It’s not too late to influence the top three, or even to add an honorable mention. Though you can leave out LSU’s Les Miles - we have him already. However, right now the Mad Hatter’s not even #1. Reach me at russmitchellsec@gmail.com or on Twitter @russmitchellsec
5. Saban’s Magic Moment
Yes you, Nicky. Winning may be the college football equivalent of CoverGirl, in that it hides many a fault... But it's not getting you a bye from this list.
We don’t care how smart you. We don’t care how many times you saw it on tape. We don’t even care if the great Bear Bryant himself crawled out of the grave and drew it up for you.
You simply do NOT call a fake punt after going three and out in the first series of the National Championship game. Deep inside your own territory. On fourth and basically a quarter of the field to go.
In the pantheon of forgiven coaching brain farts, this one holds special distinction.
Quick - which of these doesn't belong? In 2009, you won games with your: (a) Defense, (b) Rushing attack, (c) Defense, or (d) The rubber arm of your hyper-adrenaline’d punter?
Even if the Texas crowd hadn’t have been at its most rabid pitch of the entire game... Even if P.J. Fitzgerald had the nerves of Chuck Norris and the gun of John Elway… How was that possibly worth the risk? Particularly at that point in the game, at that point on the field?
And please, please, please don’t email us that P.J. pulled this out of his own hat. Or even Les Miles’ hat.
There is absolutely no way that a Nick Saban punter is calling that fake by himself at that point in the National Championship game. Not unless he’s a genetic freak with absolutely no survival instincts.
And not to mention that Saban would have gone into orbit, which he didn't.
The downside risk (0:25) here far outweighed the upside reward. You had a better chance of making a flight at LAX in the middle of rush hour.
Yup, winning makes the world taste good. You are the true Candyman, brother.
4. ‘ol What’s His Name
Houston Nutt went half a season before realizing he had arguably the nation’s most dynamic player right under his nose, in the hidden frame of the diminutive Dexter McCluster.
Perhaps Nutt forgot he had recently employed a similar talent in the form of one Felix Jones. Perhaps Nutt was too busy charting the unfolding supernova that was QB Jevan Snead’s career. Or perhaps Dexter was simply so short coach couldn’t see him.
Whatever. It was only after the 22-3 loss to Alabama at the season's mid-point (in which McCluster got a mere six carries), and the near total collapse of Snead, that Nutt elected to hand off the rock to Dexter – and in it, the season. How did the nimble lad from Largo, FL respond?
In the Rebel’s remaining six games (he didn’t play against N. Ariz.), McCluster amassed more than 1,000 yards (1,006) on just 144 carries (24 per game), for an amazing 9 ypc, to go with 7 TDs.
And that’s just rushing.
In the five games prior? Well, he only got seven carries per game - and with little chance to get any momentum, just 163 yards, and a TD.
In the end, Lil Dex closed out 2009 with more than 1,100 yards rushing, nearly 200 carries, averaging ~7 ypc.
Wait a minute… Coach? That's not the same Dexter McCluster who’s second on the Rebel’s all-time, all-purpose yardage list with 4,089, is it?
So much for durability issues, eh Coach.
Great job of talent evaluation, Nutt. You are the 2009 poster child of delayed gratification.
(By the way, can't leave Oxford without asking... Land Shark? Muppet-like characters? What are y'all doing? Is there no adult supervision? Please, stop the madness.)
Russ Mitchell covers the SEC for www.CollegeFootballNews.com. He may be reached at russmitchellsec@gmail.com, or on Twitter @russmitchellsec