Now Taking Volunteers

Haven't we been here before? How does a program like Tennessee so steeped in tradition, so loyally followed, so well funded, have such a hard time finding a football coach?

In January of 2010, there was a chain of events that led to this mess. Pete Carroll left USC (jumped ship before probation as it turned out) for the Seattle Seahawks. That's how slick guys are, one step ahead of the mess. Speaking of which, Lane Kiffin, who had been the Vols' coach for only one season, abruptly filled the void at USC.

This is the 21st century, and college coaching vacancies are now almost exclusively filled in December and not January. Kiffin left Tennessee in a lurch. They scrambled and three days later came up with Derek Dooley, the Head Coach & Athletic Director at Louisiana Tech. As the son of Vince Dooley and Nick Saban's former recruiting coordinator, Tennessee seemed to do well under the circumstance. He was a college administrator who said all the right things and carried himself the right way. But his team lost a lot of games, and now Tennessee starts over again.

Today, the CBSSports.com blog reported that the search at Tennessee was down to three: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, Louisville's Charlie Strong, and North Carolina's Larry Fedora.

Oklahoma State announced that Gundy is staying, a surprise to no one. Anyone who has seen the new Boone Pickens-funded OSU facilities (and jaw dropped immediately to the ground), knows that the place is a recruiting machine. Gundy even had a say in the design of the stadium to accommodate his staff's families. He's an alum and a lifer.

I think Charlie Strong is staying. Louisville will match any offer, and Strong has a young team and a great QB back next year. He may leave Louisville soon, but not this offseason and certainly not before he leads his team into The Sugar Bowl with a big chip on their shoulder. The Vols will want to move faster than that.

I can't speak to Larry Fedora. I know he's only had one year at North Carolina. But after Arkansas hit a home run with Bret Bielema, Tennessee may go off the board. Here are some thoughts:

1) Nick Saban. Why the hell not? What does Nick Saban have left to prove except he's the greatest coach of all-time? He doesn't seem like a guy who thrives on dynasties, but on being all-important. He'll beat your team with his, and beat his team with yours. Tennessee's got to at least pick up the phone.

2) Todd Graham. In 5 years, he's gone from Rice to Tulsa to Pitt to Arizona State. This would be a natural progression. No way, right? Well...

3) Mack Brown. Oh yeah. The Tennessee native is reportedly growing frustrated with the Frankenstein's Monster of The Longhorn Network. If he left for Tennessee, it would actually be less of a demand on his time and energy. Think he's too old to start over? Did you know he's only two months older than Saban?

But seriously Vol Nation, look at Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, will you? He'll be your coach for ten years. It's not a reach and he might just want the job.

Like A Bridgewater Over Trouble

Louisville's season didn't finish with they type of glory they were hoping for. They were blown out at Syracuse and had a disastrous home loss to UConn. The quest for an undefeated season went up in smoke, but the BCS Bowl bid was still alive, if they could take the season finale' at Rutgers.

Full disclosure: Syracuse is the alma mater and Rutgers is the home state team, but Backtime's been on the Louisville bandwagon for almost all of 2012. Mostly because of sophomore QB Teddy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater is the counterpart to Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel. While Manziel is a slasher, Bridgewater is a surgeon. And both are tougher and bolder than any 19 year-old could realistically expect to be.

Last night, Bridgewater came out in the cold New Jersey night with a cast on his non-throwing wrist, which made it impossible to take snaps from center or play-action. He had a sprained ankle that made planting and throwing just as hard.

So what remained was Bridgewater's guts and guile (and some needed subbing from backup QB Will Stein), as Louisville erased a 14-3 halftime deficit. They climbed on his back in the 2nd half and delivered with a game-winning drive and a 20-17 win.

If you saw Bridgewater's line, you never would've known anything was amiss: 20-28, 263 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. After the game, Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson descended from the coaches' booth to emotionally show his appreciation.

And with all the talk this week of Head Coach Charlie Strong leaving for richer pastures, the team wasn't distracted. They were focused on The Orange Bowl, which just happens to be played in Teddy Bridgewater's hometown.

The opportunities for Charlie Strong will continue to be there. But you'd have to think he's not going anywhere (yet). Not when he can coach Bridgewater for one more year.

The Backtime Bandwagon: November 2012 Edition

After a great college football Saturday, the Backtime Editorial Department is on the bandwagon - but not with Kansas State, Notre Dame, Oregon, or even the indomitable Crimson Tide. Climb aboard with Louisville's Angry Birds: 9-0, with three to go.

No I'm not trumpeting Louisville for a shot at the title. But an unbeaten season, capped by a BCS Bowl win over a formidable opponent would set the 2013 season up. Teddy Bridgewater is a true sophomore and will definitely be back (though questions linger about his coach), and the Cards can carry the torch for the reincarnated Big East Conference going forward.

And again, I marvel at whomever takes these pictures. Bridgewater's throwing motion is flawless. He steps up in measured stride against the rush. His hand warmer and hand towel are perfectly dead center. His non-throwing hand says "stop" in diagonal symmetry like the cover of Van Halen's Diver Down.

And the results are undeniable. Bridgewater threw for 324 yards and 5 TD versus Temple yesterday, sharpening his already surgical season numbers: 70% completions, 9.5 yards/attempt, 18 TD and 4 INT.

And he's not just a finesse passer. Bridgewater takes what he has to on the ground. And while he won't run many defenders over, he'll still deliver some punch.

These are not just photo opportunities that this still-19-year old QB presents and very little has to do with luck. Unless we're talking about Andrew Luck.

If Urban Meyer Hangs up the Headset...

After a historic 4-year run, Urban Meyer's future at Florida is admittedly uncertain, to say the least. Now the speculation begins - if Meyer decides to step down and put his health and family first - as to who will lead the Gator Nation into the future.

The names of Dan Mullen, Charlie Strong, and anyone with a connection to Gainseville or Meyer is bound to be mentioned as long as the situation remains in limbo after tonight's Sugar Bowl.

So I'm going to go off the board, and name Tim Tebow as the next Florida Head Coach. OK now, when you're done laughing let's look at this objectively. What are the main requirements of a major (MAJOR) college Head Coach?

1. You are the face of the university.
2. You recruit the best players.
3. You have the full attention of everyone in the program.

Tebow? No doubt. Check, check, and check.

My favorite Tebow story is that when he was a true freshman, on campus for one month, and he wasn't even the starting QB, he was voted his team's captain for the offense vs defense tug-of-war at the end of training camp. That is the type of presence he possesses.

Why should Tebow live in relative obscurity as an NFL tight end or clipboard-holding backup QB when he can continue his legacy and cut maybe the most unique profile in the history of college football?

Is he ready to run a program from A to Z, formulate a gameplan, or call all the plays? Probably not. You can't think he's going to out-strategize Nick Saban at 23 years old. But there's nobody who'd be more comfortable with an on-the-job training situation.

Knowing what we know about Tebow, he would rise to the challenge. Most importantly those rabid Gator fans would be on board. And we know the headset fits.