Is it premature to say Brady Hoke is a dead coach walking at Michigan? Don't even entertain the idea they can beat MSU and winning against Ohio State doesn't mean anything this year.
Premature? I think it's been a foregone conclusion for a while now. Michigan is one of the few programs where it's absolutely inexcusable for them to be that bad.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>That had to hurt. <a href="http://t.co/z4o7SssNBY">http://t.co/z4o7SssNBY</a></p>— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNationGIF/status/516022950927953920">September 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Agree about it being basically a foregone conclusion. The only question that seems to remain is whether AD Dave Brandon sticks around and how the answer to the first question plays into the Hoke situation. There is so much negativity around the Michigan program right now that it wouldn't shock me if they let Hoke go during the season. Generally that doesn't happen, particularly in college football, but Michigan has been truly abysmal so far and Brandon might look at it as a potential job-saver for him. I don't really have strong feelings about Michigan either way, although their losing lately has been high comedy. With that being said, Dave Brandon has always rubbed me the wrong way. I read John U. Bacon's book "Fourth and Long," and he spent a lot of time talking about Brandon's vision for Michigan athletics, which seemed to basically be built around trying to find different ways to pull more money out of Michigan's alumni and fans.
The SEC East is a dumpster fire. Legitimate case could be made that every team in the SEC West would be favored over any SEC East team.
Deshaun Watson, true freshman QB at Clemson, is the real deal. He racked up 300+ total yards, 2 TDs, and 0 TOs as a backup in 2 big road games in Athens and Tallahassee, and in his home debut as the starter tonight, threw for 435 yards and 6 TDs. I see a Heisman in his future.
If he played for anybody else, I'd believe it. But Clemson will do their usual Clemson thing and choke it away.
I've watched Clemson closely the last 3 years and it was fun. Didn't plan on continuing this season. This guy could change my mind.
Maybe, though their only losses in the last 3 years have been to FSU, SCar, and UGA. In each case, those teams were ranked inside the top-15. But, they've also knocked off LSU, Auburn, UGA, and Ohio State (3 of which were ranked inside the top-10) in the last 3 years. They're really not the choke artist the talking heads make them out to be, they've just struggled mightily against their 2 biggest rivals in SCar and FSU. I think this QB is the type of talent that will get them over that hump and into the CFB Playoff mix in a year or two. He's a gamebreaker.
Right there with you. I loved watching Tajh and Sammy. I think this kid will be every bit as exciting.
I'm on your side (sort of) but don't forget the 2012 Orange Bowl. After a long drive that would have given them a 24-21 lead, Ellington fumbled the ball as he was crossing the goal line and WVU ran it back for a TD. Clemson then mentally checked out and ended up losing 70-33. If you compare individual games, that disgrace might be the #1 reason the program is thought to be chokers. People talked about it for a while. I remember a couple of Clemson O-lineman signaling a TD was scored then seconds later the ball was in the other end zone. smh.
Oh I'm not saying Clemson's a bad team. Just saying it's a known yearly tradition that Clemson will choke away a lead in at least one big game each year. It's already happened for them against Florida State. Definitely agree that Watson looks nice, though. He's a keeper.
If you have to fire your coach this early in the season, it probably means he shouldn't have been brought back in the offseason. Given that Kansas had to appeal to donors to help pay for Turner Gill's buyout, though, it wouldn't shock me if they were simply hoping and praying that they would show at least some improvement this season so that they didn't have to pay as much on Weis' buyout. As it is, they're going to have to pay him more than $5.6 million. On a side note, Turner Gill has done a pretty good job at Liberty since taking that job a couple of years ago. I'm not saying he would have turned things around had he stuck around, but if Weis got to come back for a third season, Gill probably should have as well, buyout aside.
It's also worth noting that Mark Mangino is far and away the most popular choice for the opening among posters on the KU Scout.com board.
I feel sorry for Arkansas. They should be ranked and would probably finish 2nd in the Big Ten. Yet, they could go 0-6 against the SEC West this year. (I'm stalking you.)
