This is a new feature where I’ll list Disaster Ratings (one being the least problematic, to 10 being code red) for college football teams involving offseason retirements and injuries.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
July 20 Updates
Ole Miss HC Hugh Freeze announces resignation: 9/10 Disaster Rating
“When you see Ole Miss – which has been at the bottom of the barrel for a while – land all of these recruits, and you know they basically have a brand-new coach, I think most people in America go, is something shaky going on here?” – Tony Kornheiser, Feb. 6, 2013.
Ole Miss had several great years under Freeze, but that’s all coming to an end, as the head coach has announced his resignation amid numerous allegations. Among those are a call Freeze made to a number tied to an escort service. There are many other NCAA violations being levied against Ole Miss, so this is hardly a surprise.
It is, however, a crushing blow to Ole Miss. The Rebels had winning records in four of five seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2015. They attended four bowl games during Freeze’s tenure after going to only two the previous nine years. Freeze was able to recruit extremely well, but those days are over. Ole Miss will revert to being “bottom of the barrel” again, and things could be even worse if they’re heavily penalized. Perhaps Freeze’s resignation will help, but this could easily end up being a 10/10 Disaster Grade when all is said and done.
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June 7 Updates
Oklahoma HC Bob Stoops announces retirement: 8/10 Disaster Rating
Wow, this came out of nowhere. In fact, this story is so unexpected that it prompted me to make a new page for it. Bob Stoops has officially retired after 18 years as the head coach of Oklahoma. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley will take over.
Stoops has gotten a ton of flak over the years for his failure to win in big games, and while that might be true, he’s had Oklahoma playing at a highly competitive level throughout his tenure. He compiled a 190-48 record, including a national championship victory in 2000. By comparison, the Sooners were just 23-33-1 in the five years prior to Stoops’ arrival. Granted, they had lots of success under Barry Switzer in the 1970s and 80s, but Stoops has been the best thing to happen to that program since Switzer left in 1988.
Well, maybe. It depends what happens. Stoops’ announcement was so unexpected that something has to be up. Stoops was excited about the season recently, so something obviously changed in recent days. There might be a scandal coming out that could result in lost scholarships or forfeited wins, which the NCAA pretends is a real thing. I’m sure Stoops will cite health reasons, but as we’ve learned over the years, that’s almost always B.S.
Either way, this has to screw up the Sooners’ 2017 campaign. They won’t be a bad team or anything, but I’d have to think the playoffs are out of the question. What really matters is if there are any long-term ramifications stemming from why Stoops suddenly decided to call it quits. Thus, it’s tough to issue an exact Disaster Grade, but an 8/10 could be right. This could end up being a “9” or “10,” so stay tuned for updates as news comes out.
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Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.
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