ESPN Article about Zook getting fired
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Sorry if I stepped on another thread about this subject...Mods feel free to merge....I just watched an interview with Spurrier and he would not deny coming back to coach the Gators....He just said it wasn't appropriate to comment at this time. Sounds like a deal in the works!!
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Monday, October 25, 2004
Time is right for Florida to move on
<HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1>By Trev Alberts
ESPN Insider
I applaud Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley for admitting his mistake in hiring Ron Zook, by firing Zook in the wake of Florida's loss at Mississippi State last weekend. Things just did not work out for Zook, who went 20-13 with the Gators, and a lot of ADs would not have admitted that so soon.
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Despite his best efforts, Ron Zook just could not get the best out of the talented players he recruited.[/font]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Florida had some of the best recruiting classes in recent years, yet failed to win big games and SEC championships, which says that either the analysts don't have a clue what they're talking about or Zook and his staff couldn't develop talent. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but no matter how you look at it, Zook just didn't get the job done.
And it's easy to see why Foley made this decision now: A schedule that still has Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State would have given Zook plenty of opportunity to turn things around and save his job.
So where does Florida go from here? That depends on how much personal pride the Florida players have. Who knows who the next coach will be, but the seniors have to do everything in their power to keep the team together right now and the younger guys need to do everything they can to assure those seniors go out on the right note.
It might sound crazy, but this situation actually might help the Gators heading into this week's game with Georgia. There is no more speculation and everyone knows what's going on, so now the players can just relax and have fun.
And make no mistake that a lot of the Florida players are going to be angry about this decision. A certain bond is formed between coach and player, and a lot of the Gators will be upset about this whole situation.
Michigan's youngsters are impressive
One team that has nurtured its young talent in the right way is Michigan, which is now sitting atop the Big Ten after a 16-14 win at Purdue last weekend.
Freshman running back Michael Hart is thriving -- he set the school's single-season freshman record against the Boilermakers -- because Lloyd Carr and his staff did not put Hart into big situations until they knew he was able to handle the load both physically and mentally. Hart had only eight carries in the first two games of the year, but has at least 20 in every game since and has topped 30 carries and 200 yards in each of the last two weeks.
The process has been pretty much the same for freshman quarterback Chad Henne, who is getting better every week and adding new elements to the game plan as he is able to handle them from a mental standpoint.
The Wolverines must wish they could play Notre Dame again because the are clearly not the same team that lost to the Irish in South Bend in early September. The offense is much better in terms of the screen game and getting the tight end involved, and the defense also is playing much better.
Michigan was pretty solid on that side of the ball at the beginning of the year, but the defensive backs have come on strong and the entire defense is playing with tremendous confidence right now. If you catch the ball over the middle against the Wolverines, you better have your head on a swivel, because someone is going to come flying at you.
The hit by safety Ernest Shazor that caused Purdue to fumble the ball on its last possession is a perfect example of how defensive coordinator Jim Hermann and his staff have gotten their players to respond and play with so much enthusiasm and effort.
The Wolverines did a remarkable job against Boilermakers quarterback Kyle Orton and favorite target Taylor Stubblefield, who had only one catch for 10 yards in the game, and the Wolverines have proved they are the best team in the Big Ten.
But what's frustrating is that they won't play Wisconsin, the team tied with Michigan atop the Big Ten, in the league's rotating schedule. The Badgers also have a dominating defense and are looking better every week, and if they finish tied with Michigan, they go to the Rose Bowl because the conference tiebreaker gives preference to the team with a longer Rose Bowl drought (remember, Michigan was there just last year).
The Big Ten as a whole has to do something to get that conference a championship game or find a way to avoid situations like this because it is unfair to both teams.
The Boise State system
Dan Hawkins has done a remarkable job at Boise State and Saturday's 33-16 win over Fresno State is just more evidence of that.
The Broncos have a terrific system that gives each player on the team a specific role, and not one will be confined to cheering on the sideline. A player might get into the game specifically because he is an outstanding blocker at wide receiver, or because he does a better job of backside blocking than anyone on the team.
The players are sold on the fact that they can get into the game and do something to make the team go, and when every player knows his specific role, the accountability factor becomes much higher in the film room and in practice. Everyone gives maximum effort on every play and they out-execute the teams they play on a game-to-game basis.
But that's not to say the Broncos could beat Utah or Louisville, the other mid-major teams hoping to break into the BCS. They have more talent than most people think, but they would just not be able to match up physically.
I just can't explain Fresno State, though. The Bulldogs are not the same team today that blew up Washington and Kansas State early this year. Maybe we just sold ourselves too much on Pat Hill's team after it beat up a Washington team that will be firing its coach soon, and manhandled a Kansas State team that has improved immensely over the last few weeks.
Irish eyes are crying
Notre Dame's supposed collapse in a 24-23 loss to Boston College was less about the Irish falling apart and more about the Eagles simply getting it done with the game on the line.
Boston College used to have good running backs who made play-action passes effective once the run was established, but quarterback Paul Peterson turned that around with 383 passing yards -- 297 in the second half -- against Notre Dame, while the Eagles rushed for only 62 yards.
Boston College coach Tom O'Brien doesn't get enough credit for the job he has done in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles are not the fastest or strongest team out there, but you really have to respect the physical nature of their play.
As for Notre Dame, coach Ty Willingham is in his third year and if he can't beat Boston College at home -- no matter how well BC played -- then what are realistic expectations? The Irish cannot qualify for a BCS bowl and might be in danger of missing the postseason altogether, and the talk about Willingham's getting players who fit his system is not really valid anymore.
Trev Alberts is a college football analyst for ESPN and a regular contributor to ESPN.com
