Freshmen in college, rookies in the NFL – they all get hazed to some degree.

So what about rookie coaches in college football?  They get a deal, a few years to prove their worth and then either find barrels of success or get hazed themselves – leading to a swift kick in the tailpipe, a clean desk and a set of walking papers.

That takes us to 11 rookie coaches – all in a new town, heading up a new program within the BCS system.  The question remains: will it be the success or the swift kick in the you-know-what?

Which Rookie Coach Will Have the Worst 2010 season?

11. Jimbo Fisher – Florida State

Think the weight of filling the shoes of a coaching legend will be added pressure?

Stop it.  Bowden had been the driver of a “cash for clunker” set on cruise control for the last few years.

Jimbo Fisher will be fine – securing a top ten recruiting class and bringing new hope to Tallahassee.

The schedule will be a challenge though, with road games against Miami (FL) and Oklahoma, plus BYU, Clemson and Florida at home.

10. Skip Holtz – South Florida

Holtz is taking over a program buried in controversy left behind by Jim Leavitt.

But that won’t mean a thing, as Skip has gotten the best out of minimal talent for years – leading East Carolina to four straight bowl games and back-to-back nine win seasons.

That, plus he knocked off Boise State in 2007 and both Virginia Tech and West Virginia during the 2008 season.

The move from Conference USA to the Big East won’t be that big of a jump considering Holtz will be joining the red-headed stepchild of the BCS power conferences.

9. Brian Kelly – Notre Dame

(AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Sorry, Charlie – but Coach Kelly is going to make you a distant memory soon.

Brian Kelly was 34-6 as a coach at Cincinnati, and he also led Central Michigan to the top of the MAC in his previous job with the Chippewas.

Now he trades talent that was 60^th in recruiting for a top 15 class, plus a school that wants to win more than any in college football.

When it all comes down to it, everyone in South Bend – including Touchdown Jesus – will have their eyes on Dayne Crist, recovering from a knee injury and carrying Coach Kelly’s success in his own two hands.

8. Derek Dooley – Tennessee

For those that want to point out (and hate on) the fact that new Vols coach Derek Dooley had a career coaching record of 17-20 with Louisiana Tech, I have two words for you: Gene Chizik.

In his first season at Auburn, Chizik was 8-5 (after going 5-19 in two years at Iowa State).  Sometimes, you just need a chance – and some talent.

That’s exactly what Dooley has, left some players via recruiting masterminds like Ed Orgeron – plus a top ten recruiting class (9^th via Rivals.com).

Don’t worry Rocky Top: soon you’ll be dropping the ‘Eff-U’ for “Lane Who?”

7. Lane Kiffin – USC

There’s no expectation that Kiffin will be bringing home any humanitarian awards in the upcoming months – but the point of the matter is this: Kiffin has legendary defensive-minded Dad in tow, plus aforementioned recruiting machine Ed Orgeron.

On top of that, the Trojans have a boatland of talent still in play.  The issue last season was the defense, and Monte Kiffin will improve on that.

So, it should be a solid year for USC – and oh yeah, because this is his dream job – Kiffin may not even leave before the year is over with.

6. Joker Phillips – Kentucky

With Calipari and Co. roaming the campus, it’s likely that fans may see their new football coach and say, “Who’s this Joker?”

OK, so unlikely, considering Phillips was a former wide receiver, and a coach on the staff for the last half dozen years.

But this Kentucky football team should take a backseat to no one – making four bowl games in the last five seasons.

Still, Joker’s first season is no laughing matter, with road tests at Florida and Tennessee.

5. Butch Jones – Cincinnati

With Brian Kelly off to Notre Dame, Butch Jones takes over for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is going to miss players like Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard.

Even though Zach Collaros and Isaiah Pead are still around to shoulder some of the load, a schedule that has a road opener at Fresno State and Oklahoma three weeks later – this year likely could result in the Bearcats heading back in the Big East pack by season’s end.

4. Mike London – Virginia

Al Groh’s rollercoaster career at Virginia is over, leaving Mike London to take his place.

In two years at Richmond, London was 24-5, incliuding an FCS Championship.

2010 is going to be a challenge, not only losing a lot of senior leadership at the LB, QB and TB positions, but also a recruiting class that was ranked lower than schools such as Colorado State, Hawaii and Memphis (per Rivals.com).

Add in a rematch with his former team, plus a trip to USC the following week, and it will be London’s career record falling down.

3. Turner Gill – Kansas

Mangino leaves a black cloud over the program, a number of seniors have moved on (headlined by QB Todd Reesing) and the team finished the season with seven straight losses.

Piece of cake, Turner – after all, you had some success at Buffalo.  That’s some success – building from a two-win season to 8-6 and the International Bowl in 2008.

But we’ll see how Gill adjusts from the MAC to the Big 12 conference – especially when he has to travel to Nebraska on November 13^th.  It’ll get ugly before it gets pretty.

2. Charlie Strong – Louisville

It seems so long ago that Louisville consistently churned QB’s through to the NFL.

Coach Kragthorpe left the Cardinals in shambles, having zero winning seasons over a three-year span, finishing no higher than 5^th in the conference.

Enter Charlie Strong, who has been surrounded by great staff and players at Florida – so he should right the ship, but it won’t happen right away.

In fact, midway through an ugly 2010, he’ll likely wish he pulled a Billy Donovan or Urban Meyer, retracting the Florida depature in the first place.

1. Tommy Tuberville – Texas Tech

Tuberville is going to switch and adjust to the spread offense, similar to the one that Leach previously used at Texas Tech.

The key difference: He wants defense, too.

Tommy T. plans to mainly use a 3-4 defense – and due to the adjustments – required a number of defensive recruits to come on board in a short period of time.

In the end, the major adjustment to the system – combined with a schedule that features Big 12 powers Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State – will lead to multiple headaches in year one.

If the changes don’t translate into victories quickly, Tuberville may find himself back on the golf course sooner rather than later.

* Also posted to my Bleacher Report page

Originally posted by Kevin Paul (via Fox Sports, Bleacher Report or First and Big Ten) on October 21, 2009

Prepare those speeches and clear some space on the mantle, because it’s time to hand out some midseason hardware for the 2009 college football season:

College Football’s Midyear Awards

Coach of the Midyear
…the nominees are:
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Brian Kelly (Cincinnati), Nick Saban (Alabama)

Brian Kelly has the Bearcats staring the BCS in the face again while returning only one starter on defense and Alabama, entering the season with a question mark O-line, has opened huge holes for Mark Ingram and the running game.

But while many saw Iowa as an afterthought in the Big Ten (especially with such a brutal road schedule) the Hawkeyes are 7-0, already knocking off both Penn State and Wisconsin away from home.

Iowa’s toughest remaining test is facing the Buckeyes in Columbus on Nov. 14.
Winner: Kirk Ferentz

Hottest Coaching Seat
…the nominees are:
Al Groh (Virginia), Charlie Weis (Notre Dame), Ron Zook (Illinois)

Groh again has the Cavaliers on a tear after a painfully slow start, while Zook and the Illini are a dismal 1-5 after being listed by many as a potential darkhorse in the Big Ten.

Still, the spotlight is on Weis. While the Irish are holding their own, Notre Dame still has no signature wins in 2009, and you know what that means: no need for the hand warmers Charlie, this seat is toasty warm until further notice.
Winner: Charlie Weis

Offensive POMY
…the nominees are:
Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Toby Gerhart (Stanford), Case Keenum (Houston)

Gerhart has carried Stanford, averaging over 120 yards and adding a dozen touchdowns.  Meanwhile, Clausen has 14 TD’s and only 2 INT’s, adding 1,800 passing yards and a QB rating that is second only to Boise State’s Kellen Moore.

None can match Houston’s Case Keenum, the junior QB who has led the Cougars into the polls, while throwing 410 yards per game, adding 19 TD’s and 4 INT’s, including 801 passing yards in two games against ranked opponents.
Winner: Case Keenum

Defensive POMY
…the nominees are:
Greg Jones (Michigan State), Jammie Kirlew (Indiana), Von Miller (Texas A&M)

Definitely a tough call, as Greg Jones leads the nation in tackles with 85, plus Indiana’s Jammie Kirlew has forced five fumbles, while adding 5½ sacks.

But the biggest standout is Von Miller, currently fifth in the nation in tackles for a loss (12½) and second in the country in sacks with 10: impressive, and worth defensive player of the midyear.
Winner: Von Miller

Top Freshman
…the nominees are:
Matt Barkley (USC), Tate Forcier (Michigan), Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh), Ryan Williams (Va. Tech)

Barkley has signature wins in South Bend and Columbus, but USC has been a “plug and play” system over recent years.

Dion Lewis has made the Panthers not miss LeSean McCoy too much, while Ryan Williams has filled in nicely after former starter Darren Evans was injured.

In the end, it’s the exciting and fiery play of Tate Forcier that has the Wolverines back on the map much quicker than many thought they would be.
Winner: Tate Forcier

Biggest Surprise
…the nominees are:
Boston College, Iowa, Miami (FL), Washington

Many had the Eagles in the ACC cellar, but BC (5-2) is on top of the Atlantic division.  The Hawkeyes are perched at the top of the Big Ten, but many felt they would be a solid team after returning 14 starters from the ’08 squad.

Miami, always able to recruit talent, appears to be back on the map and playing well, but the biggest surprise has to lie in the Pacific Northwest, as Coach Sark, in his first season, has the Huskies 3-4 after a winless 2008 campaign.

Included in this year’s schedule are an upset win over USC, plus close losses to LSU and Notre Dame.
Winner: Washington

Biggest Disappointment
…the nominees are:
California, Florida State, Illinois, Oklahoma, Ole Miss

Take your pick here, as teams like Cal (1-2 in Pac-10), Ole Miss (1-2 in the SEC West), Illinois (1-5 overall), and Oklahoma (3-3 overall) have all disappointed.

But the biggest disappointment can be found in Tallahassee, where the Seminoles are 2-4 overall, including 0-3 in the ACC.  It’s a shame that Bowden has been under such scrutiny, but this Florida State team has been abysmal.
Winner: Florida State

Bonehead Move of the Midyear
…the nominees are:
Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State), LeGarrette Blount (Oregon), Mike Gallett (Nevada)

Gallett is yet another player to be suspended for the year due to a violation of team rules and then there’s Dez Bryant, whose “pants were on fire” earlier this season.

But the biggest bonehead move of the year belongs to Blount, and who could forget how he first talked trash, second, didn’t back it up, and finally lost his cool and punched a Boise State player on national television.

In the end, Blount was suspended for the year and don’t worry, he won’t be sent an actual award.

Winner: LeGarrette Blount

Game of the Midyear
…the nominees are:
Notre Dame vs. Michigan, USC vs. Ohio State, Central Michigan vs. Michigan State

The Big Ten dominates this category, mostly due to the conference featuring a plethora of tight games during the first half of the season.

The wildest game of the three had to be Central Michigan’s 29-27 upset of Sparty, which was in dramatic fashion after a late two-point conversion attempt for the lead failed, only to have a recovered onside kick and game-winning field goal follow shortly thereafter.

After the game, a number of college football fans caught themselves a bad case of “LeFevour”.
Winner: Central Michigan vs. Michigan State

Heisman Trophy
…the nominees are:
Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Mark Ingram (Alabama), Colt McCoy (Texas), Tim Tebow (Florida)

It seems like forever ago that Bradford, Tebow and McCoy were the guaranteed trio to show up at the ceremony, but let’s face it, if you want to win the Heisman, recent history states that one needs to play for a high profile school that is also among the nation’s elite teams.

Look at the winners over the past decade and a half: Oklahoma, USC, Florida, Ohio State, the list rolls on.

Tebow missed time due to the concussion.  Clausen has the gaudiest and most impressive numbers, but the Irish have two losses and zero signature wins.  That leaves McCoy and Ingram.

Look at each in games against ranked teams.  Versus Texas Tech and Oklahoma, McCoy has 332 passing yards, with 2 TD’s and 3 INT’s.  Ingram, against Virginia Tech and South Carolina, had 50 carries for 396 yards and 2 TD’s.
Winner: Mark Ingram

National Championship
…the nominees are:
Alabama, Boise State, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, Texas, USC

Count out Cincy and the boys from Boise, because with schedules like each has, help will be needed to reach the title.  The Trojans, with one loss, still have to travel to Oregon, plus have other tricky matchups against Pac-10 foes.

Iowa’s toughest remaining game is at Ohio State, but they’ll likely be on the outside looking in while Texas has its toughest remaining game on Halloween at Oklahoma State.

That leaves ‘Bama and the Gators, who will likely duke it out for a NC spot in the SEC title game.  Call me crazy but… ‘Bama has been the most consistent team.
Winner: Alabama vs. Texas

Stats courtesy of cfbstats.com