT stop the OSU run game. Like, not even a little bit, by the end of that contest. I actually think it was a good gutsy call by Hoke, and done at the right time. Most Michigan fans I know did not seem to have a problem with it. As said previously, if its good then UM makes themselves feel a hell of a lot better about their season too.
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Fair point. It all really just comes down to how conservative-risky a person is.
It would be interesting to see the percentage of 2 pt conversions that are successful, in combination with the percentage of 1st and goal from inside the 3 yd line that results in a TD on first down.
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You couldn't stop them all day either! OSU had something rediculous like 8 yards a carry. Win the game now, and don't even give them the chance to recover.
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Generally, teams are about 40-45% at 2 point conversions. The way their offense was running that day it may have been higher for Michigan. Their defense wasn't able to stop Ohio State at all- there's a decent chance Ohio State could have gotten into FG range with ~30 seconds left. Michigan also was without their starting kicker so field goals in overtime would have been dicey. Plus Ohio State's the better team. Michigan had a better chance of converting a 2 pointer and hanging on for the last 30 seconds (especially once Ohio State burned their last timeout) than they would have had in overtime.
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I would call it a Rumor...but this has been speculation for quite a long time now.. It seems like the perfect timing for Mack Brown to step down and then baaammmm in comes Saban to save the day.
yes I know this has nothing to do with VT football but just wanted to post
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Can we wait to post non-Hokie related posts like this until they are official or have been confirmed by multiple sources? If you have some that's awesome, but make sure they're in the original post, not just mentioning that Bama fans are worried about him leaving.
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I think I'll believe when I see it. Why leave Bama when you've already built the machine there? I don't really see much Texas can offer that Bama can't.
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But Bama's expectations are a crystal trophy or else. At least at Texas he wouldn't HAVE to win a NT every year or be considered a failure. He said as much earlier when he said the expectations of the Tide fans were extremely high.
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Yes, but it would be on a timetable. Right now at Bama, this year is a complete failure in their minds. If this were to take place at UT, it wouldn't be the end of the world...they would get ready to take over the world next year.
They are different fan bases and backers. I imagine the Texas ones are more realistic, and thus "understand" an 11-1 season better. Just passing along the sentiment that he threw out there previously.
Liken Bama to a Steinbrenner owned Yankees. Texas to the Red Sox ownership.
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Texas fans, in my experience, are waaay more casual than Bammers. UT football games are social and business events, fans arrive late and leave early - even when the team does well. Bama games are where gumps go to compensate for the fact that football is the only thing that state seems to do well.
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1) More money
2) More fertile recruiting ground
3) Big 12 not as competitive as the SEC, easier path to national championship
4) IMO, Austin > Tuscaloosa
5) Everything's bigger in Texas
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But how much more money does he need? After a point, you're getting seriously diminishing returns there. Plus, he's already built the program there - who's to say he'd be as effective rebuilding it in Texas? And I don't buy that Texas recruiting is much better than Bama's is currently. He can pretty much get any recruit he wants in any state (see all the VA guys we've lost to him). He's built a monster there.
As for the Big 12 being less competitive than the SEC... sure, currently. But it also has way fewer advantages. The SEC has a built in recruiting advantage, and national title favoritism that the Big 12 lacks. Look at all the help Ohio St needed this year to get in. If you think you've got the best program top-to-bottom, you want the league that will garauntee you a spot should you run the table.
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I was watching Sportscenter during lunch yesterday and it just absolutely bugs me that there is no question that the top two undefeated teams in the country have to worry about a 1 loss SEC team because there is so much bias. I forget which guy was doing the college segment, but he said "it just doesn't feel right without an SEC team in that game." That is absurd to me. The whole point of a national title is the best team in the country. If you can't beat the teams in your conference and win the 4 non conference games, then you don't belong there, even if it is an SEC team. If Ohio St. beats Michigan St. then they definitely deserve to be in the game with FSU, but at the same time I hope Michigan St. wins and Auburn/Alabama/Mizzou gets in so FSU can shut everyone up when they beat them.
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I happen to think if Auburn wins the SEC championship, they are more deserving than OSU. The SEC is def overrated as a whole, but their top 3/4 teams are better than any other conference.
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Well money and influence for starters. Austin is the capitol city of Texas which is the largest economy in the US, the sixth largest on the planet, and the biggest football recruiting territory in the world. UT has resources and influence comparable to the entire state of Alabama, let alone the University of. And don't forget that Nick has a wife he's got to please. The quality of life disparities between Austin and T-town are pretty significant.
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Pretty sure that Texas is NOT the largest economy in the US. Largest oil economy, but not as a whole. In fact it is 1/8 the economy of California. I am sure that no Texan wants to hear that but its true:
Yeah I was just spouting off and we could nerd fight about factoring in debt (and your 1/8 calculation there) but the point is TX> AL, Austin>Tuscaloosa, and UT>BAMA.
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OK I'll go ahead and add some context to this since OP did not. The rumor has been around for a while, but flamed up yesterday with this "report" from The Football Brainiacs http://thefootballbrainiacs.com/nick-saban-to-texas-appears-to-be-a-done.... I had never heard of their website before, so I dismissed it before I did anymore research.
However, after thumbing through their blog, it's actually well written, and I can't find any prior instances of rumormongering. Additionally, 4 of the 5 people that write for the site are former college football players, including Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyles: http://thefootballbrainiacs.com/about. Their website centers around Oklahoma football and recruiting, and the commenters there seem very appreciative of their work. That doesn't make them credible. However, it's not beyond reason that former college players covering Oklahoma might have a pair of sources that have heard something. I won't believe it until it happens, but I'm also not 100% dismissing it (just 99.99%).
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I wouldn't put it past some former Oklahoma players to float some distracting material about Texas. I'm sure they like Oklahoma's chances over OSU, but sure wouldn't want their win to help Texas make a BCS game.
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It's not just the money that would cause Saban to become the head coach at Texas - it's the idea of being the ONLY college football coach to win major college National Championships at three different schools. Additionally, he will always be in Bear Bryant's shadow at Alabama, no matter what he does.
And yes, the Austin area is FAR more desirable than that of Tuscaloosa.
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The idea of a Saban led Texas team beating bama is awesome. They might take his statue down. Kind of reminds me of another douchebag having his statue torn down
Too big of a stretch?
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Then there are these tweets from Scott Roussel of footballscoop.com. That website is the most credible to date to entertain the possibility of Saban bolting.
Coaches I have spoken w that know Nick well caution me not to dismiss the notion that he does move on. I don't know how it plays out.— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) December 5, 2013
Guys I'm going to try to put this out there as best I can... Been speaking w a lot of coaches about the chatter of Saban moving West....— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) December 5, 2013
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Why are we assuming Mack Brown is out? A win over baylor and an Oklahoma win over OK State and he is in a BCS bowl, with 1 Big 12 loss. Even if he loses he still has a good shot at a 9 win season. His team is also ranked right now. I get Texas is football crazy and in college football it's a what have you done for me lately, but I'm not convinced he's gone.
With that said if you can get Saban then get Saban, but it could make for an awkward off-season if they offer and he takes the job or not.
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I completely get both points, but what happens if this last week works out in his favor and he is able to pull off a BCS win? Could be a strange situation when they force him out
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I think it's going to be a messy divorce no matter what. If Brown had retired with the outgoing AD, that would have been a smooth transition. However, my guess is Brown wants to retire on his own terms. He has earned that, but so did Bobby Bowden.
A win in a BCS game would be a very nice season, but Texas fans aren't comfortable losing to schools like BYU and Ole Miss. Also, JFF and aTm are the face of Texas football nationally (even though Baylor has the better record this season). Texas doesn't want to be anyone's little brother and that's their trajectory right now. Mack's accomplished a lot, but I find it hard to believe a new AD will tie his star to a coach who let a program that has every advantage in college football become at best 3rd in-state.
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I just wonder how long Baylor and aTm can sustain their success. Johnny Football will be gone after this year, and while I know nothing about who they have in waiting, I still think UT is the biggest player in much of Texas as far as recruiting goes. Baylor is Baylor, they have had recent success, but can they keep it going? While I personally love Waco, it's probably not the most attractive place for recruits (although they are getting a new stadium).
The new AD is the X Factor though. If he feels he can make a splash by hiring Saban, he'd probably be crazy to pass that up.
Agree though that it's going to be a messy divorce.
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In all honesty, I would love to see him go to Texas and win a national championship. I think it would be great for the sport, great for his legacy, and show just how important coaching really is. I get sick of hearing coaching downplayed. Coaching is pivotal. And when organizations like the NFL Cowboys (I point to this one as the most visible and obvious example) say, "We can do it without you, bye bye Jimmy Johnson". I get irked. I also do not like the fact that Beamer and CO. do not get half the credit they deserve for the success they have created. Coaching is huge. I want Saban to leave Alabama and win at Texas.
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Well to be completely fair, the Cowboys did it without Jimmy Johnson. That team was loaded. That's not to say Jimmy wasn't a great coach, but the Cowboys might be a bad example here.
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Jimmy Johnson once called himself a glorified motivational speaker. I'm not saying he wasn't great in the NFL, I'm just saying he isn't a great example here. Someone like Coach K in the 1994-1995 season when he was out for back surgery might work better.
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If I'm Saban, I would recognize that, with the playoff system, the road to the MNCG is a LOT smoother at Texas. He could get the same level of recruits into his machine at UT, and have an easier shot. Couple that with the Austin scene and a pay raise and I'm doing it.
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wouldn't Saban to anywhere outside the SEC be good for NCAA Football in general? ESPN would have to start talking about a conference other than the SEC. Start spreading the wealth. Miles to Michigan etc. ...
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I have sources stating that Stinespring is going to take Timcop's job at UVa and throw the Tech game every year. My sources might just so happen to be some drunk people.
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Comments
If true, maybe Hand gets a phone call.
from the michigan staff?
As bad as that coaching staff has been recently and as much as the alumni are complaining I doubt they are a real possibility at this point. But I could be wrong.
yeah, if i'm a michigan fan, i would be FURIOUS at that two point conversion call.
I wouldn't be mad at all.
Initially, I was kind of stunned, but didn't Hoke say that he asked the seniors on the team and they unanimously wanted to go for it? To me, that's a positive - he trusts his players to make a decision. It didn't work out, but I like the gutsiness of going for it against your hated rival while simultaneously trying to ruin their season.
Not sure. If you go for 2 and convert, it makes your sub-par season that much sweeter killing NCG hopes for your biggest blood rival. Losing in OT does nothing for you.
I loved the call - your opponent is a better team (as evidenced by their records). They've got over 7 yards a carry against your defence. You're odds in OT have got to be less than 50/50 once you take those things into account. Why not try to win it here? And if you miss, you've still got the chance of getting the onside kick and trying again.
Play to win, not to avoid a loss.
Kind of like going for a 57 FG with 1 second left in the game. LOL
Honestly, though, that kid has a decent leg. If you think you've got a shot, take it...how could you possibly think "if he misses this kick, their guy is going to run it back for a TD"?
I completely agree. It's not like he missed it by a mile, it was actually pretty close. I think I see fewer FG's returned for TD's than hail mary's completed for a TD. So it was a 1 in a million chance they lose there, just got really unlucky.
I actually think I would've gone with an offensive play there. I mean you've got McCarron and that WR (Cooper?? I think his name's Cooper)... Call up something crazy. My guess is that has a better chance than a 57 yarder from a freshman.
Again, though...the likelihood of a person returning a missed FG for a TD is lower than a possible pick-6 or fumble recovery for a TD.
Also, the likelihood that the 57yd FG goes through the uprights (from a kid that was kicking 60+ yard field goals in warm ups) is higher than a TD on an offensive play, without the risk of injury to RB, WR, or QB.
Would kneeling and going to OT have been better? Maybe. But it's history now.
My roommate's a Michigan alum, and while she's disappointed it didn't work, she's not mad about the call. They QB was visibly hurting and probably wouldn't have made it through OT. Best to end it there, one way or another.
The biggest thing I see from the replays is that it's not a bad call to go for it there, but it was a bad play call. Looked like two shallow routes right next to each other that basically one guy covered and the ball was thrown right at him. Surprised they didn't go back to the fade to Funchess considering it's worked the majority of the season.
If I'm Hoke - I play for OT. I'm at home. Both of my endzones are going to be loud as hell when OSU has the ball, and they haven't been able to stop me all day. Just going into OT after thinking they had won the game would've took the wind out of the Buckeyes' sails.
I know, "you play to win". But with OT looming, you didn't need those 2 pts to win. You needed the 1 pt. to get into position for a much more higher percentage chance of winning. No need to chase after points that you don't need yet.
I think it could be argued that the way that game was playing out, the opportunity to go for 2 might have presented a better odds of winning than going to OT.
I mean, Michigan COULD NOT stop the OSU run game. Like, not even a little bit, by the end of that contest. I actually think it was a good gutsy call by Hoke, and done at the right time. Most Michigan fans I know did not seem to have a problem with it. As said previously, if its good then UM makes themselves feel a hell of a lot better about their season too.
Fair point. It all really just comes down to how conservative-risky a person is.
It would be interesting to see the percentage of 2 pt conversions that are successful, in combination with the percentage of 1st and goal from inside the 3 yd line that results in a TD on first down.
You couldn't stop them all day either! OSU had something rediculous like 8 yards a carry. Win the game now, and don't even give them the chance to recover.
^Carlos Hyde is a beast
It was the right call.
Generally, teams are about 40-45% at 2 point conversions. The way their offense was running that day it may have been higher for Michigan. Their defense wasn't able to stop Ohio State at all- there's a decent chance Ohio State could have gotten into FG range with ~30 seconds left. Michigan also was without their starting kicker so field goals in overtime would have been dicey. Plus Ohio State's the better team. Michigan had a better chance of converting a 2 pointer and hanging on for the last 30 seconds (especially once Ohio State burned their last timeout) than they would have had in overtime.
I think this post should be prefixed with "RUMOR ALERT."
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/12/5/5177942/nick-saban-te...
I would call it a Rumor...but this has been speculation for quite a long time now.. It seems like the perfect timing for Mack Brown to step down and then baaammmm in comes Saban to save the day.
yes I know this has nothing to do with VT football but just wanted to post
In this scenario, Mack is not "stepping down' and much as being "pushed aside"
Agree- He's not going anywhere. I'll eat a full box of Texas Toast if he does go to Texas.
I'll eat a whole box of Texas Toast anyway. That's called breakfast.
a box? Where do you get Texas Toast in a box?
I thought Texas Toast was just slicing a loaf of bread into less slices.
Essentially yes, just thicker slices. But the frozen boxed stuff is the tits.
Irony: New York brand "Texas Toast"
Not saying theres anything wrong with it, because it is the tits...
Oh, Hell. I need to pay more attention in the Frozen Foods section. They have garlic? Is that any good?
Yes, they are.
The five cheese is the best... I believe Pepperidge Farm has Texas Toast too... it's the kind I've always gotten.
http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=761
Pepperidge farm remembers
The garlic is official.
I like the Texas toast at raising canes chicken
It requires butter or something too. Like other simple breakfast foods (e.g. french toast, pancakes) there's a ready made frozen version.
Throw some bacon or country sausage on it and some eggs!
This include the box itself?
Well, you don't expect me to let the cheese remnants that fall off onto the box go to waste now, do you?
Can we wait to post non-Hokie related posts like this until they are official or have been confirmed by multiple sources? If you have some that's awesome, but make sure they're in the original post, not just mentioning that Bama fans are worried about him leaving.
Moved to Off Topic page..
I think I'll believe when I see it. Why leave Bama when you've already built the machine there? I don't really see much Texas can offer that Bama can't.
But Bama's expectations are a crystal trophy or else. At least at Texas he wouldn't HAVE to win a NT every year or be considered a failure. He said as much earlier when he said the expectations of the Tide fans were extremely high.
Yeah, but I think Saban's own expectations are crystal trophy or else.
You really don't think that Texas fans, if they hired Saban, would expect to win a title every year? Especially after they've had some early success?
Yes, but it would be on a timetable. Right now at Bama, this year is a complete failure in their minds. If this were to take place at UT, it wouldn't be the end of the world...they would get ready to take over the world next year.
They are different fan bases and backers. I imagine the Texas ones are more realistic, and thus "understand" an 11-1 season better. Just passing along the sentiment that he threw out there previously.
Liken Bama to a Steinbrenner owned Yankees. Texas to the Red Sox ownership.
Texas fans, in my experience, are waaay more casual than Bammers. UT football games are social and business events, fans arrive late and leave early - even when the team does well. Bama games are where gumps go to compensate for the fact that football is the only thing that state seems to do well.
1) More money
2) More fertile recruiting ground
3) Big 12 not as competitive as the SEC, easier path to national championship
4) IMO, Austin > Tuscaloosa
5) Everything's bigger in Texas
#4 - Not an opinion. Cold, hard FACT.
But how much more money does he need? After a point, you're getting seriously diminishing returns there. Plus, he's already built the program there - who's to say he'd be as effective rebuilding it in Texas? And I don't buy that Texas recruiting is much better than Bama's is currently. He can pretty much get any recruit he wants in any state (see all the VA guys we've lost to him). He's built a monster there.
As for the Big 12 being less competitive than the SEC... sure, currently. But it also has way fewer advantages. The SEC has a built in recruiting advantage, and national title favoritism that the Big 12 lacks. Look at all the help Ohio St needed this year to get in. If you think you've got the best program top-to-bottom, you want the league that will garauntee you a spot should you run the table.
I was watching Sportscenter during lunch yesterday and it just absolutely bugs me that there is no question that the top two undefeated teams in the country have to worry about a 1 loss SEC team because there is so much bias. I forget which guy was doing the college segment, but he said "it just doesn't feel right without an SEC team in that game." That is absurd to me. The whole point of a national title is the best team in the country. If you can't beat the teams in your conference and win the 4 non conference games, then you don't belong there, even if it is an SEC team. If Ohio St. beats Michigan St. then they definitely deserve to be in the game with FSU, but at the same time I hope Michigan St. wins and Auburn/Alabama/Mizzou gets in so FSU can shut everyone up when they beat them.
I happen to think if Auburn wins the SEC championship, they are more deserving than OSU. The SEC is def overrated as a whole, but their top 3/4 teams are better than any other conference.
Counterargument:
well played, sir. I admit defeat. Underboob trumps reason.
To the person who down voted: Fvck YOU! -
If it was a fat finger - well then ok....maybe
could have been a female Hokie...
Wasn't me...although I didn't like it.....no reason to down vote.
His path to the NCG has never been in jeapordy.
Well money and influence for starters. Austin is the capitol city of Texas which is the largest economy in the US, the sixth largest on the planet, and the biggest football recruiting territory in the world. UT has resources and influence comparable to the entire state of Alabama, let alone the University of. And don't forget that Nick has a wife he's got to please. The quality of life disparities between Austin and T-town are pretty significant.
Pretty sure that Texas is NOT the largest economy in the US. Largest oil economy, but not as a whole. In fact it is 1/8 the economy of California. I am sure that no Texan wants to hear that but its true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP
But Austin is a great town.
Yes, California has the largest economy of any state (for now) but that is probably little consideration for Nicky Saban.
What might matter to him is Texas's lack of personal income tax, which will put an extra 5% in his pocket per year.
Yeah I was just spouting off and we could nerd fight about factoring in debt (and your 1/8 calculation there) but the point is TX> AL, Austin>Tuscaloosa, and UT>BAMA.
Since I'm living in Alabama, I should prepare for a day of mourning right?
Only if you'll miss him.
I would prepare for Doomsday. Start digging the underground bunker - shit would get cray (is that what kids these days are saying?)
It will probably be similar to when Lebron left Cleveland. I tried not to laugh at them
Except Saban actually wins things before leaving
hey JC, you should see if weather.com is hiring people to make the ad captions. You would be great.
Seriously. You should go there...and stay there.
Yeah....how did Weather.com get into this realm? And what does it have to do with weather?
OK I'll go ahead and add some context to this since OP did not. The rumor has been around for a while, but flamed up yesterday with this "report" from The Football Brainiacs http://thefootballbrainiacs.com/nick-saban-to-texas-appears-to-be-a-done.... I had never heard of their website before, so I dismissed it before I did anymore research.
However, after thumbing through their blog, it's actually well written, and I can't find any prior instances of rumormongering. Additionally, 4 of the 5 people that write for the site are former college football players, including Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyles: http://thefootballbrainiacs.com/about. Their website centers around Oklahoma football and recruiting, and the commenters there seem very appreciative of their work. That doesn't make them credible. However, it's not beyond reason that former college players covering Oklahoma might have a pair of sources that have heard something. I won't believe it until it happens, but I'm also not 100% dismissing it (just 99.99%).
I wouldn't put it past some former Oklahoma players to float some distracting material about Texas. I'm sure they like Oklahoma's chances over OSU, but sure wouldn't want their win to help Texas make a BCS game.
that would be so great.
It's not just the money that would cause Saban to become the head coach at Texas - it's the idea of being the ONLY college football coach to win major college National Championships at three different schools. Additionally, he will always be in Bear Bryant's shadow at Alabama, no matter what he does.
And yes, the Austin area is FAR more desirable than that of Tuscaloosa.
I think he's just bored. Don't overthink it. It's Nick Saban.
The idea of a Saban led Texas team beating bama is awesome. They might take his statue down. Kind of reminds me of another douchebag having his statue torn down
Too big of a stretch?
Then there are these tweets from Scott Roussel of footballscoop.com. That website is the most credible to date to entertain the possibility of Saban bolting.
Isn't the USC job still semi open. If he went there it would be pretty nuts.
Why are we assuming Mack Brown is out? A win over baylor and an Oklahoma win over OK State and he is in a BCS bowl, with 1 Big 12 loss. Even if he loses he still has a good shot at a 9 win season. His team is also ranked right now. I get Texas is football crazy and in college football it's a what have you done for me lately, but I'm not convinced he's gone.
With that said if you can get Saban then get Saban, but it could make for an awkward off-season if they offer and he takes the job or not.
Two reasons: 1) Texas has high standards and 2) The hired a new athletic director.
I completely get both points, but what happens if this last week works out in his favor and he is able to pull off a BCS win? Could be a strange situation when they force him out
You mean like Tebow and Peyton?
Maybe that's not the best example, but you get the idea.
I think it's going to be a messy divorce no matter what. If Brown had retired with the outgoing AD, that would have been a smooth transition. However, my guess is Brown wants to retire on his own terms. He has earned that, but so did Bobby Bowden.
A win in a BCS game would be a very nice season, but Texas fans aren't comfortable losing to schools like BYU and Ole Miss. Also, JFF and aTm are the face of Texas football nationally (even though Baylor has the better record this season). Texas doesn't want to be anyone's little brother and that's their trajectory right now. Mack's accomplished a lot, but I find it hard to believe a new AD will tie his star to a coach who let a program that has every advantage in college football become at best 3rd in-state.
I just wonder how long Baylor and aTm can sustain their success. Johnny Football will be gone after this year, and while I know nothing about who they have in waiting, I still think UT is the biggest player in much of Texas as far as recruiting goes. Baylor is Baylor, they have had recent success, but can they keep it going? While I personally love Waco, it's probably not the most attractive place for recruits (although they are getting a new stadium).
The new AD is the X Factor though. If he feels he can make a splash by hiring Saban, he'd probably be crazy to pass that up.
Agree though that it's going to be a messy divorce.
Past success is not guarantee of future employment. Austin is not Blacksburg. See: Osborne, Tom @ Nebraska
In all honesty, I would love to see him go to Texas and win a national championship. I think it would be great for the sport, great for his legacy, and show just how important coaching really is. I get sick of hearing coaching downplayed. Coaching is pivotal. And when organizations like the NFL Cowboys (I point to this one as the most visible and obvious example) say, "We can do it without you, bye bye Jimmy Johnson". I get irked. I also do not like the fact that Beamer and CO. do not get half the credit they deserve for the success they have created. Coaching is huge. I want Saban to leave Alabama and win at Texas.
Well to be completely fair, the Cowboys did it without Jimmy Johnson. That team was loaded. That's not to say Jimmy wasn't a great coach, but the Cowboys might be a bad example here.
Yeah, Barry Switzer did it with Jimmy Johnson's team.
In the same vein, Larry Coker won a NC with Butch Davis's team.
Yep fuckin A right and both blew town shortly after said talent was exhausted and everyone figured out they were just pansy ass yes men.
To be "complete" in our objectivity of course
Jimmy Johnson once called himself a glorified motivational speaker. I'm not saying he wasn't great in the NFL, I'm just saying he isn't a great example here. Someone like Coach K in the 1994-1995 season when he was out for back surgery might work better.
If I'm Saban, I would recognize that, with the playoff system, the road to the MNCG is a LOT smoother at Texas. He could get the same level of recruits into his machine at UT, and have an easier shot. Couple that with the Austin scene and a pay raise and I'm doing it.
If Saban goes to Texas, it's because Alabama is about to be hit with some major sanctions.
Nah, they'll skate like L$U and Auburn have.
All wee need is Saban to come out and state that he's not going anywhere. Then we'll know he's going to Texas.
like bobby patrino?
Just going to leave this here
wouldn't Saban to anywhere outside the SEC be good for NCAA Football in general? ESPN would have to start talking about a conference other than the SEC. Start spreading the wealth. Miles to Michigan etc. ...
One can only dream.
I have sources stating that Stinespring is going to take Timcop's job at UVa and throw the Tech game every year. My sources might just so happen to be some drunk people.