Head Coaches with Excellent Post-Season SU Records

[ritehook]

Here are the bowl coaches (in this season's bowls) who have much better than average straight up win records in the post-season.

Only those coaches listed who are in this year's post season.

Minimum of 4 decision needed to make the list.

Also, the worst bowl records to follow.

BEST SU BOWL RECORDS:

Howard Schnellenberger 5-0 (Fla Atlantic) Howard has done it at several different levels, including when he was head coach of Miami, way back in the last century.

His team plays tonight, underdog to Central Michigan. I'm gonna lay off it, tho.

Butch Davis 4-0 (North Carolina) Plays Satuday, pup to W Va. Butch has done it also at Miami, also last century, but only around a decade ago. I believe he'll have Heels in a Nat'l Champ game within 2-3 years. (I'm still considering a bet on NC on Sat)

Bobby Bowden 20-10-1 (Fla State) Remarkable record by this old timer. And some alumni want to get rid of him - how soon they forget. Dangerous to go against this senior citizen, esp up against a boy like the Wisky HC, Bielema - who is not quite the wizard at bowls as his mentor, Barry Alvarez.

Jeff Tedford 4-1 (California) Should win vs Miami, don't know if they get the cover. I'm on the Under.

Tom O'Brien 6-1 (NC State) Tom brought his winning ways down from Boston, and after a rough start (just like Rutgers) ended up hot as a pistol, and made money for all of Pags loyal followers. I'm still debating with myself whether to bet this game.

Mike Riley 4-0 (Oregon State) Ex-Charger coach is suited to the college game, much like Pete Carroll. Up agaisnt Wannstedt in a few days, who is in his first bowl ever.

Les Miles 4-2 (LSU) In tough this year, vs a hot G Tech bunch.

Mark Richt 5-2 (Georgia) Disappointing season for the pre-season (in some polls) faves to win it all. But still tough in bowls.

Joe Paterno 23-10-1 (Penn St) Everyone knows Joe, even non-footballl fans. Like Bowden, he knows how to prepare his team for the postseason. And as I got the Lions when they were still double digit dogs, I feel pretty good. Go Joe!

Pete Carroll 5-2 (USC) Also knows how to prepare his team postseason, tho he was out-coached in that great champshp game vs Texas a few seasons ago.

Mack Brown 10-6 (Texas) Speaking of that game ---- Brown is tough in bowls, but I won't go near any team that may be suffering what the former Okla coach called "emotional disappointment." They had their heart set on playing in a championship game, and the dream ended with some poll ratings that put them behind Oklahoma.
They may still win and cover vs Buckeyes, but I'm stayin' off.

Urban Meyer 4-1 (Florida) Successful at Utah, and now at Florida.

[Husker36]

Bo Pelini 1-0 (Nebraska) Just FYI

[ritehook]

Here are the coaches in the bowls yet to play who have lost a minimum of 2 game more than they've won, postseason.

Chirs Ault 1-4 (Nevada) Worst bowl record of any HC in the postseason this year. Good HC in general, and has been at Nevada for a long time, bouncing back and forth from coach to AD.

Frank Beamer 6-9 (Va Tech) Surprised? I know I was. Great HC, hasn't measured up in postseason.

Houston Nutt 2-5 (Ole Miss) First year at Ole Miss, winning with Ed Orgeron's recruits. Not too good in bowls in prior stops.

Bob Stoops doesn't qualify for this list (4-5 postseason) but he will likely be up and strong for a national championship, which seems the only postseason contest he's interested in. Looks like he will be without a key player tho

[ritehook]

Bo Pelini 1-0 (Nebraska) Just FYI

Always will be up and comers: Schiano at Rutgers; Gundy at Okie State; whazzisname at Utah.

[Husker36]

Mack Brown 10-6 (Texas) Speaking of that game ---- Brown is tough in bowls, but I won't go near any team that may be suffering what the former Okla coach called "emotional disappointment." They had their heart set on playing in a championship game, and the dream ended with some poll ratings that put them behind Oklahoma.
They may still win and cover vs Buckeyes, but I'm stayin' off.
.

I try to take the "emotional disappointment" into consideration when I look at a game. I feel like Texas Tech falls into that category this bowl season.

HOWEVER, I don't think Texas will come out flat. First of all they are still playing for a shot at the National Championship. They have already been told that it will be split once again IF Oklahoma wins. They play before the OU/FL game so they will want to come out fired up and make a statement against Ohio St. That's my opinion on the Texas game.

[ritehook]

I try to take the "emotional disappointment" into consideration when I look at a game. I feel like Texas Tech falls into that category this bowl season.

HOWEVER, I don't think Texas will come out flat. First of all they are still playing for a shot at the National Championship. They have already been told that it will be split once again IF Oklahoma wins. They play before the OU/FL game so they will want to come out fired up and make a statement against Ohio St. That's my opinion on the Texas game.

I didn't know that, re the "split" championship. Do you have a link to that info?

I too thought at first that T. Tech would be in that category --- but they had a game (vs Baylor) after the big blowout by Sooners.
If the Oklahoma game had been their season finale, maybe. But after coming out flat vs Baylor, they recovered to win, SU. I think they should be up for their bowl game. To show the world they're not the clunkers they seem to be in Norman.

[Husker36]

I've heard a lot on television and radio about the split championship for Texas. The best info I could find on line was at http://www.sportsline.com/collegefoo...story/11147465

National championship for Texas could come from APDec. 2, 2008
CBSSports.com wire reports

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NEW YORK -- The best chance Texas has to be crowned national champion this season likely lies with the members of the media who vote in the Associated Press college football poll.
Advertisement
The Longhorns are the latest team to feel slighted by the Bowl Championship Series, though the twist this time was coach Mack Brown's team has the Big 12 to blame as much as the BCS standings.
Oklahoma, which lost 45-35 to Texas in October, slipped ahead of the Longhorns in the latest BCS standings and earned a spot in the Big 12 title game against Missouri on Saturday.
The Big 12 had to go to its fifth tiebreaker, best BCS ranking, to break a three-way tie in its South Division between Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. All had 11-1 records. Oklahoma beat Texas Tech and Texas Tech beat Texas.
The tiebreaker not only put the Sooners in position to win the league championship, but a win against Missouri virtually guarantees Oklahoma a spot in the BCS national title game in Miami on Jan. 8 against the winner of the Southeastern Conference championship.
But Texas still has hope.
"There is a lot left out there to play for and crazy things happen all the time in college football so who knows where we'll end up," Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy said late Sunday night.
If Missouri beats Oklahoma, Texas is the presumptive next-in-line to reach the BCS title game. The Tigers (9-3) don't seem to be up to the task of stopping the Sooners, who have scored at least 60 points in their last four games.
Missouri is a 17-point underdog, and its only two losses last season were to Oklahoma.
Depending on the Tigers leaves the Longhorns a long shot to get to Miami.
Texas might be better off turning its attention to the AP poll.
If Alabama were to win the BCS title game, the Tide would be undefeated and undisputed national champs. Florida goes into the SEC title game ranked second in the AP poll, so logic dictates the Gators would jump to No. 1 by beating the Tide and stay there if they win the BCS championship game.
Texas was No. 3 in the last AP Top 25, ahead of Oklahoma by eight points. Unlike USA Today coaches' poll voters, who are required to put the BCS championship game winner No. 1 on their final ballots, the 65 AP voters don't have to put the winner of that game on top of their final ballots.

[Seattle Slew]

Bowden has been amazing the last few years, all his teams have been underdogs and they covered against Penn St., UCLA (won outright) and almost won last year, and covered against Kentucky, despite suspending a bunch of players the week of the game.

But Bowden as a favorite? Not touching it, despite Wisconsin's bad year. I'll take the points in that one.

[ritehook]

Gee, I don't know, husker.

The stories you linked or posted were done before the Big 12 championship game, with suppositions as to what would happen if Mizzou had won.

There likely is a lot of hopeful guessing on sports talk radio (esp in Texas!!) about a split nat'l championship. And the Mack Brown propaganda machine may have a hand in that kind of talk.

Hard to see it, tho.

[ZBOIZ]

Also Les Miles is 3-0 at LSU

[pags11]

thanks for this list rite-hook...

[hhsilver]

Thanks, ritehook. interesting stuff. Do you have the records handy for the coaches of teams that already played. I guess I could look it up myself, but right now - too lazy and too busy.

[ritehook]

Bowden has been amazing the last few years, all his teams have been underdogs and they covered against Penn St., UCLA (won outright) and almost won last year, and covered against Kentucky, despite suspending a bunch of players the week of the game.

But Bowden as a favorite? Not touching it, despite Wisconsin's bad year. I'll take the points in that one.

I'm not betting this game either. At least not any side. Still haven't looked at totals for any late Dec or Jan games! Gotta do that today . . . along with 20 other things

[ritehook]

thanks for this list rite-hook...

The stats come from Steele's preseason mag. I know you're a big fan of it, and of course I always buy it too. But it could be a lot better - Steele has one foot in touting, pointspreads, all that, and the other foot in the college foots establishment, which views gambling on the games as a cardinal sin. And so while he gives the coach's SU bowl records, he has nothing about their ATS records.

The mix of uselsss past histories (esp in the Position Outlook section) and the lack of acknowlegment that people (incl most of those who buy his book) bet these games reduces the value of his effort. Still, for ten bucks it's still a great buy. (Tho his NFL book is worse than useless.)

(Wish the Gold Sheet would go back to putting out their late summer pre-season mag, and print version, not online)

[ritehook]

Thanks, ritehook. interesting stuff. Do you have the records handy for the coaches of teams that already played. I guess I could look it up myself, but right now - too lazy and too busy.

As noted in my reply to pags, the info comes from Steele's preseason book. As I recall, none of the coaches in games already played made either the best or the worst list.

[The Seer]

Bob Stoops doesn't qualify for this list (4-5 postseason) but he will likely be up and strong for a national championship, which seems the only postseason contest he's interested in. Looks like he will be without a key player tho

I still think about these games, some which had Nat. Champ. implications. Not up and strong for these:

2004 Sugar Bowl -- LSU 21, Oklahoma 14. That was the game after the Big 12 title debacle. The Sooners, favored by three points, never led. Heisman Trophy winner Jason White was helpless against Nick Saban's defense, completing just 13 of 37 passes for 102 yards with two interceptions.

2005 Orange Bowl -- USC 55, Oklahoma 19. This was a toss-up game -- the Trojans were favored by a point -- and Oklahoma utterly collapsed, turning the ball over five times and surrendering 540 yards. It was 55-10 before the Sooners added some window dressing to a busted-out pane.

2007 Fiesta Bowl -- Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42, OT. The world remembers that the Broncos needed a phenomenal flurry of perfectly executed trick plays to win this game. But the fact is, seven-point underdog Boise State controlled the game until an 18-point Sooners rally in the fourth quarter set up the frantic finish.

2008 Fiesta Bowl -- West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28. Once again, the Sooners were jumped early by a touchdown underdog. This time, they didn't recover at all, giving up 525 yards of offense to a team that barely used its most explosive player (Steve Slaton) and had been held to nine points in its previous game by Pittsburgh.

Stoops had no explanations for these losses.

[ritehook]

I still think about these games, some which had Nat. Champ. implications. Not up and strong for these:

2004 Sugar Bowl -- LSU 21, Oklahoma 14. That was the game after the Big 12 title debacle. The Sooners, favored by three points, never led. Heisman Trophy winner Jason White was helpless against Nick Saban's defense, completing just 13 of 37 passes for 102 yards with two interceptions.

2005 Orange Bowl -- USC 55, Oklahoma 19. This was a toss-up game -- the Trojans were favored by a point -- and Oklahoma utterly collapsed, turning the ball over five times and surrendering 540 yards. It was 55-10 before the Sooners added some window dressing to a busted-out pane.

2007 Fiesta Bowl -- Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42, OT. The world remembers that the Broncos needed a phenomenal flurry of perfectly executed trick plays to win this game. But the fact is, seven-point underdog Boise State controlled the game until an 18-point Sooners rally in the fourth quarter set up the frantic finish.

2008 Fiesta Bowl -- West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28. Once again, the Sooners were jumped early by a touchdown underdog. This time, they didn't recover at all, giving up 525 yards of offense to a team that barely used its most explosive player (Steve Slaton) and had been held to nine points in its previous game by Pittsburgh.

Stoops had no explanations for these losses.

Right.

But if memory serves (don't have time to check records) none of those games were for the national title.

I recall that last season Stoops tried to get the nabobs at BCS to change his matchup, with W. Va. He wanted to get into a "better" bowl, I think vs Va Tech.

Bob clearly has big britches.

Teams and coaches that let down if they don't get into the game they think they deserve are nothing new, and are - from the bettor's viewpoint - the biggest blot on the whole bowl concept. (Every team in top 30 in college hoops dreams of winning the NCAA tournament, and ALL the teams try hard, even the 16s vs the 1s)

A few years ago Belotti admitted that his team did not play well in their (non-BCS) bowl, because they were aced out of a BCS game. (By Mack Brown's persuasive effort to get his Horns into the one BCS bowl remaining, at the Ducks expense)

Long before the BCS breech birthed into existence, teams like USC and UCLA would routinely mail it in if they drew any bowl other than the Rose. I recall once a USC coach was fired after losing to some non-entity in the California Raisin Bowl!!!

Emotions always must be factored in when dealing with 19, 20, and 21 years olds. (And since these boards have a LOT of guys in that age group --- best spending group of them all, congrats to the SBR owners! - they above all know what I mean!)