Betting on NFL preseason is about to start competing with NCAA football lines, and the college game is just as a pressure-filled as the pros. Here’s a look at five coaches whose shoes we wouldn’t want to be in.
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
RichRod is probably gone this season if he doesn’t come out of it with at least a winning record after an 8-16 over his first two seasons at the Big House. Rodriguez has been recruiting players for his spread system after changing the offensive culture at Michigan, and now he really has no excuse to be so terrible.
Mark Richt, Georgia
Super Bowl odds had New England favored in 2007, then they had a perfect season ruined in the big game. In 2007, the Bulldogs were the preseason No.1 team, and it’s been getting worse ever since for Richt, who ended last year at 8-4. With the SEC getting better and better by the day, Bulldogs fans are going to want more from their team, and Richt may have to pull out 10 wins to keep the critics quiet.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
After weeks and weeks of denying that he was leaving Cincinnati for Notre Dame, Kelly left the Bearcats…..for Notre Dame. Now he may have the biggest job in the country: restoring the Fighting Irish to their past glory. Kelly was an offensive mastermind at Cincinnati with his spread attack, and he’s looking to open up the Notre Dame offense this season. It’s his first season, so he won’t be fired, but all eyes will be on this season.
Lane Kiffin, USC
Those who handicap NFL betting lines will remember Kiffin from his short time in Oakland, which left under legal threats from Al Davis. Kiffin then moved to Tennessee, named his son Knox (after Knoxville), talked trash about other SEC coaches and promptly bolted for the open job at USC. Little did he know that there was punishment coming from violations of the Reggie Bush era, and it’s sort of fitting as he left some mess for his replacement, Derek Dooley, to clean up. The Trojans are banned from postseason play, but now the spotlight is on Kiffin to see if he can run a clean program.
Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Fisher has to replace a legend, Bobby Bowden, and those are massive shoes to fill. But the bigger story is that the Seminoles have fallen greatly on the national scale, and it’s up to Fisher, who has been the offensive coordinator at FSU since 2007, to bring them back. He’ll have a tough task as longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews also retired, and the Seminoles’ defense was atrocious in 2009. If Fisher can fix that, look out for the Seminoles as a betting contender in the ACC.
