Week 15: Army-Navy
OVERVIEW
December 11, 2015
Joe Broback
COACHING CHANGES
Coaches keep coming and going this year, with 23 openings that were once open or are still open in 2015. Some team have decided to remove interim tags from coaches, while others have gone in a different directions. Most new coaches have fired old coaches and hired new ones/brought them from their previous school. Here is a look at each team’s old coach and their new hire. Included are FCS, Division II, and Division III hires. My alma mater finally decided to part ways with their coach after going 3-27 in the past three seasons, so I’m excited to see who comes in.
Here is FootballScoop’s list of coaching openings at each level:
http://footballscoop.com/news/2015-16-head-coaching-changes/
Some new hires have head coaching experience, while others don’t have any but were great coordinators. Here is a breakdown of some notable hires and my verdict of each coach.
UCF: Going anywhere this season would be a start. The Knights did not play good football this year, and a new coach was inevitable. Two years removed from beating Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, UCF was scrambling for answers. They hired Scott Frost from Oregon, and while Frost’s success remains to be seen, a turnaround of some kind is ahead. The former Duck’s coordinator should bring offensive firepower to a team desperate for anything.
Miami: This, by far, is my favorite hire of the year. Miami can thank Georgia for getting bored with nine win seasons. Richt returns to his alma mater where he looks to start a resurgence. With the talent that comes to the U and Richt’s coaching, we could be seeing a 30 for 30 about these teams. Brad Kaaya should flourish under Richt and the Hurricanes figure to be serious competitors in the ACC. If hiring’s could get grades, this would be an A+. Can Richt bring back the Jimmy Johnson/Howard Schnellenberger days? I believe he can.
Syracuse: Dino Babers comes into a program that gets forgotten because of its basketball team. Babers offensive philosophy that he brings from Bowling Green could have the Orange football team outscoring the hoopers. From Art Briles’ coaching tree, Babers looks to score as fast and often as possible. Syracuse has only had three winning seasons in the past 15 years, and Babers may do that. For now, he’s just going to put people in the Carrier Dome for a show on the field.
Virginia: Bronco Mendenhall was going to be a great hire no matter where he went. However, it will be tougher to win at Virginia than at BYU. I’m sure the pay increase was nice, but the workload is also going to increase. Virginia only had one winning season in the Mike London era, and with teams like Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and Miami in the conference, winning will come at a premium. Mendenhall has ample experience with taking athletes who weren’t highly recruited and turning them into winners. BYU didn’t have a losing season in Mendenhall’s 11 year stint as head coach.
Virginia Tech: Justin Fuente was one of the hottest coaches this year at Memphis. He took a bottom dweller and turned it into a hot commodity. VT needs offensive help, and Fuente looks to bring a spark to go with an already stout defense. It appears he is keeping essential people from Frank Beamer’s defensive staff and bringing various staff members from Memphis with him. The combination of an offense that can score and an already stingy defense could be exactly what the Hokies needed. Like Virginia, they will have to compete with others in the conference, but the talent that comes to Blacksburg will help Fuente tremendously.
There isn’t a hire that I don’t like, but there are some that I’m skeptical of (Tracy Claeys in Minnesota, Bill Cubit in Illinois, and Matt Campbell at Iowa State), but that may be more related to the states the programs are in now. With every new hire comes new potential and excitement. Unfortunately for some of these coaches, things won’t start out well and may not go well ever. For now, it’s wait and see. For the fan bases, some may not have time to wait.
Non Power 5 Playoff
*all rankings relative to this section
Four In:
#1 Houston Cougars (12-1)----Cougars solidified the top spot by beating Temple to win the AAC championship. A win against #9 Florida State would make another huge statement for the Cougs.
#2 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-2)----Western Kentucky was sleep walking in the first half, and Southern Miss made them pay. But the Hilltoppers woke up and pulled away in the second half. A tough South Florida team awaits them in the Miami Peach Bowl.
#3 Navy Midshipmen (9-2)----Navy has this spot and most likely won’t move unless they lose this week. Bowl games could shift things too, but there isn’t a single player that cares about the bowl game yet.
#4 San Diego State Aztecs (10-3)----A 27-24 win over Air Force gave the Aztecs their ninth win in a row. A gritty team win gave them their first 10 win season since 1977.
Four Out:
#5 Bowling Green Falcons (10-3)----Bowling Green has their second 10 win season in the last three years, their third appearance in the conference championship, second conference title in three year, and their coach was promoted to coach Syracuse. Just another great week for the Falcons.
#6 Temple Owls (10-3)----Temple may have lost the AAC championship, but they have much to be proud of. Just two years ago, the Owls finished 2-10 in Matt Rhule’s first year, and now they have a double digit win season. Linebacker Tyler Matakevich was just given the Bronko Nagurski Award for best defensive player, and the Temple program is excited about the direction it’s heading.
#7 BYU Cougars (9-3)----No conference championship for BYU, but mostly because they’re independent. The Cougars will play in what may be the most hyped game between the two teams playing. Rival Utah awaits, and I recommend anyone to get a ticket because they intensity will be high.
#8 Memphis Tigers (9-3)----If a Group of 5 team beat two SEC teams, you might think they would be in the playoff conversation. Unfortunately for Memphis, there is no playoff, but they have a chance to add to an impressive season. After losing coach Justin Fuente, how will the Tigers respond?
CFP PLAYOFF TEAMS
Teams in the playoff:
#1 Clemson Tigers (13-0)----No need to remind the Tigers of the importance of making the playoff. Dabo Swinney has his team focused and ready. The Tigers have their fifth consecutive ten win season and are looking for more. A national championship is the goal, and it would be their first since 1981. Winning that may give Tigers fans more than just a pizza party.
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)----It’s weird to think the Tide haven’t won a championship since 2012. In Tuscaloosa, that’s an eternity. Alabama has had chances to win and play for the championship, but were beaten. Nick Saban’s no nonsense approach to his team has worked year in and year out, and this year is more of the same. How serious is this business-like approach? There was no viewing party for the Tide. Players and coaches came to their facility and got right to work. Expectations are high for this team, but are they taking this too seriously?
#3 Michigan State Spartans (12-1)----Mark Dantonio knows his team has taken the most indirect path to get into the playoff. First, a crazy win over Oregon; one in which they were a play away from losing. Next, a botched punt by Michigan returned by the Spartans to win the game as time expired. Then, a controversial reception giving Nebraska a lead (and eventually a win). After, a game winning kick against Ohio State. Finally, a heads up play to score in the Big Ten championship to give them the win. East Lansing has been full of magic this year, and the Spartans are prepared to use more. At first, it seemed like MSU was getting lucky, but now we know the Spartans have created their own luck. It’s called hard work and determination.
#4 Oklahoma Sooners (11-1)----If any player doesn’t remember what happened the last time the Sooners played Clemson, you may want to check their pulse. It was last year’s beat down (40-6) to end the Sooners season. A year filled with questions about Bob Stoops and his coordinators produced changes on offense, and you could say it’s kind of working. Minus a terrible loss to Texas (just really awful), OU has come back to win the Big 12 and make the playoff. Both offensively and defensively, Stoops has his team playing sound football at the right time of the year.
The Next Four:
#5 Iowa Hawkeyes (12-1)----My boss is an Iowa fan, so is my brother’s girlfriend. They’re probably disappointed, but don’t hang your heads too much! Iowa knows it did everything but win the Big Ten. While they are disappointed, the Hawkeyes vastly exceeded expectations. Impressing the Big Ten from the West is difficult to do, but Iowa turned many heads this year. They can open more eyes with their first bowl win since 2010, and first Rose Bowl win since 1958. A win against Stanford would help do that. Stopping Christian McCaffrey will be difficult, but the Hawkeyes have showed they’re ready for the big stage.
#6 Stanford Cardinal (11-2)----Christian McCaffrey should be the Heisman winner in my opinion. Derrick Henry and he have done more for their team than anyone, but McCaffrey has a slight edge. Henry is the workhorse running the ball, but Stanford’s back does a little bit of everything. He can block, tackle, score the touchdown, snap the ball, and kick the extra point. He’ll fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch. Oh and he can pass! Sorry, just had to. For you Friday Night Light enthusiasts, you will appreciate that. McCaffrey is the college version of Boobie Miles, and his versatility should win him the Heisman.
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)----An eight team playoff was the Buckeyes only legitimate hope. When that wasn’t answered, they were forced to settle with playing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. This game can go one of two ways, Ohio State will absolutely destroy Notre Dame by unleashing all of the built up anger and aggression they have, or they may struggle and have a falling out. Ohio State has proven when they are a team with something to prove, they are dangerous. But with all of the drama produced by some players speaking out, will that separate the team’s unity?
#8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)----Notre Dame knows it had the playoff in their hands, but forgot to finish the game. Stanford’s field goal to win ruined the Irish playoff hopes instantly. Brian Kelly’s team is taking the blame for their shortcomings, and are looking to finish a stellar season with an impressive win. Just one problem, Notre Dame is 1-2 against teams in the top 25 and that one win is against Temple. If they are to win this game, they will need to step up their game another notch.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
*all rankings are based on AP Poll
Overall Record: 35-24 Last week: 5-0
Army Black Knights (2-9) vs. Navy Midshipmen (9-2), Philadelphia, PA
The battle of the triple option. One of the, if not the, best rivalries in college football. This year has provided two different journeys for each team. Navy has a record breaking quarterback that has lead them to nine wins and a national spotlight. Army has neither of those. However, the Black Knights aren’t as bad as their record indicates. Army’s point differential is an average of -6.5, which tells us they’ve been competitive in each game. Seven of Army’s nine losses have been decided by ten points or less with another being decided by 17. The only game they were blown out is a 44-3 loss to Duke.
This game deserves more than one paragraph, so we look into the history of the rivalry. Navy leads the series 59-49-7 and has won the last 13 meetings. They play for the Thompson Cup, named after Robert M. Thompson who donated the trophy. A win would give Navy the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, given to the winner between Army, Navy and Air Force. An Army win would make the trophy shared for the first time since 1993. The game is being played at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, where Navy is 9-0 in the series.
Now to the game Saturday. All signs seem to be going in Navy’s favor, but it seemed that way last year when Army gave Navy a scare. Navy won the game 17-10. Keenan Reynolds has been in Heisman conversations all year with his record breaking performance, but his teammates also deserve credit. Runningback Chris Swain and receiver Jamir Tillman have been key pieces as well. Swain is a bruising back which makes him a perfect complement Reynolds speed and quickness. Tillman, when Navy decides to throw (he has only 22 receptions), has shown he can pull away from defenders to get open. Army is a different story. The Black Knights have six players that have attempted a pass this year, eight players that have rushed for at least 175 yards, and their leading receiver has only 11 receptions on the year. To say their offense is “by committee” would be fairly accurate. Ahmad Bradshaw has been the starter at quarterback but is questionable. He and back Aaron Kemper are Army’s two leading rushers. Rivalries have a funny way of taking what you know and screwing everything up. Last year Army looked atrocious and made Navy sweat, and this year the Black Knights are improved. Navy has one advantage: they’ve played in multiple big games and won a couple. With Reynolds and that experience, the Midshipmen make it 14 in a row
My pick: Navy 33 Army 21
