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It had been a tepid season defined by the crumbling of recent dynasties and agent-related suspensions of players until intrigue finally emerged the last two weeks with No. 1 teams being toppled.
Yet with college football’s regular season a little more than halfway over, its most divisive question still remains: Will second-ranked Boise State play in the BCS title game?
Count me in on the Broncos deserving -- that’s right, deserving -- to be there if they finish the regular season undefeated.
It’s an argument sure to rage on and one that’s shaking foundational beliefs, especially in Alabama, where a tailgating Crimson Tide fan recently pondered aloud before the Florida game earlier this month which is the bigger subject of debate: Boise State or evolution.
In the meantime, we present our midseason awards for the best and worst of college football.
Player of the year: Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore
Love or hate Boise State, he’s the best there is in college football when it comes to intangibles and winning. With 16 touchdown passes and just one interception, he leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in pass efficiency while completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 1,567 yards. Call him undersized, not athletic, and nerdy if you like. The cerebral redshirt junior would agree with you on all three, but there’s a more fitting description if he leads the Broncos to an undefeated regular season: Heisman Trophy winner.
Coach of the year: Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio
He hasn’t been on the sideline since having a heart attack after his stunning fake-field-goal gamble to beat Notre Dame in overtime, but the fourth-year Spartans coach has his surprising team off to its first 7-0 start since 1966. Give credit to Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell for filling in for Dantonio when needed, but these eighth-ranked Spartans embody Dantonio’s toughness and passion. Hey, Michigan fans, who’s the little brother now?
Newcomer of the year: Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton
Forget War Eagle, Auburn’s new battle cry is “Yes We Cam.” The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 13 touchdowns with five interceptions and also has 12 rushing touchdowns in leading the fifth-ranked Tigers to a 7-0 record. The precise path to how he ended up at Auburn is interesting, but he owes much of his success to mad scientist Gus Malzahn, the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, who continues to prove he’s one of college football’s most innovative minds.
Most surprising team: Oklahoma State
Raise your hand if you thought Cowboys coach Mike Gundy could actually coach. And no, it doesn’t count if T. Boone Pickens paid you to do it. Let’s not discount first-year offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s role in the Cowboys’ 6-0 start and No. 17 ranking, but Gundy is actually doing more with less talent for a team picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 South than he’s been able to do with far more talent in the past. Maybe he’ll get to live in that house he’s building for a few more years than many thought.
Most disappointing player: Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson
The Big 12’s preseason offensive player of the year, Johnson was supposed to have the Aggies in contention in the South Division this season. Instead, he’s been the definition of disaster with nine interceptions and two lost fumbles for a reeling team that’s lost three games in a row. Not that it’s entirely Johnson’s fault. Coach Mike Sherman looks more lost than ever, despite having as much talent as Texas A&M has had in years. Not that Sherman should worry about losing his job. He’s got four years left on his contract and each is guaranteed at $1.8 million. Plus, athletic director Bill Byrne and Aggies fans seem just fine with mediocrity.
Coach who should be fired now: New Mexico's Michael Locksley
The second-year coach must have compromising photographs of New Mexico’s administration because there’s no other reason to explain why he still has his job. The Lobos have an 0-6 record, rank 92nd or worse in all but one major statistical category in the FBS, and are 1-17 during Locksley’s tenure. He’s also being sued for assault for allegedly punching an assistant coach in the face and choking him last season, and a previous sexual harassment and age discrimination suit against him at New Mexico was settled out of court. Then again with that type of past, maybe New Mexico is simply too scared to fire Locksley.
Most disappointing team: Pittsburgh
The talented Panthers entered this season ranked No. 15 and seemed primed to make noise nationally behind their preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, tailback Dion Lewis, who had 1,799 rushing yards last season. Instead, they’re just 3-3, having lost each of their marquee games against Utah, Miami and Notre Dame, and Lewis has less than 300 rushing yards this season. But as bad as Dave Wannstedt’s team has been this season, the sad part is it’s still 1-0 in the conference and could still live up to its preseason billing of winning the Big Least, otherwise known as the Big East. Talk about moral victories.
Coaches who might want to check their contracts: North Carolina’s Butch Davis and Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez
North Carolina and Michigan officials are saying the right things about retaining Davis and Rodriguez, but in this financial-sensitive economy, you can bet that they’re scrutinizing the contracts of both to see if they can be dismissed for cause related to their teams’ respective NCAA violations. Neither coach is a good fit for his job. Davis had been until his confidant and former assistant John Blake resigned in September amid allegations he was a middle man for an agent, but now finds himself having caused unprecedented embarrassment at a university where academics and basketball rule. Rodriguez is still one of college football’s best coaches, but doesn’t fit within the “Michigan Man” culture. He’s made strides implementing his spread-option offense this season, but was derailed in the offseason by the Wolverines putting themselves on two years’ probation for NCAA violations involving in- and out-of-season practice sessions under him. This might be the last stand for Davis at the collegiate level, but not for Rodriguez, who would be better off at a less stringent program.
Of course, plenty can still change the rest of the season. And really, does any of it matter if we’ve still got a Boise State vs. apes debate to settle?
