College football

This could be biggest Florida-Georgia game yet

Winner of rivalry likely captures SEC East, still has shot at BCS title

Phil Coale / AP

Georgia's entire team stormed the end zone following the Bulldogs' first touchdown against Florida last year. Think the Gators have forgotten?

Q: Who will probably be the next college head coach to jump into the NFL ranks?
— Tyler Ferrell from Hartford, Conn.
A: There have been rumors about Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops for years now, Tyler, but apparently they are just rumors. Urban Meyer’s name has been floated, but Meyer has consistently said he’s not interested in the NFL (and given the situations that exist in college football for Meyer and Stoops — and the track record for college coaches falling short in the NFL — I’d never leave, if I was in their shoes).

It’s hardly a news flash, but USC’s Pete Carroll seems like the most logical coach to jump. He has established an unmatched legacy with the Trojans, restoring the glory of that program. Carroll was twice fired from the NFL, and it could be a chance to erase that stain.

Again, even as I type those words, I go back to the question: Why? The powerful kingdom that Carroll has built at USC just doesn’t exist in the NFL. But Steve Spurrier left Florida, Bobby Petrino left Louisville and somebody will leave another college program for an NFL shot because of that itch to prove themselves at the professional level (not to mention a heftier payday).

Q: If you’re the AD at Boise State and you make another BCS game this year, do you push to get invited to join the Pac-10 or Mountain West or do you desire to stay put and continue to dominate the WAC?
— Zack from Eureka, Calif.
A: As a wise athletic director once told me, Zack, you always seek to improve your position. Boise State would be very competitive in the Mountain West and it would be intriguing addition to the Pac-10.

The BCS affiliation, as we all know, has become everything in college football. Look what it has done to South Florida’s program. In 1997, South Florida was a start-up Division I-AA program. It got invited to join Conference USA, a natural since the Bulls’ other programs already existed in C-USA.

Then came the ACC/Big East craziness, the shakeup and the Big East wanted to maintain a position in Florida, after the departure of Miami. Enter South Florida, which in 2005 found itself playing for a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Last season, the Bulls were No. 2 in the rankings at midseason and had designs (albeit, brief ones) on playing for a national championship.

For continuity’s sake, I’d like to see each BCS league go to 12 teams, split into divisions and hold a conference championship game. If we’re not going to have a playoff, we should at least be playing with the same format in each league.

I’m not sure about the Pac-10’s future alignment. That has been a long-standing topic of discussion and schools such as Utah have clamored about the possibilities. But one thing is certain. If Boise State had an opportunity to join a BCS conference, it shouldn’t sit back and be content to maintain the status quo. If the window is there, Boise State should leap through it.

Joey Johnston writes regularly for NBCSports.com and is a columnist for the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune.

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