Gatoravatara;n121609 said:
I agree with this- as long as they are kicking ass at where they are at, like Urbs. Being mediocre and choking in big game in your own conference should not be rewarded. CSU's lost over Air Force tells me that they do not have the ability to win big games and their conference with similar players. Who has better players Air Force or CSU? If the answer is CSU, then that means that Air Force's coaching is better. Ole Miss is different because they play in the hardest division in college football and are a 2nd tier school.
Air Force won--a team that beat Boise, and really isn't that bad--on senior day, on a late game field goal, a year after getting absolutely blown out by rival CSU. That team was super motivated and the talent gap isn't really all that wide. That stuff can happen. The "big game" CSU has won this year are traveling all the way across the country to Boston College, who was a week removed from knocking off a top 10 USC team, and pulling out the win. Beside that, they beat Nevada and a decent Utah State team. The year before McElwain did out-score a Mike Leach led WSU team in their bowl win. But let's be real, CSU hasn't had any true big games in the last three years, none where the talent gap wasn't huge at least. The opportunities haven't been there.
What he has done is improve their record year after year, and taken a bottom dwelling offense to top-10 national status. That's big. Is there another coach at the mid-level that's done better with as little or less?