Wednesday Skull Session

By Vico on December 11, 2013 at 6:00 am
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Wednesday's Skull Session will offer some commentary on things happening around the world of college sports. Ohio State's regular season is over, but regrettably without the Big Ten championship in tow. The loss on Saturday night to Michigan State proved fatal for the then-no.2 Buckeyes. If the Buckeyes had held for the win, it'd be playing Florida State in Pasadena for Urban Meyer's third crystal football. With the loss, Ohio State gets bumped to the Orange Bowl for its second ever game against the Clemson Tigers.

Playing in the Orange Bowl last year sounds more appealing than it does this year.

Alas, with the holiday season in full effect, 'tis also the season to be following coaching changes around the country. This skull session will touch on some of these developments, though will stop short of using FlightAware. Because, honestly.

STAN THE MAN IN BOCA? This was addressed in part in yesterday's skull session, but it looks like Ohio State is going to lose its first assistant coach under Urban Meyer to a head coaching gig. Stan Drayton is the favorite to replace the departed Carl Pelini as head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls.

The situation is still a bit fluid as of writing this post. However, it seemed inevitable that Florida Atlantic was going to hire an Ohio State assistant. The athletic director at Florida Atlantic is Patrick Chun, a former associate athletic director at Ohio State and had been with Ohio State for 15 years.

At the time Pelini was let go from his position, Luke Fickell appeared to the odds-on favorite to be scooped by Chun. For one reason or the other, Chun cooled on Fickell and focused on other Ohio State assistants. Everett Withers was the other candidate, though Florida Atlantic later passed on him.

Now, it seems like Drayton is the guy. We will see how soon this is formalized, and what it may mean for Ohio State's upcoming trip to nearby Miami for the Orange Bowl.

For what it's worth, Drayton is still on the recruiting trail on behalf of Ohio State.

 

 FICKELL TO BOWLING GREEN? One of the understated BCS school coaching hires of the past few days has been at Wake Forest. Longtime coach, and former ACC champion, Jim Grobe, resigned after his fifth-consecutive losing season. Dave Clawson, who coached Bowling Green to an upset of the undefeated Northern Illinois Huskies, was just hired by Wake Forest to begin a rebuilding project in Winston-Salem.

Any MAC school opening is going to attract assistant coaches in the Big Ten. Luke Fickell, long rumored to be wanting his own crack at being a head coach again, is a natural candidate for the opening. He may even be on an unofficial short list already. Urban Meyer is at least stumping for him.

Another candidate for the job is D.J. Durkin. Durkin remained on Muschamp's staff as linebackers coach and, now, defensive coordinator, when Meyer left the Gators after the 2010 season. A Bowling Green graduate, Durkin got his coaching start as a graduate assistant under Urban Meyer in 2001.

While Dave Clawson is trying to lure as many of his assistants from Bowling Green to Winston-Salem as he can, there remains the possibility that one of the current assistants for Bowling Green is promoted and the Falcons' search process remains internal.

Topic du jour among Ohio State fans: if Fickell takes the head coaching gig at Bowling Green, does friend and college teammate Mike Vrabel follow him? I don't believe he does, but I may be in the minority on that. Vrabel does entertain notions of being a college football head coach one day, but, at the end of the day, I think Vrabel would make the business decision to remain in Columbus.

Should Fickell leave, Withers would likely be promoted to full defensive coordinator. Vrabel would likely pick up Fickell's "associate head coach" title, and whatever raise comes with it.

Mack Brown "noooooooo!" face during the Oklahoma State game in 2013.Noooooooo....

CURTAINS FOR MACK BROWN? We may be finally closer to a resolution on the outstanding issue of Mack Brown. The head coach of Texas for 16 years, Mack Brown's fortunes have evaporated since the loss to Alabama in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena. His "hot seat" was always hot, if at varying levels of intensity. The "hot seat" question began this season in earnest when the Longhorns conceded all-time program worsts to a relatively feeble Brigham Young offense in Provo. It continued when Ole Miss routed Texas in Austin on the heels of 30 unanswered points and a second half shutout.

The instant remedy was thought to be canning Manny Diaz, Texas' embattled defensive coordinator. However, Diaz did not forget how to football in his move from Mississippi State to Texas. Any astute observer would know Texas' football issues run to the core of the program Mack Brown operates. That the promotion of Greg Robinson (yes, that Greg Robinson) to defensive coordinator from a video role coincided with six straight wins was entirely coincidental, or indicative of the opponents Texas plays. Texas has lost two of the last three by 45 combined points.

Alas, Chip Brown is reporting this is the end for Mack Brown. Texas announced a "48-hour" window in order to make a final decision, but Chip Brown spilled the beans by saying it means Brown was going to be fired and forced from his position.

Naturally, this led to a freak-out in Texas' administration that word could get out so quickly. Texas was quick to deny Chip Brown's report.

Chip Brown got some grief for the infamous "Pac-16" rumor. However, he also nailed DeLoss Dodds' retirement. Texas denied that Dodds' was on his way from Austin before, well, Dodds retired.

For what it's worth, Mack Brown is adamant he's not going anywhere. In fact, he's in Florida right now recruiting for the Longhorns. If that sounds weird, given how regional and state-centric the Longhorns recruit for football, it is. However, it's also true.

So, what happens? Spoiler alert: Mack Brown will not be the coach at Texas next season.

It's happening. You know what else is going to (allegedly) happen? This.

I, for one, would welcome this. Alabama needs to be knocked off the totem pole, post haste. Plus, it's been about six years since a good, solid Alabama panic attack. I'm talking about something bigger than losing to Texas A&M in 2012, or even Auburn in 2013. I'm talking 2006 season hysteria or losing to Louisiana-Monroe in 2007. Those guys are due.

However, is it really going to happen? Or is Saban leveraging Texas over Alabama during a contract renegotiation. We shall find out, won't we?

 WAIT, WHAT? BTN announced its all-Big Ten assistant coaching team. Tom Herman won for best offensive coordinator in the Big Ten. Guess who won for best tight end coach?

Tight ends: Jim Bollman, Michigan State. He inherited a position that lacked proven commodities after Dion Sims left early for the NFL. But Bollman has done an impressive job developing the spot, bringing along guys like Josiah Price to become factors in the Spartan offense. The old fella still has it.

2013 is weird.

MISCELLANY. Pat Narduzzi wins Broyle Award for best assistant coach in college football. He earned it too. Jim Heacock won the award in 2007... Paging Nick Saban... The Orange Bowl mascot visited Ohio State's campus... If you haven't read it already... Honest film trailers... Twenty years ago? Man, I'm old... Greg Hardy's explanation for his Sunday Night Football introduction... Jerry Jones supports Monte Kiffin, for reasons... Ouch, Roy Hibbert... Jason Kidd said a "13-letter word" that was apparently naughty... SE Louisiana draws the wrath of the NCAA underneath everyone's radar... Aaron Donald of Pitt wins the Nagurski Trophy...

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