|
| ||
Sport Sections |
||
|
|
||
| | ||||||
| Friday, November 17 Plenty of candidates for Coach of the Year By Lee Corso Special to ESPN.com | ||||||
| Has the SEC stumbled this year, or are the teams so good that they continually beat up on one another? Wade Smith, Oxford, Miss. It's a little bit of both. The lower echelon teams in the SEC have stumbled a bit and Tennessee is not the great football team this year that we're used to seeing. But Florida and Mississippi State are extremely good teams. I still think the SEC is the best conference in college football. How is it that Gary Barnett is going to keep his job after losing to CSU, Kansas and Iowa State? I know coach Neuheisel brought the CU program down a little, but this far is inexcusable. Brett Thompson, Longmont, Colo. Coach Barnett has had a tough time adjusting to Rick Neuheisel's players that were still at CSU when Barnett came in. That happens. You can't criticize a coach until he fails to win with players he recruited. Because of injuries to FSU's backfield last week, how will John Hoke and the Gator defense adjust to what will be an apparent lack of a running attack by the Seminoles? Randy Collier, Ormond Beach, Fla. You forget Travis Minor is still there. Greg Jones is a tremendous young freshman running back. Then there's Nick Maddox -- the nation's top prep running back a few years ago -- who's moved back from flanker to running back. FSU will have no problems with their running attack. The secret to Florida winning that game is putting a lot of points on the board and outscoring the Noles.
Steve Hart, Alpharetta, Ga. I like Clemson's situation. They've recovered from the shellacking Florida State gave them. The game is in Death Valley, and that should be the difference. Hello Mr. Corso, I am a big fan of yours. You were correct about the Vols this season; what bowl do you predict for them? Sonteral Martin, Keflavik, Iceland Don't give up on them going to the Citrus Bowl; that thing is still all messed up. If the Vols can win out and the Citrus Bowl people have a choice, they might pick Tennessee. They'd be as good a team as anybody. The Outback Bowl in Tampa is a possibility, too. What do you think about the Big 12 having five schools in the Top 15 in the latest BCS poll? Do you the think the Big 12 is finally becoming a power conference? Chris Donnelly, Austin, Texas Yes, the Big 12 is becoming a power conference. The problem they have is their lower echelon teams often get beaten badly out of conference and it makes the Big 12 look bad. They are becoming what we thought they'd be when they were formed; one of the best conferences in college football. It was a honor to see you in person this past weekend and even more a tribute to see you with the twelfth man towel during the Gameday Show. As a team, where do you think A&M stands this season, since we moved up in both polls and the BCS rankings? How do you feel about the talent returning to our team and where do you think we stand in for the upcoming season next year? Ryan Smith, College Station, Texas A&M is a very good football team that could have (and should have) beaten Oklahoma last weekend. They had first and goal on the four; they should have punched it in. They had a couple other opportunities they just couldn't capitalize on, so they really have no one to blame but themselves. They are ranked lower than they should be. I've seen that are ranked in the 18-22 range, and the Aggies are as good as those teams. They've got some excellent people coming back; I like their team next year. If both Oregon State and Washington win this week, will Oregon State even be considered for a BCS bowl, and should they? Kyle Bebout, Portland, Ore. Oregon State could be considered for a BCS bowl, but their ranking right now depends upon who above them loses. Don't even try to figure out the BCS; just keep praying! Just when I thought the Alabama head coach search would be normal, I'm hearing the rumor that Jimmy Johnson might be the next coach here at The Capstone. What is your opinion on the next coach at Bama? Andrew, Tuscaloosa, Ala. I have no idea who the next coach at Alabama will be. I don't think Johnson would come out of the Keys to go to Alabama. He's not a Tuscaloosa- type guy now. Do you think that Georgia Tech will get into New Year's Day bowl if the beat Maryland and Georgia? Dan, Atlanta The bowl situation is too difficult to figure out right now, because everything depends upon these last two games. But I'll tell you what, Georgia Tech certainly deserves to play in a major bowl game, and I'd hate to coach against them. What do you think of Air Force this year? Do they deserve to be in the national polls this year? Stan Cole, Las Vegas Air Force is a very good team. Fisher DeBerry always puts together a great team. The last quarter rally against Colorado State in the snowstorm was one of the most memorable games of the year. Air Force deserves to be in the Top 25, and will be tough to beat in a bowl game. If Mississippi State wins the West, do you think they can beat Florida twice in one season? Joe LaRue, Austin, Texas Absolutely. Because they beat them with the running attack. Passing is hot and cold, but running is a constant. Mississippi State could definitely beat Florida in Atlanta. Do you wish you could of been at both the OU-A&M game and the KSU-NU game? Ryne Witt, Coppell, Texas That would have been nice, but ESPN didn't charter a plane for us this time. We should put you in charge of travel. It's too bad we couldn't get to Manhattan, because I was very proud of K-State's fourth quarter rally to beat Nebraska. p.s. -- I picked K-State to win this one not only the day of the game, but back in August. Do you think Toledo (9-1) will get into a bowl game, even though they probably won't be in the MAC Championship? Pat Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio They could go out to the Humanitarian Bowl. But it's hard to say; the bowl situation is so confusing, it would take a computer geek to figure it out, and I'm not one of them. Why is there no mention of Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech? He leads the Big East in rushing, has a great average, and leads the NATION in scoring? Craig Settimo, Blacksburg Va. Michael Vick overshadowed him and received all of the publicity. When you think of Virginia Tech, you think of Vick. When Vick is gone, Suggs will receive a lot more publicity. Hey Lee, Do you think that Dennis Erickson has a chance of coach of the year, and what do you think of his job at Oregon State? Kevin Edge, Klamath Falls, Oregon There's no question Erickson has a chance at Coach of the Year, but his instate rival, Mike Bellotti has a good chance, too. Then there's Lou Holtz and Bob Stoops and Randy Walker. This is a wide open race; there are a lot of guys who deserve national recognition for coach of the year. But Erickson has done a wonderful job. | ALSO SEE Not so fast: Questions for Corso AUDIO/VIDEO  Lee Corso on how he would rank the nation's top college football teams.wav: 1180 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||
|
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Click here for a list of employment opportunities at ESPN.com. |
