Rowland: 10 Monday thoughts on the bowl, coaching carousel & more
The end of the college football regular season has given way to preparations for bowl games. College basketball is heating up. The coaching carousel is in full force, and recruiting news is flying around every hour.
Here are 10 Monday thoughts on a range of topics related to Kentucky sports.
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Northwestern should open as a solid favorite against Kentucky but not for the reason most people are saying.
Northwestern under Pat Fitzgerald is known for a "keep you off balance" spread offense that isn't always among the nation's most explosive, but is frequently one of the most efficient. It's a program that has often overperformed offensively relative to its talent.
But this year's Wildcat team has been better served by its defense. Northwestern is surrendering less than 20 points per game and its run defense has been fantastic. Fitzgerald's defense has allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in half of their games. More impressive, the second-best rushing performance against Northwestern this year was a 142-yard game by Nevada in the season opener. Yes, 11 of Northwestern's 12 opponents have rushed for fewer than 150 yards.
Kentucky is better equipped to pound the rock against Northwestern than most of the teams it has faced, but unless the UK passing game provides some balance, not even Benny Snell will be enough to outscore Northwestern with the way they have slowed the run. This is a team that held Wisconsin to 37 carries for 109 yards.
Northwestern has allowed one rushing touchdown in its last seven games.
Don't let anyone tell you Kentucky doesn't have a chance.
While Northwestern has been better than Kentucky over the last seven weeks (and it hasn't really been close), there are plenty of reasons to believe the game could be close. For starters, the long month-long grind of bowl preparation leaves plenty of possibilities on the table. You never know what injuries, trends or developments might arise over the next few weeks.
More important to remember is the fact that Northwestern has not exactly been facing great opponents over the last few weeks. They did beat Iowa and Michigan State back in mid-October, and yes, they've eviscerated the last couple of teams they've faced (Minnesota 39-0, Illinois 42-7). But Kentucky handled Vanderbilt easily. It's been the most talented teams on Kentucky's schedule that have given them the biggest problems. Northwestern is a very good team, but they aren't exactly one of the most talented teams the Cats have faced. Coming up with a great game plan will be important.
Northwestern is pedestrian in some statistical categories, if you're inclined towards optimism (only a 17/12 TD/INT ratio, just 35-percent on 3rd downs). It will be a tough game, but Kentucky isn't facing one of the most talented teams in the Big Ten.
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Thoughts on Alabama getting the playoff nod over Ohio State.
I was watching SEC Network and Big Ten Network commentators preview the playoff selection committee's choice early yesterday, and both were more biased than any cable news network (in either direction). If you were looking for an honest assessment of the Tide's case versus the Buckeyes, you wouldn't get it there.
I heard a lot of people apply the "common sense" argument in favor of Alabama, but I don't think it really applied this year. Alabama's linebacking corps has been devastated and over the last month they beat a solid but not great LSU team 24-10, they survived Mississippi State and they lost to Auburn by a dozen. In the same span of time Ohio State has blown out Michigan State, beaten Michigan and defeated a 12-0 Wisconsin team. In all honesty, I don't know who would win between Alabama and Ohio State right now.
All that said, I think the committee got it right because it would have been a horrible look for an Ohio State team with a 15-point home loss and a 31-point loss to Iowa to play in the sport's great postseason semifinal. We know Ohio State is perfectly capable of laying an egg, but even Alabama's worst performance should make it interesting against Clemson.
Sneaky good bowl games you won't want to miss.
I'm not talking about the big ones, like Ohio State-USC, TCU-Stanford or Michigan State-Washington State, but down the bowl lineup there are some matchups you'll want to carve time out for this year.
Boston College-Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl is an intriguing game between two physical teams. Iowa has shown its capable of playing at a very high level while Boston College coach Steve Addazio is no longer on the hot seat after the Eagles turned things around in a big way this year.
The Kansas State-UCLA Cactus Bowl should be exciting, as a pair of quality quarterbacks for the two teams will put up a lot of points.
If you've never gotten excited about the Foster Farms Bowl, now's the time to start. Purdue's Jeff Brohm has turned down Tennessee and his overachieving Boilermaker team takes on an explosive offense from Arizona.
The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl should be fun, between Missouri and Texas, with the Tigers as one of the nation's most improved teams in the country in the second half of the season.
USA TODAY Sports
Winners in the early part of the college football coaching carousel.
For my money, UCLA, Nebraska, Florida and Texas A&M have all knocked it out of the park with their new head coaching hires. Chip Kelly should elevate the Bruins in short order, Scott Frost is a hot up-and-coming coaching prospect back at his alma mater, Dan Mullen is the perfect fit at Florida and the Aggies locked down a coach with a national championship and still enough of a national brand to make a splash. All four programs and fan bases should feel excellent about how their hiring processes turned out.
Oregon or Florida State will fall into the winner category depending on Willie Taggart's decision. He's done a solid job of building a foundation in Eugene, after things fell apart under Mark Helfrich, but he would also be a very natural fit with the Seminoles.
Losers in the coaching carousel thus far.
There's Tennessee, of course. They don't have a coach. The Volunteers could still land a good one, but I'd bet against it. The toxic atmosphere in Knoxville has done real damage to the prestige of the coaching position at Tennessee.
I'd have to throw Ole Miss in, the more I think about it. I know quite a bit about Matt Luke and he's got a good reputation and did a good job this year, but is he really the coach to drag the Rebels through harsh sanctions and keep some relevance in the West? And Oregon State....really no impact on Kentucky here, but the name Jonathan Smith isn't going to do anything to rally recruits or move the needle right off the bat.
Wait and see: Mississippi State, Arkansas.
Joe Moorhead could turn out to be a slam dunk hire for Mississippi State. You have to appreciate the speed and the precision of the Bulldogs' coaching search, at least compared to what has transpired at Tennessee. There's an administration in Starkville that knows who they are. They didn't fiddle around with a bunch of names that were pipe dreams. Rather, they identified one of the top assistant coaches in the country (and a coach, in Moorhead, who is known for being a real schemer...Important, because MSU will never outrecruit Alabama, Auburn or LSU) and moved quickly.
Mike Norvell appears to be the frontrunner for the Arkansas job and although Gus Malzahn would have been a monster hire, the Razorbacks could do a lot worse than Norvell. However, I wouldn't slide the Razorbacks into the "winner" column if they lock down the Memphis coach. It's tough to know how good a job Norvell has really done there, because Justin Fuente laid the foundation in Memphis, and Norvell has capitalized on it.
Will any of this carousel turning impact Kentucky? Will UK staff members leave for new opportunities elsewhere? It's too early to say but that's what we're watching.
Tyler Bentley
Kentucky parts ways with defensive line commitment Tyler Bentley.
Who couldn't see that coming?
For a while I was hearing that Kentucky didn't think Bentley was really all that serious about other schools, and that's why they hadn't parted ways sooner. But when Bentley visited Pitt and hinted that his interest in the Panthers was real, Kentucky made the move to sever ties last night, sources tell me.
Bentley has confirmed the "uncommitted" status and isn't eager to talk about it. My guess is he understood this was a strong possibility when he flirted with the Panthers. He simply didn't have the leverage to handle the process that way. Some players do and can drag a school along, but Bentley is not one of them.
The end of the college football regular season has given way to preparations for bowl games. College basketball is heating up. The coaching carousel is in full force, and recruiting news is flying around every hour.
Here are 10 Monday thoughts on a range of topics related to Kentucky sports.
USA TODAY Sports
Northwestern should open as a solid favorite against Kentucky but not for the reason most people are saying.
Northwestern under Pat Fitzgerald is known for a "keep you off balance" spread offense that isn't always among the nation's most explosive, but is frequently one of the most efficient. It's a program that has often overperformed offensively relative to its talent.
But this year's Wildcat team has been better served by its defense. Northwestern is surrendering less than 20 points per game and its run defense has been fantastic. Fitzgerald's defense has allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in half of their games. More impressive, the second-best rushing performance against Northwestern this year was a 142-yard game by Nevada in the season opener. Yes, 11 of Northwestern's 12 opponents have rushed for fewer than 150 yards.
Kentucky is better equipped to pound the rock against Northwestern than most of the teams it has faced, but unless the UK passing game provides some balance, not even Benny Snell will be enough to outscore Northwestern with the way they have slowed the run. This is a team that held Wisconsin to 37 carries for 109 yards.
Northwestern has allowed one rushing touchdown in its last seven games.
Don't let anyone tell you Kentucky doesn't have a chance.
While Northwestern has been better than Kentucky over the last seven weeks (and it hasn't really been close), there are plenty of reasons to believe the game could be close. For starters, the long month-long grind of bowl preparation leaves plenty of possibilities on the table. You never know what injuries, trends or developments might arise over the next few weeks.
More important to remember is the fact that Northwestern has not exactly been facing great opponents over the last few weeks. They did beat Iowa and Michigan State back in mid-October, and yes, they've eviscerated the last couple of teams they've faced (Minnesota 39-0, Illinois 42-7). But Kentucky handled Vanderbilt easily. It's been the most talented teams on Kentucky's schedule that have given them the biggest problems. Northwestern is a very good team, but they aren't exactly one of the most talented teams the Cats have faced. Coming up with a great game plan will be important.
Northwestern is pedestrian in some statistical categories, if you're inclined towards optimism (only a 17/12 TD/INT ratio, just 35-percent on 3rd downs). It will be a tough game, but Kentucky isn't facing one of the most talented teams in the Big Ten.
USA TODAY Sports
Thoughts on Alabama getting the playoff nod over Ohio State.
I was watching SEC Network and Big Ten Network commentators preview the playoff selection committee's choice early yesterday, and both were more biased than any cable news network (in either direction). If you were looking for an honest assessment of the Tide's case versus the Buckeyes, you wouldn't get it there.
I heard a lot of people apply the "common sense" argument in favor of Alabama, but I don't think it really applied this year. Alabama's linebacking corps has been devastated and over the last month they beat a solid but not great LSU team 24-10, they survived Mississippi State and they lost to Auburn by a dozen. In the same span of time Ohio State has blown out Michigan State, beaten Michigan and defeated a 12-0 Wisconsin team. In all honesty, I don't know who would win between Alabama and Ohio State right now.
All that said, I think the committee got it right because it would have been a horrible look for an Ohio State team with a 15-point home loss and a 31-point loss to Iowa to play in the sport's great postseason semifinal. We know Ohio State is perfectly capable of laying an egg, but even Alabama's worst performance should make it interesting against Clemson.
Sneaky good bowl games you won't want to miss.
I'm not talking about the big ones, like Ohio State-USC, TCU-Stanford or Michigan State-Washington State, but down the bowl lineup there are some matchups you'll want to carve time out for this year.
Boston College-Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl is an intriguing game between two physical teams. Iowa has shown its capable of playing at a very high level while Boston College coach Steve Addazio is no longer on the hot seat after the Eagles turned things around in a big way this year.
The Kansas State-UCLA Cactus Bowl should be exciting, as a pair of quality quarterbacks for the two teams will put up a lot of points.
If you've never gotten excited about the Foster Farms Bowl, now's the time to start. Purdue's Jeff Brohm has turned down Tennessee and his overachieving Boilermaker team takes on an explosive offense from Arizona.
The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl should be fun, between Missouri and Texas, with the Tigers as one of the nation's most improved teams in the country in the second half of the season.
USA TODAY Sports
Winners in the early part of the college football coaching carousel.
For my money, UCLA, Nebraska, Florida and Texas A&M have all knocked it out of the park with their new head coaching hires. Chip Kelly should elevate the Bruins in short order, Scott Frost is a hot up-and-coming coaching prospect back at his alma mater, Dan Mullen is the perfect fit at Florida and the Aggies locked down a coach with a national championship and still enough of a national brand to make a splash. All four programs and fan bases should feel excellent about how their hiring processes turned out.
Oregon or Florida State will fall into the winner category depending on Willie Taggart's decision. He's done a solid job of building a foundation in Eugene, after things fell apart under Mark Helfrich, but he would also be a very natural fit with the Seminoles.
Losers in the coaching carousel thus far.
There's Tennessee, of course. They don't have a coach. The Volunteers could still land a good one, but I'd bet against it. The toxic atmosphere in Knoxville has done real damage to the prestige of the coaching position at Tennessee.
I'd have to throw Ole Miss in, the more I think about it. I know quite a bit about Matt Luke and he's got a good reputation and did a good job this year, but is he really the coach to drag the Rebels through harsh sanctions and keep some relevance in the West? And Oregon State....really no impact on Kentucky here, but the name Jonathan Smith isn't going to do anything to rally recruits or move the needle right off the bat.
Wait and see: Mississippi State, Arkansas.
Joe Moorhead could turn out to be a slam dunk hire for Mississippi State. You have to appreciate the speed and the precision of the Bulldogs' coaching search, at least compared to what has transpired at Tennessee. There's an administration in Starkville that knows who they are. They didn't fiddle around with a bunch of names that were pipe dreams. Rather, they identified one of the top assistant coaches in the country (and a coach, in Moorhead, who is known for being a real schemer...Important, because MSU will never outrecruit Alabama, Auburn or LSU) and moved quickly.
Mike Norvell appears to be the frontrunner for the Arkansas job and although Gus Malzahn would have been a monster hire, the Razorbacks could do a lot worse than Norvell. However, I wouldn't slide the Razorbacks into the "winner" column if they lock down the Memphis coach. It's tough to know how good a job Norvell has really done there, because Justin Fuente laid the foundation in Memphis, and Norvell has capitalized on it.
Will any of this carousel turning impact Kentucky? Will UK staff members leave for new opportunities elsewhere? It's too early to say but that's what we're watching.
Tyler Bentley
Kentucky parts ways with defensive line commitment Tyler Bentley.
Who couldn't see that coming?
For a while I was hearing that Kentucky didn't think Bentley was really all that serious about other schools, and that's why they hadn't parted ways sooner. But when Bentley visited Pitt and hinted that his interest in the Panthers was real, Kentucky made the move to sever ties last night, sources tell me.
Bentley has confirmed the "uncommitted" status and isn't eager to talk about it. My guess is he understood this was a strong possibility when he flirted with the Panthers. He simply didn't have the leverage to handle the process that way. Some players do and can drag a school along, but Bentley is not one of them.
