BAMAPHIN 22
FinHeaven Elite
1. Pete Carroll, USC: I find it pretty amusing that some people have chosen to blame Carroll -- specifically his ill-fated fourth-and-two call -- for the Rose Bowl loss to Texas. The guy won 34 straight games, people. I don't think he suddenly forgot how to coach with two minutes left in the Rose Bowl.
2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: Similarly, one disappointing 8-4 season in what we all knew going in was going to be a rebuilding situation does not override Stoops' 60-7 record and three national title appearances in the five years before that. If things don't get better this season, then maybe we'll talk.
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: His teams continue to exhibit the hallmark of good coaching: They get better as the season goes on. With an entirely new D-line last year, the Hawkeyes gave up 314 rushing yards to Ohio State on Sept. 24. Seven weeks later they held Brian Calhoun and Wisconsin to 19.
4. Mack Brown, Texas: I'm sure there are still plenty of die-hard Mack haters out there who will contend he lucked out with Vince Young, but the guy's got to be doing something right: His 56-8 record is the best in the country over the past five years, and he hasn't won fewer than nine games in a season since 1995.
5. Jim Tressel, Ohio State: Over the past two years we've watched the traditionally conservative Tressel reinvent his offense around the playmaking abilities of electrifying QB Troy Smith while still maintaining his usual emphasis on defense and special teams.
For more see Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/stewart_mandel/06/28/mandel.mailbag/index.html
2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: Similarly, one disappointing 8-4 season in what we all knew going in was going to be a rebuilding situation does not override Stoops' 60-7 record and three national title appearances in the five years before that. If things don't get better this season, then maybe we'll talk.
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: His teams continue to exhibit the hallmark of good coaching: They get better as the season goes on. With an entirely new D-line last year, the Hawkeyes gave up 314 rushing yards to Ohio State on Sept. 24. Seven weeks later they held Brian Calhoun and Wisconsin to 19.
4. Mack Brown, Texas: I'm sure there are still plenty of die-hard Mack haters out there who will contend he lucked out with Vince Young, but the guy's got to be doing something right: His 56-8 record is the best in the country over the past five years, and he hasn't won fewer than nine games in a season since 1995.
5. Jim Tressel, Ohio State: Over the past two years we've watched the traditionally conservative Tressel reinvent his offense around the playmaking abilities of electrifying QB Troy Smith while still maintaining his usual emphasis on defense and special teams.
For more see Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/stewart_mandel/06/28/mandel.mailbag/index.html