If you're a Clemson fan and you're fretting over Clemson's inconsistency at hitting on deep balls, a look at Dan Wolken's Misery Index should make you feel a good deal better.
Wolken takes particular aim at Ole Miss, which was thought to be a budding powerhouse just a few weeks ago after its conquest of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Only now it’s Year 3, closing time for the vaunted Class of 2013 is coming and what does Freeze have to show for it?
Well, he has two wins against Alabama, which isn’t nothing. But he also now has a loss to Memphis and a season that has gone off the rails just a few weeks after being declared national championship contenders.
And he has a fan base that now realizes, once and for all, that Ole Miss probably is always going to be Ole Miss, and that Freeze’s weaknesses as a coach are not going away.
That’s not a terrible thing, really. Though Ole Miss is not likely to ever win a national title — Who is outside of the bluebloods? — it actually has a marginally better football history than it is usually given credit for. And if Freeze is just a great recruiter and very average coach, that’s probably going to net more wins in the long run at a place like Ole Miss when you have to face Alabama, Auburn, LSU and the rest week in and week out.
Still, this era of Ole Miss football is almost certainly going to go down as a missed opportunity. Nkemdiche, Tunsil, Treadwill and Tony Conner are probably all headed to the NFL draft after this season, and others such as linebacker C.J. Johnson, defensive back Trae Elston and receiver Cody Core will run out of eligibility.
In other words, 2016 always was going to be a rebuilding year for Ole Miss. Which meant that Freeze absolutely had to squeeze the most out of 2015.
And so far, he has not proved capable of doing it.
Wolken also shares an interesting anecdote about Freeze's bitterness toward Memphis:
Back in 2009, he desperately wanted the Memphis job. He had just spent two years at Lambuth, an NAIA school, and was well-known in Memphis because of his background there as a high school coach. He had the backing of the media and some powerful people at FedEx. Instead, the school’s former athletic director chose an alum, Larry Porter, who turned out to be one of the worst hires in recent memory.
Freeze went to Arkansas State as offensive coordinator in 2010 and then head coach the following year, and when he got a chance to play Memphis, he made sure to get his point across. As he settled into his news conference after beating the Tigers 47-3, Freeze asked one of his staff members: “Is the Memphis media coming?” The following week, he went on the radio and made sure everyone knew the score could have been worse had he not let up in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, at Virginia Tech...
We feel pretty confident that some eyebrows were raised inBlacksburg last week when South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier walked away from the game, saying he didn’t want to be one of those coaches who hangs on too long. Well,Frank Beamer is essentially the same age as Spurrier and finds himself in much the same position, coaching a program that is clearly on the decline. Will Beamer step away at the end of this season or force athletics director Whit Babcock to make some difficult and perhaps uncomfortable decisions?
This really felt like a make-or-break year for Beamer. Virginia Tech has gone 7-6, 8-5 and 7-6 the last three seasons even though the ACC has been very mediocre outside of Florida State and Clemson. There was a lot of hope in Blacksburg that this year would be a bounce-back for Beamer, who has shown no indication that he wants to give up coaching.
Losing quarterback Michael Brewer to a broken collarbone in the season opener was bad luck, and maybe it’s not fair to evaluate Virginia Tech fully until next week when he is expected to start. Still, Saturday’s 30-20 loss at Miami continued the general aura of mediocrity that has defined Virginia Tech since the 2011 ACC championship game. Chances to salvage this season are dwindling.
A few more Monday links:
-- Pat Forde of Yahoo! takes a look at how Michigan's botched punt altered the playoff picture.
COTTON BOWL: No. 1 Utah vs. No. 4 Clemson.
The Utes (6-0, 3-0 in the Pac-12) maintain the top spot for a third straight week after dispatching Arizona State 34-18. Opportunistic Utah hit the Sun Devils with a 20-0 fourth quarter, retaking the lead and then pulling away late. And to answer the above question: Beating Michigan in the opener still should count as a quality win – the punter's epic failure isn't enough to wipe out everything the Wolverines have done since that opening loss to Utah. In terms of other schedule dynamics, teams the Utes have previously beaten won three games: Utah State shockingly romped past Boise State and may be poised to win the Mountain West; Oregon stopped the bleeding by beating Washington; and Fresno State got its second win of the season. Jeff Sagarin says Utah has the No. 6 schedule in the country to date, toughest of any team currently in his top 20. Next: at USC Saturday, in a game that has lost luster in the past two weeks as the Trojans have slumped to 3-3.
Clemson (6-0, 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) makes its debut in the Fab Four after a second straight authoritative victory, this time over Boston College, 34-17 – by far the most points the Eagles have allowed this season. That followed a 19-point victory over Georgia Tech, which followed the monsoon thriller against Notre Dame. Instead of peaking against the Fighting Irish and suffering a letdown, Clemson has upgraded its level of play. Quarterback Deshaun Watson in particular is making strides, throwing for a season-high 420 yards against a Boston College defense that was leading the nation in fewest yards and points allowed. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame win continues to gain currency as the Fighting Irish moved to 6-1 with a victory over USC. Next: at Miami, in a potentially tricky game.
-- Bruce Feldman looks at how Pittsburgh has morphed into a contender in the Coastal Division.
First, Pat Narduzzi heard his old team lost to archrival Michigan after they failed to convert a fourth-and-long. Then, a little later, Narduzzi’s wife told him that her brother just called. Michigan State won. Somehow. Some crazy botched punt that got returned for a touchdown as time expired. Even though Narduzzi wears different colors now, he loved hearing how the Spartans won Saturday.
It was already a great day for Narduzzi. His new team, the Pitt Panthers went to Atlanta and beat Georgia Tech on a Chris Blewitt’s 56-yard field goal — the longest in Pitt’s 126-year history of football — to take over first place in the ACC Coastal Division. Not bad for a rookie head coach who has had to play almost the entire season without would-be Heisman contender James Conner.
The Panthers are now 5-1 for the first time since 2009. And they’re a 57-yard Iowa field goal from being 6-0.
“That was a huge win,” Narduzzi told FOX Sports Saturday night. "No one’s really taking notice of what we’re doing, but we’ve had four of our six games on the road. The homestretch is coming."
-- Big-time loss for Florida State's defense.
Florida State has lost a key member of the secondary as defense back Trey Marshall will undergo surgery to repair a torn biceps and miss the rest of the season, coach Jimbo Fisher said.
Fisher told Warchant Radio on Sunday that Marshall could return for a bowl game if his recovery goes well.
Marshall, a sophomore, was injured during Florida State’s 41-21 victory over Louisville on Saturday. The Cardinals immediately exploited Marshall’s absence with two long completions, including a touchdown. Fifth-year senior Tyler Hunter later was replaced by former walk-on Javien Elliott, who recorded the first interception of his career in the third quarter. Elliott, a fifth-year senior, also had two tackles.
-- Big-time loss for Miami's defense with Raphael Kirby out for the year. Gary Ferman of our sister Rivals site says beating Virginia Tech was nice and all, but Clemson is the true test.
Golden was not thrilled about 81 yards in penalties and was astutely focused on the big picture after the game, convening his team captains and instructing them to take charge of mandating the discipline to put an end to them. Rashawn Scott's 15-yarder for unsportsmanlike conduct after Miami's final touchdown was the last straw for Golden.
"They've got to own it, because right now it's sloppy," the coach said. "To get an unsportsmanlike-conduct after a touchdown is a poor reflection on our team and on me, and we've got to get it right."
Golden knows Miami can't get away with that next Saturday against Clemson, probably its last shot for glory in 2015. The season has very quickly reached its halfway point and at 4-2 Miami does not have much to show for its hard work. The Hurricanes are still not-ranked, still not relevant, still the subject of punch lines on national TV. If Saturday's victory over Virginia Tech was a simple beginning for Golden, then imagine what a win over Clemson might mean.
The alternative is not very appealing. So this might be a week to ground the planes and rally around the greater cause. High noon. A full national television audience there to witness what the Miami Hurricanes of 2015 will be.
Will they emerge a legit contender in the ACC with their sights on Charlotte? Or will they again be headed toward also-ran status in a conference nobody respects anyway?
It's one or the other and really is that simple.
-- Here's an original take on a cover. Wow.
LW
