Will Muschamp To Replace Urban Meyer As Head Coach At Florida

Mack Brown won't have to worry about Will Muschamp's shadow any longer. The longtime defensive assistant is returning to the SEC.

The former Georgia Bulldog alumnus will step into the big shoes of Urban Meyer to coach at his alma mater's most hated division rival—the Florida Gators.

The hire is a great 'get' for Florida athletic director, Jeremy Foley, as Muschamp's name has been on the short list of many big jobs over the last several years and his ability to develop great defenses is well-known—particularly in the south where he worked at both Auburn and LSU.

That said, his arrival in Gainesville will come as a surprise to the many who believed that Bob Stoops was already signed, sealed, and about to be delivered. As early as this morning, Stoops was the man whom many felt was AD, Jeremy Foley's first choice—not Dan Mullen (Mississippi St) or Bobby Petrino (Arkansas).

Stoops would later deny the story as rumor, and it wasn't long before Muschamp's name was replacing Stoops' as the newest possibility.

The one sticking point appeared to be his desire to leave the Texas Longhorns. Many felt he was the heir apparent to Mack Brown's position—whenever the popular coach decided to hang up his headset—if he were patient. Muschamp was named head-coach-in-waiting in 2008 and was being paid handsomely for his defensive services ($900,000/year).

However, after the Longhorns finished the 2010 season with a 5-7 and without a bowl bid, being in Austin might have become a lot more heated than in recent years—especially given the heavy backslide the defense took this year.

Whatever the reason for Muschamp's decision to leave, if you're a Florida fan, you have to feel very good about the success he's had in the SEC—particularly in molding defenses.

Urban Meyer pulled in the top ranked defensive unit in the country last season and now Muschamp will have the opportunity to mold those players into the top-tier talent they are destined to become. He's a guy who will be fierce on the recruiting trail, phenomenal on the sidelines, and has just enough SEC experience to make something happen almost as soon as he touches ground.

That said, what's Texas to do next? They've lost both their defensive coordinator and their, assumed, next head coach. Is Muschamp's exit the beginning of some major changes in Austin or is this just a great assistant making his move sooner, rather than later?

In either case, it will be interesting to see what happens next in Austin. As for Florida, it's simply business as usual.

Related articles

• AP Source: Muschamp to Be Head Coach at Florida (nytimes.com)
• Florida Gators hires Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp (sports.espn.go.com)

BCS Rankings: The Biggest Surprises and Mistakes of the Top 25

The BCS Poll is out and, as usual, there were some surprises—Oklahoma at No. 1...seriously? And some oversights—how on earth is Wisconsin ranked BELOW Ohio State?

In either case, the release of the poll has set into motion the conversation of what team is championship caliber. Who will rise above all and play for the coveted BCS Championship in January?

Plenty will be said about the latter between now and Christmas, but tonight we can marinate on some of the surprises and mistakes that the BCS made in choosing the 25 best teams in the nation.

The Surprises

1. If Oklahoma is the No. 1 team in the nation, then someone is drinking.

The Sooners struggled against Utah State and Air Force this season, and looked only mildly impressive against a youthful Texas Longhorn team two weeks ago. No way they should be ranked anywhere near the top spot.

2. Boise State can't get no satisfaction from the pollsters.

No doubt some figured the tumble of both Nebraska and Ohio State would grant the Broncos a shot at No. 1, but no dice. The Broncos fall to third—behind Oregon.

3. Why on earth is Wisconsin ranked behind Ohio State?

Talk about swigging some sizzurp. This is the reward the Badgers get for beating "THE" Ohio State University. Tim Brewster must know some people.

4. Virginia Tech...for real?

Adding truth to the adage: better to lose early than late, the Hokies slotted in at No. 25 in the BCS Poll.

How on earth they were more deserving of this honor than, say, Georgia Tech or Nevada is a touch perplexing. The obvious reason would have to be strength of schedule, but, if that were the case, there would no Boise in the top 5 so...again...what makes the Hokies so worthy?

5. Mississippi State—good for them.

After beating Florida—in Gainesville—there seems to be little doubt that Dan Mullen's team will go bowling this season. The Bulldogs have certainly been impressive this year.

The Mistakes

1. Ohio State should not be in the top 10.

Sure, playing cupcakes is easy but, in their first true road test of the year, they folded like  cheap suit. Ohio State is a paper champion, Pryor is not Heisman worthy, and people are still giving too much respect to the Buckeyes based on absolutely nothing.

They are not a top 10 team...don't believe the hype.

2. Iowa is too low.

They lost a close game to Arizona early on, but have played well since that time—including a 38-28 win in Ann Arbor.

The Hawkeyes deserve better than 15.

3. West Virginia at 20?

The Mountaineers might be 5-1, but, they are a "we haven't played and won against anybody" 5-1. Their one chance to prove their legitimacy—versus LSU—ended in a loss. Not sure if they are any better than the 6-1 Nevada Wolfpack team that didn't even find it's way into the poll.

What say you? Did the polls disappoint, shock, or leave your mind boggled?

College Football Upset Alert: Nebraska Cornhuskers Getting Dominated by Texas Early

Look out, Nebraska fans, the Texas Longhorns are looking to spoil your BCS dreams in Lincoln today. The Longhorns are currently leading the Cornhuskers, 17-3 at the first half.

Texas quarterback, Garrett Gilbert hasn't been getting it done as much through the air, save a big third down conversion at the 10:09 mark in the second quarter—see play below,



...but the sophomore has made his ground presence felt—scoring both touchdowns for the Longhorns with his legs.

For their part, Nebraska's offense has stalled under the guidance of Nebraska quarterback, Taylor Martinez. The freshman QB has been harassed and pressured by the Longhorn defensive front—so far he's 4/10 for 63-yards and has managed just 26 yards on the ground (13 of which came on their first drive of the game.

Sam Acho, the Texas defensive end, has been channeling his best Ndamokung Suh (the former Nebraska defensive tackle) impersonation all day (Suh made mince meat of Texas quarterback, Colt McCoy in last year's Big 12 Championship Game). He's been in the backfield a ton today as the Nebraska offensive line has had no answer for him to this point.

By contrast, Gilbert has been well-protected and Nebraska has put, virtually, no pressure on him this afternoon.

It's still early, but the way things look in the first half, that early season slate of cupcakes for the Nebraska Cornhuskers has done little to prepare them for this physical game against Texas.