HERM HIS KEEP
Edwards unexpectedly has ASU off to hot start
OME coaching hires, like Chip Kelly to UCLA, Scott Frost to Nebraska, Jimbo Fisher to Texas A&M and Dan Mullen to Florida, were universally praised. Others, such as Kevin Sumlin to Arizona and Willie Taggart to Florida State, received mixed reactions. But one was lambasted, roundly criticized as short-sighted, ill-fitting and reeking of nepotism. Herm Edwards, brought to Arizona State by former agent and current Sun Devils athletic director Ray Anderson, couldn’t possibly work. The unconventional move was hammered by pundits. Edwards hadn’t coached since the Chiefs f ired him following the 2008 season. He wasn’t known for being a particularly good NFL coach. He was best known, while coaching the Jets, for his “You play to win the game!” rant. His lone stint as a college coach was for two years, in 1987-89, as the defensive backs coach with San Jose State. His current players weren’t even born then. How could the former ESPN analyst, at 64 years old, relate to players and recruits? And, yet, aside from Fisher, whose Aggies nearly stunned Clemson on Saturday, no new coach has gotten off to a better start. Arizona State just knocked off 15th-ranked Michigan State, a popular sleeper pick in the loaded Big Ten East, rallying from 10 points down in the second half, after hammering Texas-San Antonio.
Now look at how the other new hires have done in their new jobs. If you root for one of them, proceed with caution.
Under Kelly, UCLA is 0-2 for the first time since 2010. Florida State was overwhelmed in the opener by Virginia Tech, held without a touchdown at home for the first time in a decade and nearly losing to FCS opponent Samford on Saturday. Frost dropped his opener at home to Colorado, and Florida fell to Kentucky for the first time in 32 years, snapping a 31-game win streak. Arizona is 0-2 and, on Sumlin’s watch, Khalil Tate hasn’t looked anything like the Heisman Trophy candidate he was advertised to be, with more interceptions (two) than TD passes (one).
It’s just two weeks, two wins over a midmajor and what so far looks like an overrated team in Michigan State that nearly lost at home to Utah State. We’ll see how Edwards recruits, the lifeblood of any successful program, and how he follows up this fast start. But it sure beats the alternative — go ask the angry fans at UCLA, Florida, Florida State, Arizona and Nebraska.
Edwards seems to be relating pretty well to his players so far. The college game doesn’t seem to be such a bad fit. The win over Michigan State is the evidence.
Two for the show
We’re 20 months away, nearly two seasons remain, but let’s get the debate started: Tua Tagovailoa or Dwayne Haskins? The strong-armed sophomore quarterbacks from Alabama and Ohio State will likely be measured against each other from now until the 2020 draft, battling each other for supremacy. It sure looks like it so far, the two combining for 16 touchdowns, 1,001 passing yards and just 21 incompletions in 88 attempts. Haskins became the first Ohio State quarterback to throw at least four touchdown passes in each of his first two starts while Tagovailoa has been so impressive, he’s unseated Jalen Hurts as the guy under center for Alabama. Let the hype begin.
Southward bound
The SEC, labeled by some a two-team conference entering the season, might be returning to its prior dominance. The depth sure seems to be back at least. Consider: Auburn has defeated Washington, viewed as a playoff contender, Texas A&M nearly upset ACC favorite Clemson, LSU manhandled another top ACC opponent, Miami, and Mississippi State won convincingly at Kansas State of the Big 12. All four look like potential top-10 teams. Georgia and Alabama, who have yet to be tested, remain the cream of this loaded crop, but there are land mines everywhere.