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The Pirate: Someone knows how to partyThe pirate is back.
Washington State has hired Mike Leach to coach its football team. College football -- amid every kind of controversy currently stirring -- just got a little brighter.
Leach will have his work cut out for him. The Cougars have sat in the basement of the Pac-10 for a number of years having to compete against the likes of Oregon and Stanford year in and year out.
They were 4-8 this season and 9-40 under Paul Wulff. Washington State's last bowl game was in 2003 and considering there are 400 bowl games, that's borderline shocking.
It's easy to remember just how awesome Leach was. In 10 season at Texas Tech, Leach led his teams to 10 bowls and an astounding 84-43 record including at least one flirtation with a national title.
Leach, as we last remember, was unceremoniously fired from Tech after Craig James threw a hissy fit over his dumb kid being locked in a utility closet. You've got a feeling that there were power issues within the university's elite which probably led to Leach's ouster. Coaches have done a lot worse to other kids and kept their jobs. You don't fire a guy like Leach over locking a kid in a closet.
Leach will have Washington State good in two seasons.
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In bad news, Kansas cut ties with Turner Gill after two seasons. The Jayhawks went 5-19 in that span and won only one conference game (a comeback win over Colorado).
Immediately you have to start wondering about this move. Typically, no matter what, coaches get three or four years to win, in order for their recruits to make an impact. Gill was given two. When asked, athletic director Warde Manuel kind of argued against his own decision:
"Traditionally, it's probably more of an after four-year decision, but there have been several institutions over the past few years that have started to make decisions on coaches after their second, third year. And while I can't speak to that, if it's strictly based on wins and losses, I think it's too soon. You need to give coaches an opportunity to build a program with their recruits and then determine their fate in the four or five year period."
Essentially, Manuel and Kansas went against their own ideas of how long a football coach should be around to prove himself. So, whose daughter did Gill get pregnant? I mean, there's something else going on here. This isn't about Gill's win-loss record. And since when does Kansas really care about football that they fire a coach after two seasons?
Mark Mangino, Gill's predecessor, was fired after eight very successful years (won three of four bowl games) for verbal and physical abuse of players. Again, coaches have been kept on for a lot more.
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There were games played:
SMU 27, Rice 24
Considering they were getting six yards per rushing attempt, you wonder why J.J. McDermott was even throwing the ball 38 times. The Mustangs were forced to score 13 in the final quarter to eke this one out over Rice. The Ponies are limping into the post-season.
Baylor 66, Texas Tech 42
Rarely do you see a team score 42 and get blown out. The Raiders finish off an awful season going 5-7 in Tom Tuberville's second campaign. The Bears run up 66 and Robert Griffin III, arguably the best player in college football, plays a half. Terrance Ganaway rushes 42 times for 246 yards.
Oklahoma 26, Iowa State 6
As lackluster of a 20-point win as you'll find in college football. Landry Jones (51 percent completion, two INTs) looked awful. Sooners went 5-18 on third down.
Missouri 24, Kansas 10
Who was drunker afterwards? Turner Gill or Gary Pinkel?
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