Grading College Football's First-Year Coaching Hires for 2012 [1]

Ohio State's Urban Meyer ranks as the top new coach from 2012.

With college football’s 2012 season completed, it’s time to take a look back at the season that was and review the performance of all 124 teams before 2013 kicks off.

Twenty-eight coaches made their debut at a new program in 2012 and produced a mix bag of results.

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GoDaddy.com Bowl Preview and Prediction: Kent State vs. Arkansas State [24]

Ryan Aplin faces a tough Kent State defense.

Two mid-major programs whose success this year cost each of them their head coaches will meet up in the second-to-last bowl game of the season. The matchup between Kent State from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Arkansas State from the Sun Belt Conference also represents the first game between the two schools, although it’s the Red Wolves’ second straight appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

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College Football's New Year's Resolutions for 2013 [27]

College Football [2]
News [3]
ACC [4]
Big 12 [5]
Big East [6]
Big Ten [7]
Conference USA [8]
Independents [9]
MAC [10]
Mountain West [11]
Pac 12 [12]
SEC [13]
Sun Belt [14]
WAC [15]

Defensive players should get more attention in the Heisman race for 2013.

The end of every year is always a good time for reflection and examining what improvements could be made for the following 12 months. And that’s the case with college football, especially as the sport gets ready to close the books on a crazy 2012 season and move on to 2013 with another interesting race for the national title ready to unfold. There are still plenty of big events coming to college football in the next few days, including the anticipated Notre Dame-Alabama BCS championship game on Jan. 7.

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College Football's Most Surprising Head Coach Hires of the BCS Era [28]

College Football [2]
News [3]
ACC [4]
Big 12 [5]
Big East [6]
Big Ten [7]
Conference USA [8]
Independents [9]
MAC [10]
Mountain West [11]
Pac 12 [12]
SEC [13]
Sun Belt [14]

Bret Bielema made a surprising jump from Wisconsin to Arkansas.

No college football head coaching search ever goes according to plan. However, anytime a job opens during or after the season, there’s a good idea of which candidates will be interested or the most likely targets. Despite having a general feel of where a particular program might go with its hire, there are times where a school makes a decision that blindsides or surprises everyone.

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Independence Bowl Preview and Prediction: Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe [29]

Ohio's Tyler Tettleton is one of the nation's top non-BCS quarterbacks.

Two of the nation’s most talented and exciting dual-threat quarterbacks will share the spotlight when Ohio and Louisiana-Monroe face each other for the first time. The Bobcats, led by junior signal caller Tyler Tettleton are playing in their fourth straight bowl after winning eight or more games for the fourth straight season.

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Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Preview and Prediction: Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan [32]

Central Michigan returns to the bowl season after a two-year absence.

Only a few years ago, Western Kentucky was a highly successful Division I-AA program under Jack Harbaugh, father to NFL coaches Jim and John. Now, one of Jack Harbaugh’s top former players has taken the Hilltoppers to new heights.

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New Orleans Bowl Preview and Prediction: East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette [35]

Louisiana-Lafayette and ECU bring high-scoring offenses to New Orleans.

The New Orleans Bowl features a matchup of two teams riding a wave of momentum to close out the regular season. East Carolina won five out of its last six games, with the only loss coming to Navy. The Pirates didn’t beat a team with a winning record during that span but recorded two victories by 20 or more points.

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15 Craziest, Weirdest and Oddest Moments in College Football 2012 [38]

Submitted by Rich McVey on Thu, 2012-12-20 05:03

College Football [2]
Overtime [39]
News [3]
ACC [4]
Big 12 [5]
Big East [6]
Big Ten [7]
Conference USA [8]
Independents [9]
MAC [10]
Mountain West [11]
Pac 12 [12]
SEC [13]
Sun Belt [14]
WAC [15]

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Les Miles' Crazy Postgame Rant

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The 41-35 win over Ole Miss earlier this season was a huge victory for LSU. The game was a crazy back and forth affair, so it was no surprise Les Miles was quite animated after the game.

In other words...it's vintage Les Miles.
Finding Scissors on the Field

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During a 48-34 shootout at North Carolina, Virginia Tech wide receiver Dyrell Roberts' discovered something odd on the field. Turns out, it was a pair of scissors.
Ball State's Crazy Tip Drill Interception

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The MAC is a conference known for its offensive fireworks, but Ball State used a little creativity on defense to beat Western Michigan this season. With Western Michigan ready to punch in a score to take a lead, the Cardinals tipped a pass intended for a receiver in the endzone. One tip is usually enough for a pass to be intercepted or caught, but this time, the ball was tipped twice and picked off. Another element to the play was another Ball State defender ripping the ball from a defensive lineman in an attempt to take it back for a score.
Georgia Southern DB Suffers Nasty Finger Injury

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Georgia Southern defensive back Valdon Cooper had a rough day. Not only was he supposed to matchup against Georgia's receivers, Cooper suffered a nasty finger injury - and the picture isn't pretty. Needless to say, fingers aren't supposed to bend like this:
Tuberville Rips Headset Off Assistant

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Texas Tech was heavily favored and expected to easily handle Kansas this season. However, the Jayhawks hung around and gave the Red Raiders all they could handle. The frustration clearly showed on the Texas Tech sideline in the third quarter, as coach Tommy Tuberville ripped the headset off of graduate assistant Kevin Oliver after the Red Raiders got a penalty on fourth down. The five-yard setback prevented Texas Tech from going for it on fourth down.

After the game, Tuberville commented he was trying to grab the coach's shirt since he needed to get off the field. Really? Not sure that explanation really adds up for Tuberville.
Utah's Crazy Fake Field Goal

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Utah came up short in its matchup against Arizona this season, losing 34-24. However, the Utes left it all on the field, as they used a creative trick play to score an early touchdown. The Utes lined up for an easy field goal early in the second quarter. But the holder pitched it between his legs to kicker Coleman Petersen, who ran it in for the touchdown.
Penn State Coach Drops F-Bomb

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Considering what transpired at Penn State since last season, it was no surprise Penn State coach Bill O'Brien was quite excited after an overtime win over Wisconsin.

And O'Brien was so excited, it appears he dropped an f-bomb right at the beginning of the interview. Isn't live television awesome?
Stafford Curses at Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini

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Nebraska coach Bo Pelini isn't afraid to get vocal on the sidelines, but the tables were turned on him during his win over Penn State. After a sluggish performance in the first half, Pelini and safety Daimion Stafford got into a heated exchange on the sideline. It's clear from the video Stafford was not happy with Pelini and appeared to drop a couple of f-bombs in the process. It's not clear what the two were discussing, but let's just say neither party was giving an inch in the heated discussion.
Michigan State's Johnny Adams Super Flops

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The Michigan State-Nebraska matchup was a huge contest to establish the pecking order in the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers - with a little help from a generous pass interference call - pulled out a 28-24 victory against the Spartans. While the refs may have helped Nebraska with a generous call for the game-winning touchdown, Michigan State's Johnny Adams attempted to get a little help from the officials late in the first half. Adams was battling with receiver Kenny Bell and had an epic flop to try and draw a 15-yard penalty. The refs didn't fall for Adams' flop, but we sure enjoyed it.
STREAKER!

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This year's West Virginia-Texas Tech matchup was supposed to be a great game. However, the Red Raiders scored an easy 49-14 win. Although the game had a few highlights, one of the best moments was when a streaker jumped onto the field in the second half. Although the streaker managed to make his way around the field, he was quickly nabbed before he removed all of his clothing.

The best part of this video? Watching the police in cowboy hats trying to catch and tackle the streaker.
Jump Pass Time

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During Cincinnati's match-up with Syracuse this year, there was one crazy trick play that highlighted the game. On 4th and 2, Cincinnati running back George Winn offered up a sweet jump pass to Travis Kelce, who ran it in for a TD.
Manziel Recovers Own Fumble and Throws TD

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Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel led the Aggies to a huge road win over Alabama this season. Not only did the Heisman Trophy winner play a perfect game, he provided one of Week 11's highlight-worthy moments. On third-and-goal, Manziel stepped up in the pocket to run, yet was hit and lost the ball. However, the redshirt freshman calmly collected the loose ball in the air and tossed a touchdown strike to Ryan Swope.
Trick Play FAIL

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During Virginia's game against NCSU this year, the Cavaliers tried to get tricky. With flawless precision Virginia set up a brilliant trick play. That is, until UVA QB Philip Sims drops the wide open pass from RB Perry Jones. It's painful to watch.
Lee Corso Calls A Kid A Midget

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OK, so this one isn't weird, but we had to include it. During ESPN's College GameDay, Lee Corso jokingly yells at some kid for his game picks. Enjoy.
Next Question!

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Following Michigan State's win over Easter Michigan, Coach Mark Dantonio was in no mood to talk. He offers up a post-game press conference we like to call "Next Question!" It gets good around the 1:30-minute mark.
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Other Slideshows You Might Like

10 Greatest Oregon Ducks (since 1967) [40]

Oregon Ducks Cheerleaders [41]

5 Greatest Moments in Oregon Ducks Football History [42]

Elsa Pataky Fires Up Fast & Furious 6 [43]

Georgia Bulldogs Cheerleaders [44]

South Carolina Gamecocks Cheerleaders [45]

10 Greatest Georgia Bulldogs (since 1967) [46]

10 Greatest South Carolina Gamecocks (since 1967) [47]

5 Greatest Moments in South Carolina Gamecocks Football History [48]

College Football's 2012 Coordinator Carousel Tracker [49]

College Football [2]
News [3]
ACC [4]
Big 12 [5]
Big East [6]
Big Ten [7]
Conference USA [8]
Independents [9]
MAC [10]
Mountain West [11]
Pac 12 [12]
SEC [13]
Sun Belt [14]
WAC [15]
Oklahoma State Cowboys [50]
Texas A&M Aggies [22]
Texas Longhorns [51]
USC Trojans [52]

Athlon updates all of the latest coordinator changes in college football.

College football's coaching carousel has been active since the end of the regular season and will continue to spin over the next few months. Athlon has compiled all of the coordinator changes from this season and will continue to update this list as moves take place.

Note: This list assumes coordinator jobs will be open when a head coach leaves for another position or is fired.

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Bowl Predictions: New Mexico, Holiday, Las Vegas and more [53]

From New Mexico through Meineke

College football's bowl season begins on Saturday with the New Mexico Bowl and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Here are predictions on the first 14 bowl games.

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Sun Belt

Grading College Football's First-Year Coaching Hires for 2012 [1]

COMMENTS

GoDaddy.com Bowl Preview and Prediction: Kent State vs. Arkansas State [24]

COMMENTS

College Football's New Year's Resolutions for 2013 [27]

COMMENTS

College Football's Most Surprising Head Coach Hires of the BCS Era [28]

COMMENTS

Independence Bowl Preview and Prediction: Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe [29]

COMMENTS

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Preview and Prediction: Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan [32]

COMMENTS

New Orleans Bowl Preview and Prediction: East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette [35]

COMMENTS

15 Craziest, Weirdest and Oddest Moments in College Football 2012 [38]

Les Miles' Crazy Postgame Rant

Finding Scissors on the Field

Ball State's Crazy Tip Drill Interception

Georgia Southern DB Suffers Nasty Finger Injury

Tuberville Rips Headset Off Assistant

Utah's Crazy Fake Field Goal

Penn State Coach Drops F-Bomb

Stafford Curses at Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini

Michigan State's Johnny Adams Super Flops

STREAKER!

Jump Pass Time

Manziel Recovers Own Fumble and Throws TD

Trick Play FAIL

Lee Corso Calls A Kid A Midget

Next Question!

Other Slideshows You Might Like

10 Greatest Oregon Ducks (since 1967) [40]

Oregon Ducks Cheerleaders [41]

5 Greatest Moments in Oregon Ducks Football History [42]

Elsa Pataky Fires Up Fast & Furious 6 [43]

Georgia Bulldogs Cheerleaders [44]

South Carolina Gamecocks Cheerleaders [45]

10 Greatest Georgia Bulldogs (since 1967) [46]

10 Greatest South Carolina Gamecocks (since 1967) [47]

5 Greatest Moments in South Carolina Gamecocks Football History [48]

COMMENTS

College Football's 2012 Coordinator Carousel Tracker [49]

COMMENTS

Bowl Predictions: New Mexico, Holiday, Las Vegas and more [53]

COMMENTS