In honor of countdown day 7, it's David Williams of the 1973 Auburn Tigers, on a playing card no less.
A lot of coaching changes this past week, some that could alter bowl games, some that feature both teams in need of a coach and some with a new coach already in place but who will watch from the sky box to assess his new team while enjoying sponsor provided hooch and giant shrimp cocktail.
Let's look at the games with coaching changes.
Belk Bowl - Cincinnati vs. Duke. Butch Jones is gone to Tennessee after sniffing around the open jobs at Colorado and bowl bound Purdue. Good luck Butch, the eyes of Vol Nation are upon you. I don't think Butch being gone will affect the outcome of this game one bit, U.C. wins. Bearcat fans are getting good at showing indignation at coaches leaving them after three years. That's what happens when you play in a small stadium that's often half filled and play in the quickly disintegrating Big East. On a positive note, they serve beer at U.C. games.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl - North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt. The Wolfpack have gone to four straight bowl games but have not reached the ACC title game so adios Tom O'Brien. I think this could have been one of the more even games but with O'Brien gone Vandy gets the edge. Hey U.C., give O'Brien a call. He was very good at Boston College. And Vandy, better keep an eye on your coach James Franklin, bigger schools may come calling.
Heart of Dallas Bowl - Purdue vs. Oklahoma State. The Boilermakers bid farewell to Danny Hope. Great mustache, probably a nice guy. No difference, the Cowboys should destroy the Boilers. Move this one up high in your confidence bowl pick game.
Rose Bowl - Wisconsin vs. Stanford. Biggest surprise coaching change of the week, Bret Bielema taking the job at Arkansas and leaving the Badgers in the lurch. AD and former head coach Barry Alvarez will coach the team at the game. Don't think it will make a difference, Stanford is the pick here. And for your viewing pleasure, Bret Bielema without his customary coaching shent.
He's going to fit in at Arkansas just fine. Maybe hang out with John Daly. (Also, see Golden Corral comment above.)
Discover Orange Bowl - Northern Illinois vs. Florida State. The Huskies Dave Doeren managed to get a MAC team into a BCS game for the first time and then split for more money at North Carolina State. That's how college coaching works. No difference here - the Seminoles are used to padding their record playing weaker teams and will crush the Huskies. I was going to post the heavy, shirtless fan in the stands made famous on the internet from NC State's win over FSU but the Bielema picture is probably enough for now.
GoDaddy.com Bowl - Kent State vs. Arkansas State. The double whammy of coaching changes. Both schools had their head coaches split for bigger jobs. Kent's Darrell Hazell took the job at Purdue while Arkansas State's Gus Malzahn returns to Auburn where he was offensive coordinator under Gene Chizik who got the boot after winning a national championship two years prior. They ain't patient down in Alabama and Chizik lucked into Cam Newton anyhow. This game was a toss up before the changes and remains one.
I think that's everyone, for now.
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