Georgia is reportedly hiring Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to replace Mark Richt. It's a big step up for a first-time head coach, as the Georgia program post-Richt is in a far different place than it was before him.
Kirby Smart’s leaving Alabama for Georgia. Who’s next on the coaching carousel?
Wake up, college football! It’s your morning roundup of news and stuff.
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Elsewhere, Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost is headed to the Magic Kingdom to coach UCF. Frost had been thought to be a contender at Syracuse, among others. And it looks like Houston’s Tom Herman is going to stay with the Cougars, despite interest from almost every athletic director with an open head coach spot.
The big rumors:
- Dan Mullen, Richt, Greg Schiano and Butch Davis have interviewed for the opening at Miami.
- Richt will also interview for the Virginia job.
- Maryland fans are on board with Richt.
- Cal coach Sonny Dykes, long said to be disenchanted with the Golden Bears, will interview at Missouri. Troy Calhoun, Matt Wells and Mike Bobo have reportedly already interviewed, and current assistant Barry Odom could be a contender, as well.
- Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is a contender at South Carolina.
- Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Sanford could be the guy at Syracuse.
Stay tuned for more today on our rumors tracker.
No alarms, no surprises. Nothing much changed in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings. The top five, all winners over the weekend, remained in place. Ohio State moved up to sixth after losses by Notre Dame and Baylor. Our committee’s choices weren’t significantly different.
But could they beat the Raiders? Bill Connelly went to Los Angeles, America’s biggest college football town, to explore USC, UCLA and their rivalry.
Saban Employee Conference. With Jim McElwain at Florida, Smart on his way to Georgia, Will Muschamp possibly headed to South Carolina, and other Alabama assistants in play elsewhere, the Nick Saban coaching tree could take over the SEC.
The 2016 coaching carousel is already starting. After a hot start and a fade to the finish, complete with a loss to rival USC, could Jim Mora be on an increasingly hot seat at UCLA?
The 2020 carousel remains in the off position. Kirk Ferentz, who finished 2014 on one of the nation’s hottest seats, won Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Five alive. A handful of five-win teams are going to play in bowl games this year because there are too many bowl games and not enough six-win teams. And that means more football, which is perfectly OK.
Parents ain’t raised nobody. On this week’s PODCAST AIN’T PLAYED NOBODY, Bill and Steven talk about parenting, mostly because everyone but Iowa has finally played somebody.
The obvious answer is Anyone But Texas. Bill asks: Who should Oklahoma want to draw in the Playoff, based on the numbers? Surprisingly, it’s not Alabama.
Explainin’-ass Spurrier. Steve Spurrier left at mid-season for the reasons you expected: He didn’t think he was doing a good job, and he didn’t want a farewell tour.
Mirror mirror. Iowa-Michigan State is not just a Big Ten title game and Playoff play-in. It’s also the renewal of one of the conference’s most interesting rivalries.
RUN THE DANG STATE. Could Richt run for Governor of Georgia? And would he lose control of the budget if he did?
B1G idea. While the Big Ten names the top player at every other position, Minnesota placekick holder Peter Mortell declared himself Holder of the Year.
Hello indeed. The Southern band remains a national treasure, especially when it’s playing that Adele song you’ve heard a million times.
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