TCU championship couldn’t be better for college football
If TCU, unranked in the preseason polls, bests Georgia this Monday night, it could not be a better scenario for college football. It sends out a message that a champion does not necessarily come from among the elite, FBS “blue-bloods”. With transfer portals as uncontrolled as they are now, look what is happening already. Three players from heralded Alabama head through the portal to play at Fort Worth for TCU next season.
Despite TCU HC Sonny Dykes comments implying if they are not good enough to play at Alabama, how can they play for us? His comment needs to be considered. On the other hand, players opting through the portal and maybe even players coming right out of high school realize they don’t want to sit on the bench on a stacked roster. Maybe opportunities in college football exist beyond Georgia, Ohio’s State, Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, USC, etc. We believe both the portal and the NIL policies need adjusting, but this realization could possibly spread the talent as opposed to continuing the monopolization of a few. Wishful thinking perhaps on our part, but we think it defeats the alternative. Go Horned Frogs!
History lesson for us
We like to leave a late date each season open for a chance to see competitive TBA, playoff game at the levels below FBS play. This policy paid off well this season when we watched Samford defeat SE Louisiana in Round Two of the FCS in OT, 48-42. The mastermind of the victory, Samford HC Chris Hatcher, effectively replaced his injured starting QB of the year with his back-up, Quincey Crittendom. Crittendom led his team to the thrilling victory. For Coach Hatcher, he recorded his 172nd career victory as HC among four schools. His record now stands at 51-38 with his Stamford Bulldogs.
It turns out, however, that Coach Hatcher influenced the careers of the two college football coaches leading their teams into Sofi Stadium Monday night. He lived with TCU’s Sonny Dykes for three years, and later, Kirby Smart coached for him as an assistant. Hatcher and Dykes coached together at Kentucky on Hal Mumme’s staff. After that, Hatcher returned to his alma mater, D2 Valdosta State where he had won the Harlon Hill award as QB, as Head Coach. The Harlon Hill Award equals the Heisman at the D2 level. Hatcher hired Kirby Smart after graduation from Georgia as his secondary coach. During their two seasons together, the Blazers finished 22-3. They won the Gulf Southern Conference both seasons and went into the D2 playoffs. A year after Smart’s exit, Valdosta won the D2 championship.
We’ve seen our history repeat itself
Read the story here about Hatcher’s history with Dykes and Smart. Over 40 years of history here at collegefootballfan.com, this is the type of story we cherish. We’ve seen instances like this where we remember seeing a particular player, and years later, we find out more about their success as life goes on. This one definitely intrigues us!
All’s fair in college football and war
In 2019, President Trump pushed for a bill allowing players of the three major military academies to become eligible to play professional sports if given the opportunity. All Cadets and Midshipman are obligated to a minimum of five years of service in the military right after graduation. In this case, a bill was to be passed allowing graduates to defer their military service if they pursued professional sports careers. The benefits intended to allow qualified athletes to pursue professional sports careers and to allow the academies athletic programs to compete for top athletes. Especially, to enhance their football programs. A bill recently revoked this 2019 ruling stating that only athletes enrolled after June 30, 2021 could pursue this option.
Highest and only pick ever from West Point
The issue came into focus only a few weeks ago. Already, players at Army, Navy, and Air Force had already sought to play with that opportunity in mind a couple years ago. In one particular case, Army LB Andre Carter II, stands out as a potential first-round draft pick in 2023. His family protested to Congress and the issue came to the forefront of a recent debate. The overall omnibus bill needed to be signed by the President. New language cleared the way for exceptions in the graduating classes of the three academies. The bill was signed.
Carter seems to be a lock for this year’s draft, but don’t be surprised if a player for two from Air Force finds their way in later. If not drafted, it sounds like opportunities can still come to military academy athletes through free agent signings. The academies’ priorities remain to develop military leaders first and foremost. Cadets and Mids are obligated to graduate after two years at these schools or face a $400k payout. In this day and age though, what agent couldn’t envision paying that off to free up a college football player for his commission on today’s NFL salaries? Not sure if this will ever happen again to a player at one of these military institutions, but the door seems to be open.
Coach leads lesson in lacking loyalty
We used to respect Luke Fickell, HC of the Cincinnati Bearkats until right before bowl season. It seemed that the players’ arguments for pay-to-play, NIL compensation, and portal policies stemmed from issues with coaches capabilities to leave a program at any time. We could argue that many of these coaches came out of school and made minimal salaries to start. Read the article linked in our story about Hatcher, Smart, and Dykes and how these guys all struggled before successful college football coaching careers. Then realize, many others like them never even get beyond that point. They seek employment outside of football. College players today are now making significantly more than what coaches ever made to start with.
What bothers us about Fickell? He led Cincinnati to a 9-3 season, and they received an invitation to play in the Fenway Wasabi Bowl in Boston against Louisville. Fickell signs a contract to go to Wisconsin. Good for him. However, he decides he’s going to coach the Badgers in their bowl game instead of sticking with the team he recruited and developed. They lost humbly to the Cardinals, 21-7. This isn’t right in any respect.
Action speaks louder than his words
These Cincy players had more rights to play under the leadership of the guy who brought them together bringing success to the program as well as to him. He leaves Cincy players to play with a skeleton coaching crew instead of leading them to the height of their final season together, especially players who made it to the College Football Playoff a year ago. That looked pretty darn good on Fickell’s resume. They showed loyalty to him, and they mutually shared success. He should not have abandoned those players who brought him that success to go see what lie ahead of him in Wisconsin. That shows that the only loyalty he had lied with himself. Poor example whenever he needs his future players to stay. He can’t ever teach “loyalty”. He absolutely defied it, sorry to say.
OC Carousel at Western Kentucky reloads
HC Ty Helton of Western Kentucky seems to have problem hanging on to good offensive coordinators, but he may have a good handle on the carousel that seems to have started there. In 2021 finishing 9-5 with a Boca Raton Bowl win over Appy State, QB Bailey Zappe under OC Zach Kittley threw for 62 TDs and 5,967 yards. He set a season record and led the FBS in both categories. Zappe got drafted by the New England Patriots. Kittley joined first-year HC Joey McGuire as his OC at Texas Tech.
In 2022, QB Austin Reed under new WKU OC Ben Arbuckle led the nation in passing again for the Hilltoppers with 4,744 yards and 40 TD passes. Again, the Toppers finished 9-5, and they walloped South Alabama in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
A coach with vision
Reed returns next season, but Arbuckle took an offer at Washington State. Have no fear for the Toppers. Helton’s staff consisted of three OCs this season including Josh Crawford and Zach Lankford. Seems he’s got a successful system and knows how to develop a pipeline. We look forward to seeing what the Toppers will do next season. More on Conference USA later.
Tale of two QBs
In April of 2018, collegefootballfan.com attended the Penn State blue and white game. A major competition unfolded at QB between Sean Clifford and Will Levis. Clifford eventually won the starting position. James Franklin called on Levis for several games, but also played him at various position to catch and carry the ball. In 2019, we saw him used effectively in their win at Maryland in PSU’s 59-0 win. Clifford started at QB, of course.
Levis eventually transferred to Kentucky where he achieved a successful season in 2021. Mel Kiper, Jr. put him on a pedestal in early 2022. Clifford had his share of ups and downs including a leg injury that set him back in 2021. In 2022, we watched both perform. Clifford had a great comeback win against Purdue. The Nittany Lions also dominated Auburn with him at QB in their 41-12 win. However, he struggled against Ohio State with three INTs and a fumble. The Lions even led with 9:46 left to play. Clifford’s turnovers though outweighed his 371 yards passing and three TDs in the 44-31 loss.
We see what Kiper doesn’t
As for Levis, an injury kept him out when we saw his Wildcats fall to South Carolina, 24-14. However, he played in U of K’s 16-6 loss against No. 1 Georgia. His performance was a letdown (20 for 31 passing, 206 yards, one TD, one INT). In the first half, he missed a wide open WR Barrion Brown on a second and one for a long gain into Georgia territory, Levis also lofted a pass far short of his receiver in the end zone. DB Kelee Ringo who was beaten picked it off. On another first period drive, it ended as a three-and -out. Levis threw and Ill-advised pass to the flat completed for no gain on third down. In a showcase game that the Wildcats could have pulled off for a win with their staunch defense this day, Levis played poorly.
Should they play or should they go?
Both Penn State (11-2) and Kentucky (7-6) went on to bowl games. Clifford, in his sixth and final year, played. In the Lions 35-21 Rose Bowl Victory over No. 8 Utah, he completed 16 of 21 for 279 yards and two TDs. Levis opted out as the Wildcats fell to Iowa in the Music City, 21-0. Had he played, Levis could have displayed his talents against a tough Iowa offense instead. Levis can rest on Mel Kiper’s laurels all he wants, but in our draft, we’d take Sean Clifford over Will Levis any day.
We couldn’t see what Kiper saw in either Jake Lockler nor Malik Willis when we watched them play in person for Washington and Liberty respectively during their college football careers. Based on Levis’s performance at UK, we ask the same.
Power Five vs Group of Five
We followed bowls featuring these two FBS categories against one another. We clamor for more of these to be played. Our proposal calls for a selection committee for bowl games to address this in our previous Salvo. In the end, the Group took three of the five meetings. The Group took the biggest prize of all when Tulane (12-2) of the American Athletic rocked No USC of the PAC 12 in the final four minutes of the Cotton Bowl, 46-45.
We want more bowls pitting the Group against Power, a possible misnomer. Tulane should end up in the Top Ten in the final poll. Teams No. 7-10 and No. 12 all lost. Florida State and Oregon State beat unranked 6-6 squads Oklahoma and Florida respectively. Fresno dropped Washington State and Air Force beat Baylor in the Texas cold. Louisville dumped Cincy without Fickell on the sideline as reported earlier. We have to admit that Duke surprised us with their win over UCF.
An old saying to remember
The Florida State and Oregon State bowls would have been much more interesting if these two could have squared off with No. 24 Troy and No. 25 UTSA who played in the Cure Bowl with identical 11-2 records. “Experts” could say the loss by either Power in such games could be chalked up to apathy. However, maybe the “Powers” need to learn they don’t deserve such “elitism” to begin with. As my old high school coach liked to quote (and yours too probably), “They put their pads on one leg at a time, just like everybody else.”
Awakening to the rising SunBelt
We’re glad to hear that QB Grayson McCall of Coastal Carolina pulled back out of the transfer portal and returns to play for the Chanticleers in 2023. The Chants had a good thing going with him under center. An injury against Southern Miss knocked him out for the rest of the season. At 9-1 when he went down, CC got hammered by JMU, 12-2 Troy, and East Carolina in the TicketSmart Bowl. They ended up 9-4. HC Jamey Chadwell announced he’s left for Liberty joining C-USA. CCU hired Tim Beck, OC at NC State, to take over the CCU football program after Chadwell’s departure. Having successfully coached Wolfpack QB Devin Leary, surely, he pitched his experience to McCall to get him to reconsider transferring.
The SunBelt improves as an up-and-coming competitive conference. Troy, South Alabama, Marshall, and newcomer James Madison all displayed improved prowess this season. Apply State and Louisiana took steps back, but they still showed toughness and talent this past year. We look for Texas State under new HC GJ Kinne from FCS Incarnate Word to make an impression with revitalized offense in coming years. The former Tulsa and Philadelphia Eagle QB with ties at Houston Baptist where Western Kentucky coaches and QBs such as Bailey Zappe came from will develop a passing attack to even rival McCall and Coastal. Look for fun and excitement throughout this conference in the very near future.
Conference USA makes our day playing more night games
In 2023, Conference USA loses several members to the American Athletic. UTSA, North Texas, UAB, and Charlotte fill AAC voids left behind as Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF join the Big XII. From the Group to the Power Five, these moves strengthen our position regarding the two FBS “subdivisions”. Stepping into Conference USA come Independents Liberty with new HC Chadwell and improving New Mexico State under HC Jerry Kill. From the FCS come Sam Houston State, FCS champs during the 2020 Spring season and perennial power Jacksonville State (AL). Current SHS HC KC Keeler also won a national championship at Delaware. Jax State comes off a 9-2 season under HC Rich Rodriguez. He’s known for his 172 victories including stints at WVU, Michigan and Arizona. FCS Kennesaw State joins in 2024.
What has collegefootballfan.com excited for the 2023 season comes with the new TV contract for CUSA midweek games similar to MACtion games. Among the remaining five CUSA teams are favorite locals Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. Florida International, Louisiana Tech, and UTEP also stay. All teams will host games for four weeks in October to be played Tuesday-Thursday nights. With MTSU and WKU within an hour drive from our Tennessee HQs, we can bolster our schedule with some good Conference USA games! We can’t wait to start piecing together out 2023 slate with mid-week night games and possibly some new FBS newcomers. The conference changes work to our advantage to keep up by adding new teams to total all 134 in the next few years.
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Ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all! If you like our stories, read all our tales when we saw all 120 FBS teams (at the time of publication) play for the first time. We now offer at two for one deal.
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